This year’s World Cup performances were indeed memorable. There were winners present in every match, in every colour jersey and from every country, in my opinion. The Spaniards were victorious, not because their players were in better shape, or were advantaged with better training methods, skills, or any other distinct edge; but because of their “team effort”.

Where Spain had the advantage was through their cohesiveness as a team. Their formation was always clearly defined, which in turn gave merit to their possession tactics, and for this I believe that the team’s manager is to be applauded for their success.

World Cup is more of a tournament, if you consider that the teams are comprised of transient individual football stars. Each player goes through his individual struggles with injuries, mental pressure and physical contests. Their collective team effort won them the title, which is significant, simply because the transition of players due to injuries, temperament, long-term training decisions, substitutions and bureaucracy within the team’s management; can all affect the team’s cohesiveness and ability to play – as one.

Football – The Game Of Heart And Mind

What does it take for a World Cup football player to stay in peak condition under the pressure of the fans, the duration of the games and the prestige of The World Cup? My opinion is that it takes more heart than anything else. It could only be the passion for the game that could drive that level of commitment and mental conditioning over that length of time. Mental conditioning is the name of this game, and for an athlete, there is no bigger challenge than the one he has within himself.

Imagine what it must be like to have it all on the line, everything at stake, every ten seconds. The only way to stay alive is to push everything, full throttle, towards the goal, giving it 150% of all the energy that you have non-stop for 45 minutes. For many of us who witnessed the World Cup finals last Sunday, the game dragged on for 120 minutes, with players pushing, dipping, jumping, sprinting and kicking without pause, all the while withstanding pain, fatigue and injuries. The players endured under immense stress both mentally and physically in this way throughout the match, battling heart, mind and body.

Football Fitness

All attributes of fitness are necessary to play the game of football.

o Aerobic Capacity (Cardio-vascular/Respiratory Capacity)

o Muscle Endurance or Anaerobic Capacity

o Body Composition (Ratio of Muscle Fibre Types 1 & 2)

o Muscle Strength

o Flexibility

The World Cup player’s level has to be at its peak in each category.

Aerobic Capacity:

Firstly, there is a baseline level of cardiovascular endurance which a body needs just to stay mobile on the field of 110 yards of length, trotting back and forth for 45 minutes non-stop. Type 1 or slow-twitch muscle fibres are involved in endurance activities such as this. The fuel sources responsible for this type of energy expenditure are complex carbohydrates, like yam, which take longer to break down, and allow the body to use it up over a longer period of time. Dribbling the ball and passing along the field at a moderate pace will require this type of muscle fibre and energy expenditure. Anaerobic Capacity

A totally anaerobic exercise is an all-out effort of short duration, such as a 100-metre sprint or strength and power exercise like weightlifting, which require the explosive release of energy yielded by fast-twitch muscle fibres.

High intensity exercises of longer duration characterise is the zone in which the World Cup players most often play. These exercises can be performed only at submaximal efforts (up to about 90 per cent of their maximum effort). A 90 per cent effort can be sustained for a maximum of two or three minutes and are fuelled by simple carbohydrate sources, such as sugar.

Active play involves more explosive movements, bursts of energy that come on in an instant and require more anaerobic energy sources, such as in a sudden scoring opportunity. This type of exercise is where the player can sustain a maximum effort for only about 10 seconds, after which the stores become exhausted. A training programme that includes short bursts of activity is important for many athletes and can be very demanding physically and psychologically.

Body Composition

The footballer would have to diversify his training programme to develop his endurance both anaerobically and aerobically. That is to say he would have to be as conditioned as a sprinter, a long-distance marathon runner and a weightlifter all at the same time. He is also going to need a balance of muscle fibres, both fast and slow-twitch to varying degrees depending on his position and his ability. Type 1 muscle fibres are adapted for aerobic activities of long duration. Type 2 fibres are adapted for short bursts of explosive anaerobic activity. Human muscle has a mixture of both fibre types, but endurance athletes have a preponderance of slow-twitch fibres while sprinters have a preponderance of fast-twitch fibres. Star footballers have to have them both.

Muscle Strength And Flexibility

Their training programmes will consist of a large amount of aerobic cross-training to develop his cardiovascular endurance or long aerobic training sessions of different modalities as well as constant running. It will also require a good amount of strength training to keep their bodies strong to withstand the strain of sudden plays, strong bursts of energy and sudden movements. Interval training at a high intensity is also necessary to develop their agility, balance and reaction skills. Flexibility training is equally important to increase their range of motion so as to elevate performance, counter injuries and prevent strains.

The Bionic Factor

Notwithstanding the amount of training it takes to stay at the fitness level required to play the game, much less to compete at that level, there is also a mental aspect that is of equal value to the physical components. The athletes are almost always suffering from injuries, pain and conflicting psychological hurdles. What it must be like to train in pain, day in and day out, must be mentally draining in itself. In spite of the pressure that must exist for the player as a national icon, his personal best or even just to be a worthy team member, the challenge of performing in pain has to be surreal.

This is where the mental state would have to shift, and an edge of survival would take over the player’s focus, sharpening it so that he literally detaches from the pain in that moment. This state of play introduces a level of commitment which is largely unknown to us mere humans. It is what separates the men from the boys. It is what defines a winner. The athlete enters a zone known only to the best, and he is now unstoppable. Put a little adrenalin in the mix and you’re looking at a regular bionic man running wild on the field.

Having said this, the Spaniards were not exclusive to this level of athlete, but it is not a game of individual strength or ability, nor is it a game for the superstar, and all egos must be left behind for the sake of the team. The Spaniards did not necessarily have the best players…but they most definitely displayed the best TEAM EFFORT. Long live the athlete! Long live the World Cup!