Playing midfield in soccer is a dynamic and pivotal role that requires a versatile skill set and a deep understanding of the game. Midfielders act as the engine of the team, connecting the defensive and offensive components and influencing the flow of play.
In soccer, the midfield plays a critical role. They are responsible for controlling the game’s tempo. They link the defensive and offensive plays and provide support on both sides of the field.
Skills Needed of a Midfielder
A midfielder’s job requires excellent technical skills, physicality, and tactical awareness. A midfielder needs a well-rounded skill set, exceptional decision-making abilities, and a strong work ethic. A successful midfielder is not only a technically gifted player but also a strategic thinker who can influence the course of a match through both offensive creativity and defensive diligence.
Below is a list of skills that your soccer coach is looking for in a midfielder.
Excellent Ball Control and Dribbling
Midfielders receive, control, and distribute the ball quickly and accurately. Being able to have excellent ball control skills is critical to this position. You need to practice using different parts of your feet, like the outside of your foot, to control the ball. This helps to create space and open various angles for passing.
As a midfielder, you also need to develop strong dribbling skills. You can take on defenders and create more space for yourself and your team by dribbling. Practice dribbling while changing directions, altering your speed, and using different techniques to beat defenders.
Superb Passing
You are often responsible for beginning and maintaining possession of the ball as a midfielder. So, you need to practice your passing a lot! You should be able to pass accurately for both short and long distances. Use different types of passes, like one-touch passing, crosses, and through balls.
It is also critical for you to have excellent vision and awareness of your surroundings. Check your shoulder often! You need to know where your teammates are and where the opposing defenders are. This helps you make quick decisions with your passes and helps to break the opponent’s defense.
Defensive Skills
Defending as a midfielder is just as important as creating goal-scoring opportunities. They are responsible for intercepting passes, breaking up opposition attacks, and providing a protective shield for the defense. Defensive midfielders specialize in disrupting the opponent's play and regaining possession.
You will want to learn to read the game well so that you can anticipate what your opponent’s next move might be. This will help you break up their attacks in the midfield.
Endurance
It is no secret that midfielders run, and run, and run. This position covers a lot of ground during a game. Midfielders must possess high levels of endurance and stamina due to the demands of covering large areas of the field. The position often involves constant movement, both offensively and defensively, requiring players to be physically fit and capable of sustaining their performance throughout the match.
If you want to be a strong midfielder, you need to improve your stamina and endurance. Regular cardiovascular exercise will help to increase your endurance. You do not have to run all the time. Exercises like swimming are a great way to improve your stamina while taking pressure off your joints.
10 Different Roles of a Midfielder
Defensive Midfielder
The defensive midfielder breaks up the opposition's attacking play and protects the team's defense. They are like the unsung hero on the soccer field. A defensive midfielder must be excellent at tackling, marking, intercepting passes, and providing a shield for the team's backline. They need vision and positional awareness to stop the opponent’s play before it can get started.
It takes a lot of skill and dedication to be a strong player in this position.
Box-to-Box Midfielder
A box-to-box midfielder is a versatile player who can cover a lot of ground on the field. They play both attacking and defending roles and require excellent stamina. These players need to be good at tackling and have the skill to score goals or create chances in the attacking third.
Box-to-box midfielders are one of the most important players when it comes time to launch a counterattack and move the team from one end of the field to the other. These midfielders need quick, sharp, and accurate passing skills.
Wide Midfielder
The wide midfielder is responsible for providing width to the team’s play. They also help to stretch the opponent’s defense out wide. Their role is both attacking and defending, while most likely spending more time in their defensive third. They are positioned out wide closer to the touchline of the field. This position is not the same as a winger as a wide midfielder tends to be a more team-centric player.
Wide midfielders need excellent crossing and dribbling skills. As well as being able to outrun their mark so they can create goal-scoring opportunities.
Holding Midfielder
The holding midfielder is responsible for protecting the team’s defense and breaking up the opponent’s attacking play. They need to be strong at tackling, have excellent positional sense, and have the ability to accurately distribute the ball to their teammates.
The holding midfielder is probably the purest form of a defensive midfielder. This player holds his position and stays close to the defense as opposed to other midfielders who may move forward with an attack.
Attacking Midfielder
The attacking midfielder is responsible for creating chances and scoring goals. They need excellent technical skills, vision, and finishing skills to dismantle the opponent’s defense and score goals.
Attacking midfielders look for and receive the ball. They control and pass it with confidence to move it up the field. This player links their midfield with the attack and plays in the area between the central midfielder and center forward.
Central Midfielder
The central midfielder is a versatile player. They can perform multiple roles within the midfield. These players have excellent passing skills, positional sense, and stamina to link the team’s defense to the attack and provide support to their teammates.
Central midfielders need to have outstanding tactical and technical skills coupled with incredible physical abilities. They strengthen their team at its core and need to constantly be in position to receive and pass the ball.
Playmaker
The playmaker is the midfielder who controls the game’s tempo and dictates the team’s attacking rhythm. They should have exceptional vision, creativity, and passing skills to dismantle the opponent’s defense and create goal-scoring opportunities.
Ball Carrier
The ball carrier is a midfielder who excels in dribbling and running with the ball. They are responsible for carrying the ball from defense to attacking while drawing opponents out of position. The ball carrier helps to create gaps in the other team’s defense.
Deep-Lying Playmaker
The deep-lying playmaker is a midfielder who plays deeper in the midfield. They are responsible for initiating the team’s attacks from a deeper position. This player needs excellent passing ability, vision, and creativity to pick out their teammates’ runs to create goal-scoring opportunities.
False Nine
The false nine is a midfielder who plays as a center forward and drops deep to create space for their teammates. They repeatedly move toward the ball in deeper positions from a high starting position and will drop to receive the ball centrally.
A false nine needs excellent technical skills, dribbling ability, and vision to create goal-scoring opportunities for themselves and their teammates.
Professional Midfielders to Watch
Watching the pros play is a great way to learn how to conduct your role as a midfielder. Here is a list of midfielders, past and present, you should consider watching and studying:
Zinedine Zidane
Diego Maradona
Johan Cruyff
Andrea Pirlo
Xavi
Kevin de Bruyne
Frenkie de Jong
Jude Bellingham
Online Soccer Coaching
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Mike Semenza - LA Galaxy
Sarah Woldmoe - Chicago Red Stars
Zoe Morse - Brighton & Hove Albion
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