Part 1: Player Profile – Dani Alves
Dani Alves is a Brazilian right back who is widely regarded as one of the best to hold that position in the world today. Right after he made a stunning debut for the Spanish club Barcelona in 2008-2009, he managed to become the hero of Brazil in the 2009 Confederations Cup when they won the trophy. He used to move throughout the right wing and the wing back just picked up during the 2009-2010 season as well, as he kept his fabulous form intact.
There are not “many” attacking full backs in the world but just like the few that exist, Dani Alves spends most of the game in the opposition half of field. At the Catalan giants’ side, he has managed to make a lethal alliance with the world’s best player, Lionel Messi as both of them combine perfectly well at the right wing and the pair constantly makes the one touch passes to tear apart the defensive lines of their opponents. The two are totally feared as they play on the right wing and prove to be totally deadly.
During the past season it wasn’t only Lionel Messi that Dani Alves could combine with. The young Catalan, Pedro Rodriguez also managed to make it to the right wing of the team and these two also combined pretty well. Throughout the last season, Dani managed to emerge as a leading superstar for the club and in his position he wrote his name down with players like Sergio Ramos, his Brazilian team mate Maicon and the German right back, Philipp Lahm.
One of the Brazilian right back’s biggest assets is the fact that he is very consistent when it comes down to being in form. He is rarely seen on the bench and he barely gets out of form as his fitness level is simply second to none. The Barcelona star frequently comes forward and bombards the opposition team with his quick pace and fabulous crosses. Not only does he manage to come forward to help his attackers, he also back tracks to his own half to respond to his defensive duties as the team needs him at the back when they are being counter attacked.
During the 2009-2010 season, the world saw Dani Alves’ best term as he showed his consistency in form. He managed to provide his attackers with 15 assists and this is the tally that he came close to his “assists haul” in the previous season as well. The tally that he reached this time round was only second to the dynamic Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez, just like last season as Xavi Hernandez managed to provide 14 assists and Dani Alves managed to provide 10.
With the little Argentinean starlet Lionel Messi totally shining and dazzling on the pitch with his amazing dribbling techniques, and with Xavi Hernandez getting the applauds for his “definite” passing and amazing long balls and though balls, it is Dani Alves on the other side who provides the team with extreme pace and becomes the hybrid one when it comes down to being compared with Xavi and Lionel Messi. He can come forward to provide Xavi, Iniesta and Lionel Messi with powerful assets and he can also sprint back after doing something that many right backs can only dream of doing. His vital assists are the key reason why he is in Barcelona’s first team and that is the key reason why he is regarded as one of the best right backs in the world.
It was indeed the Brazilian right back, Dani Alves who managed to make a run forward like always and was able to provide the newly signed striker, Zlatan Ibrahomvic, with an assist, during the El Classico. The match against Real Madrid has always been vital when it comes down to Spanish La Liga as the league is usually a two horse race between the two sides.
It was him who somehow managed to move forward and helped the Swedish striker score a perfect volley to win the match 1-0 at the Nou Camp as November 2009 ended for Barcelona as an “all-winning” month. He did not prove to be vital in that single match, in fact he also helped his team mate Lionel Messi to score a bundle against Estudiantes in the FIFA Club World Cup Final.
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