CARLOS ALBERTO RATING

Carlos Alberto Torres according to our analysis was the greatest full back of all time. Despite his legacy depending heavily on his performances in the 1970 World Cup (he was controversially left out of the 1966 Squad in favour of a 37 year old Djalma Santos and injured for the 1974 World Cup) such was the quality of his performance at that tournament it deservedly catapults him to the top of the pile. There was a number of big stars in the 1970 Brazilian side, but whilst Pele wasn't quite at his physical peak, Rivelinho was brilliant but erratic in patches, Tostao quietly ticking things along and Jairzinho having the tournament of his life and playing above his usual level of performance - it was Carlos Alberto who was effortlessly putting in a GOAT level of performance throughout that tournament. Effortless being the key word because it did not feel that he was playing at his absolute best, its just his average level was that high - it was enough to dominate the tournament and any opposition he came up against.

It has been said about Carlos Alberto that the famous goal he scored against Italy was a tad out of character, he was more of a safety first full-back who had played as a sweeper and he wasn't that much of an overlapping full back - compared to the mythical pioneer Nilton Santos of the 1958 side (who played at left back). Nothing could be further from the truth, as Carlos Alberto's goal record was superior to that of Facchetti (for club and country) and just short of Roberto Carlos (4 goals shy of the bullet man's career total). The goal record alone was evidence of his attacking brilliance but watching him game after game in the 1970 World Cup, repeatedly making that same run which got him the fourth goal vs Italy reiterates that his overlapping skills were up there with the best. What let him down slightly was his crossing ability, which didn't have the same variety or whip that Cafu possessed.

Aside from his penetrative impact in the final third, Carlos Alberto's playmaking from the back was arguably his true stand out attribute. His long passing was outstanding - he could split defences with 60 yard passes perfectly placed behind centre-backs and their full-backs wreaking havoc and his decision-making in possession was excellent. He rarely passed back and was instead trusted to dictate the tempo from his berth on the right, slowly teasing and carving through lines of pressure with his clever use of the ball. His long shooting was also solid and he packed a punch, with a fair amount of accuracy.

Defensively, Alberto was an all-round athlete, relatively quick, agile, strong and with fast reactions. This allied to his superlative football brain meant he was very hard to beat and his performances at centre back and as a sweeper proved that he was a defensive force to be reckoned with. His defending wasn't quite on the level of a Djalma, but he was positionally more sound in wide positions than Thuram (albeit not his equal as a centre back) and it was hard to find any footage where he was left for dead or made to look clumsy. In the final against Italy in particular, he was the only Brazillian who Luigi Riva was apprehensive of, when running at their defence. Alberto was a tight marker and tenacious in the tackle.

In conclusion, Carlos Alberto pretty much had everything you would want in an all time great full back. A rock-solid defender, who contributed hugely to the build up and had genuine influence and presence in the middle third of the game. To top it all off he was one of the most impactful wide defenders there has ever been in terms of direct goal threat that the game has ever seen. The greatest brazillian full back of all time and in our opinion, the greatest ever - period.