Today is the 51st birthday of the Dutch "Ice Prince" Bergkamp, who has long disappeared from public view and is currently the assistant coach of the Dutch second division Almere City u21 team.
As a player, Bergkamp was an artistic player on the field, and although he did not receive many heavyweight honors, he still reached a high status with his amazing football skills. Speaking of his most renowned technique, there is no more amazing stop-ball technique, Bergkamp's stopping ball combines physical fitness, coordination, flexibility, ball sense, anticipation and observation.
Let's take a look at the top ten stops of his career.
The first goal, pick the ball to stop the ball. Difficulty Index: ☆☆☆☆
At that time, he sideways to receive the high ball from the rear, and the moment of stopping the ball accurately predicted that the defender behind him would come up to pounce, and a direct pick-up stopping ball was dashing away from the defender.
The second ball, chest stop ball. Difficulty Index: ☆☆☆☆☆
While Bergkamp ran sideways forward, his eyes kept watching the long pass of the ball behind him, and the balance during the running itself was difficult to maintain. When the ball arrived, the drop point was a little high, he chose to jump up and stop the ball with his chest, and quickly used the header to reverse the ball to adjust the falling point of the ball, and finally chose to shoot sideways in front of the two defenders, and did not look at the goal during the whole process, showing his outstanding position sense of the goal.
The third goal, the ball is stopped. Difficulty Index: ☆☆☆☆☆
Another long pass facing the rear, Bergkamp extended his left hand to block the defender during the run, alleviating the defender's physical interference, and then accurately unloaded the ball on the outside of the body with the instep of his foot, making it difficult for the defender to tackle the ball, and the final pick-and-shoot also reflected his accurate observation of the goalkeeper's movement.
Fourth goal, the instep of the foot stops the ball. Difficulty Index: ☆☆☆☆
It is difficult for this ball to accurately predict the landing point and select the appropriate stopping position in the high-speed forward insertion run. Bergkamp was originally positioned in the right rear of the defender, when he judged the landing point after three steps to accelerate to the front of the defender, and chose to use the instep of the foot to unload the ball, this stopping method just let the ball stop half a meter in front of the body, so that the next step with the ball to swing past the goalkeeper, but also let the goalkeeper attack the idea of interception disappointed.
Fifth goal, the bow slammed the ball to stop the ball. Difficulty Index: ☆☆☆☆☆
When the right bottom line cross to the back point, if you want to directly choose the shooting angle is relatively small, directly passing the ball to the middle will also be blocked by the body of the fast approaching defender. Bergkamp did not rush to make a move, but adjusted the pace, waiting for the defender to pounce and lose the center of gravity before choosing to slam the ball with his left foot, and the position after the ball stopped was very conducive to connecting shots.
The sixth goal, the bow of the foot stopped the high ball. Difficulty Index: ☆☆☆☆☆
Stopping the high ball at the rear of the high ball while running at high speed is one of the most difficult techniques in football, and this ball once again shows the "Ice Prince"'s precise judgment of the landing point and the perfect choice for the stopping footwork. A stoppage with just the right amount of strength made it impossible for the defender to shovel and block, and the subsequent pick-and-shoot was also perfect, observing the position and center of gravity of the goalkeeper in advance and choosing a light pick-and-roll shot.
Seventh goal, the arch of the foot stopped the high ball. Difficulty Index: ☆☆☆☆☆
It was similar to the fourth goal, and did not slow down because of the stop, directly forming a one-knife ball opportunity against the goalkeeper.
The eighth goal, the ball is stopped. Difficulty Index: ☆☆☆☆☆
In addition to showing the perfect stopping ability again, Bergkamp's outstanding physical coordination was also demonstrated, and after stopping the ball, he quickly turned 360 degrees and handed the ball to the teammate who inserted the ball with a volley.
On the ninth goal, the tiptoe stopped. Difficulty index ☆☆☆☆☆☆
Observing the defender defending Bergkamp first, just doing high-speed running on his back has made the player hesitate and unable to control his balance. The coordination, flexibility, stopping technique, frequency of movement and ability to use the feet of the two "Ice Princes" are simply works of art.
The tenth goal, the tiptoe stopped the ball. Difficulty index ☆☆☆☆☆☆
A masterpiece of professionalism. A great goal that has long been engraved on the halls of World Cup history! In the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup, facing Argentina's legendary defender Ayala, the perfect stop, a dunk and a shot.
Finally, once again, happy birthday to Bergkamp. I hope that such artists can be born again in the increasingly utilitarian world of football, bringing pure enjoyment to fans.