Soccer positions can vary depending on the formation being played by the team but generally you have your defence, midfield and attack plus of course the goal keeper. The line up used most often in the UK Premier league is what’s known as 4-4-2. Four defenders, a right back, left back and 2 central defenders. In midfield there are 2 central midfielders and 2 wide midfielders. Up front are the 2 strikers.
In the US and many European countries, the 3-5-1 formation is favored by many coaches. In this formation the soccer positions of each player are changing all the time. For instance, several of the five midfielders would be expected to get forward when their team is in possession to help support the lone striker and even score themselves. Other players in the midfield would be expected to track back and support their defenders when the opposition is in possession.
As you can imagine, the midfielders hold the most important soccer positions because of the amount of work they do. A striker for instance rarely crosses the half way line towards his own goal except perhaps to help defend corners and free kicks. The midfielders are expected to constantly run up and down the full length of the soccer pitch, one minute defending, the other attacking.
Because of the amount of work involved for midfielders, you will often see the wide guys come inside and swap with a central midfielder. Contrary to what the commentator is saying about Beckham or whoever coming looking for the ball, they are actually coming inside for a breather. No matter how fit they are, no one can keep running the length of a soccer pitch for 90 minutes and remain effective. It’s worth noting that when Beckham, probably the most famous wide midfielder, was at his peak he was almost always clocked as covering more distance than any other England player when playing for his country, often by several miles!
The soccer positions of the defenders are obviously important as the last line of defence before the goalkeeper is the only thing between the opposition and your goal. Wide defenders are sometimes expected to go forward, often interplaying with the wide midfielders. A good defender has several qualities not least of which is their attitude. They must be confident in their belief and live up to their motto of “thou shall not pass.” Defenders must be good in the air, have a solid kick and good in the tackle.
For many soccer fans it is the players in the soccer positions up front who are the hero’s and most kids, when having a knock around want to play up front as striker. While it’s true they score most of the goals being a striker requires special skills that most don’t possess, or we’d all be strikers! A striker needs exceptional pace, the agility to receive the ball with his back to goal then turn and beat the defender.
He needs to have a good shot in his locker but most of all he needs a sixth sense of where the goal is to be a prolific goal scorer. The best strikers in the world never have to look up to see where the goal is, or spin around then stop to get their bearings. They know at all times where the goal is and can turn and shoot on target in one smooth moment giving the defenders no chance of closing them down.
