Midfielder, Italy |
Although this ability is impressive, there are other players who can perform this role for their teams - Xavi, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Yaya Toure - so perhaps what most defines Pirlo is the manner in which he performs this role.
Watching Italy play, Pirlo may not jump off the screen at you; that's because so much of his impact on a game is understated. His movement, technique and most significantly, his composure allow him to affect a game far beyond receiving and distributing the ball. Pirlo is one of the few humans on this planet capable of dictating to 21 other professionals the pace at which a soccer game will be played. Pirlo will not be rushed, plays under control, and is always probing rather than reacting.
This balanced perhaps zen-like state from which Pirlo operates allows him to nudge other players into or out of their comfort zones. There is perhaps no better example of this than what Pirlo did in the penalty shootout against England in the quarterfinals of Euro 2012. With his team down 2-1 after two penalties apiece, Pirlo had the opportunity to draw Italy level if he converted his kick, but he didn't just score on England. He emasculated them:
Watching this live in a bar, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, and I was only kind of rooting for England. Imagine how Joe Hart (the keeper) and his teammates felt? Pirlo meanwhile looks like he's ready to drink a post-match espresso. In a related story, England missed their next two penalties, Italy scored both of theirs, and the rest is history.
(To give some perspective to Pirlo's penalty, this is what it can look like when a‘panenka’ goes wrong)
This profile is part of the Players to Know series.