Jordi Alba and the Best 11 Attacking Defenders in World Football

Shubbankar Singh@shubbankarX.com LogoCorrespondent IIIAugust 3, 2012

Jordi Alba and the Best 11 Attacking Defenders in World Football

0 of 12

    If Jordi Alba was not already known throughout the world as a great attacking force despite being a defender, he certainly made sure of it when he went marauding forward in the final of the European Championship to receive a pass and score Spain's second goal against the Italians.

    Unfortunately for Alba, his Spanish side did not fare well at the on-going 2012 Summer Olympics in London and bowed out meekly after losing 1-0 to Japan and Honduras. Spain did not score a single goal in the three games and they could certainly do with some of the attacking defenders that we have on our list here today.

    Let us look at some of the most potent attacking defenders whose overall contribution—that is, when summing up their attack and defense—is absolute top-notch. 

Jordi Alba

1 of 12

    The first choice, left fullback for the Spanish national team, may not be the tallest but that is why he is nippy on the ground. He provides what Brendan Rodgers terms as "penetration" to the Spanish offense, even if they do not play with strikers. 

    Alba already has three goals and six assists in 2012 despite always being a part of the back four. Though that is not the only thing to his game, it is more than enough to suggest that he is one of the top attacking defenders in World Football at the moment.

Daniel Alves

2 of 12

    Daniel Alves is not really a defender, but still we have found a way to include him in this list. He may not be the best at defense, but when it comes to attacking there are not many better. 

    The Brazilian does play at right-back but has at times found himself in the luxury of right midfield, so that he does not need to worry much about defensive duties. He has scored once and assisted seven times this year alone.

Marcel Schmelzer

3 of 12

    This German who plays as left-back for Borussia Dortmund is very aggressive while venturing forward. He has won two consecutive titles with Dortmund and also achieved caps for his national side based on his performance.

    Look out for this German in Brazil, giving competition to Philipp Lahm at the World Cup on the left side of defense.

Fabio Coentrao

4 of 12

    The 24-year-old Portuguese who plays for Real Madrid is one of the best when it comes to linking up play. He contributes with a few assists here and there, and his recent defensive contribution to the back line at the Bernabeu was better than at least what Roberto Carlos used to provide.

    Coentrao's attacking force was felt by Lyon in November 2010 when he struck twice for Benfica and helped them win 4-3. Like Daniel Alves, he too plays at left midfield now and then, although less than the Brazilian.

Federico Balzaretti

5 of 12

    Federico Balzaretti plays as a left-back for Italian side AS Roma after just recently signing with them. The 30-year-old gave some good performances for Italy at the recently-concluded European Championships, which Italy finished as runners-up.

    Balzaretti is one of the few players who have represented Juventus in both Serie A and Serie B. He registered three assists for Palermo in 2012.

Mathieu Debuchy

6 of 12

    Mathieu Debuchy is a French international who played at the European Championship. He displayed some great performances in Ukraine and Poland and it is only natural that many clubs across Europe want him from Lille.

    Debuchy scored a surprising five goals from right-back last season, a feat even a player like Joe Cole, who plays a much-advanced role, could not match.

Kyle Walker

7 of 12

    Kyle Walker is one of the fastest fullbacks of the modern era, and he can strike the ball, too. One just needs to look at one of the free kicks he took to understand what a sweet right foot he has got. 

    Starting his career at Sheffield United, Walker is now making a name for himself with Tottenham and possibly in the near future with England. Walker is swift, powerful and can bend the ball surprisingly well while taking free kicks.

Glen Johnson

8 of 12

    Glen Johnson has had a mixed bag of a career since he left Portsmouth for Liverpool. He has had trouble with injuries, though some of the play he executed last season was a peach to watch and showed signs of Johnson returning to his old self.

    He has also been deployed at left-back at times and he has not shown a great deal of vulnerability even there. As far as attack is concerned, he loves to get forward—as he showed by scoring the winner against Chelsea.

Filipe Luis

9 of 12

    Filipe Luis turns 27 in less than a week and it may be said that he is about to enter the the prime of his life. The Brazilian plays in the Spanish League for Atletico Madrid.

    He is an absolute workhorse, which gives defenders all the more reason to keep track of him while he ventures forward again and again throughout the course of a match. He has great stats for a fullback for the Brazil under-20s, scoring seven in 23.

Gregory Van Der Wiel

10 of 12

    Gregory Van Der Wiel is a Dutch right-back who plays for Ajax Amsterdam. The 24-year-old represented his national side in the disappointing campaign of the Netherlands in the European Championship.

    He has registered three goals and eight assists since March 2011 for his team. 

Marcelo Vieira

11 of 12

    Marcelo Vieira plays for Real Madrid in the La Liga and has ultimate authority given to him by his teammates to stay forward for long periods in the match. With players such as Xabi Alonso pulling the strings in midfield, Vieira gets behind the defense time and time again. 

    Vieira has an astounding 11 goals and 15 assists since the start of 2011 for teams he has represented in all competitions. 

Christian Maggio

12 of 12

    Christian Maggio is another one of those players added to the list of Italians above 30, increasing the average age of the Italian national team. Maggio plays for Napoli in the Serie A and also represented Italy at he Euros. 

    He was fortunate not to have played in the final, although he must have been watching from the sidelines. Anyway, Maggio can attack while being very solid at the back. He is aggressive going forward, as he possesses good dribbling skills. 

    He is a defensively solid wing-back who most teams would like to have as a part of their roster. He also won the award for the best right-back in the Serie A for the year 2010/11. 

X