Soccer Midfielder

Due to the demands of the position, you will almost always see that midfielders cover the most ground during a soccer game. When watching the professional game, it is common to see the likes of Steven Gerrard or Patrick Vieira make a clearance or tackle in their own penalty area, only to appear at the other end of the field joining an attack less than a minute later.

Below is a general summary of some of the responsibilities a midfielder has in the overall performance of his or her team during a soccer game:

Possession

Midfielders will play a crucial role in which team has the most possession during a game of soccer, possession is the primary factor in your team being allowed to shape the flow of the game. A midfielder should always be an open passing option during the game.

If the defenders are in possession, then a short passing option through the midfield is crucial. Failure to provide movement and passing options can result in defenders committing costly turnovers in their own defensive third, or being forced to play low percentage long balls forward every time they have the ball, meaning your team can only sustain possession for short periods of time.

A midfielder must also have the ability to maintain possession of the ball when they receive it. A midfielder who has a poor first touch or an inability to control the ball under pressure will quickly become a liability to his or her team.

When playing midfield you must have the ability to decide what is the best passing option, and execute it properly. There is a time to play a short ball aimed purely to keep the ball, and there is a time to perform a forward pass aimed to stretch the opposing defense. While it is human nature to look for the killer pass and look to get the ball in behind the defenders, trying to do this every time can result in consistent turnovers and leave your team defending more than they need to.

Passing the ball simply sideline to sideline, or giving it to a teammate only to receive it back again immediately after can scatter the opposing defenders and change the picture to your advantage.

Defending

Any midfielder is directly responsible for the player they are directly opposite. If you are playing midfield and your opponent has the ball you must take responsibility for ball pressure. If you fail to do so, then your opponent will have plenty of time to pick out a dangerous pass, shot or cross.

Another problem for you not pressuring your opponent directly opposite is someone else could choose to do your job for you, this would leave a wide open opponent or a huge gap in your teams defensive shape.

When your team is defending, you must also track the run of your opposing midfielder if he or she chooses to join the attack. If you fail to do this then you will find the defenders behind you outnumbered. A typical scenario here is an opposing central midfielder to join the attack and outnumber you central defenders three on two when they join their teams forwards.

If as a midfielder you are able to win possession with a tackle, or to win loose balls on a consistent basis, you will play a huge role in your team gaining the upper hand on the opposition.

Attacking

Midfielders getting the ball, and providing quality service to the forwards in front of them. The type of service that is best could depend on what forwards you have on your team. Many forwards will like balls played into their feet, whereas some forwards who have a lot of pace will prefer through balls that lead them into a foot race with slower footed defenders.

Alternatively, the style of your team could be more suited to getting the ball wide and using flank attacks aimed at getting the ball wide and providing quality crosses into the penalty area.

Whatever the preferred method of your team, you will be a better midfielder if you possess the ability to do all things mentioned in this article, and you should work in practice to develop your skills in all areas.