There's no easy answer to the question of which position is the most important in the game of soccer. Soccer is a cooperative game in which each player has an important role. Scoring and stopping the other team from scoring are both relevant to winning, so any player who slacks off costs the entire team. Still, even though every role is important in some way, the goalie has the most vital individual role in soccer.
Goalies
Goalies are the last line of defense, and they direct the actions of other players as well, so their role is critical during a soccer game. Only the goalie can pick up the ball during regular game play and throw or punt it directly to a teammate to start an offensive attack. When they don't have the ball, goalies watch the action carefully to predict potential problems and to direct players to fill holes in the defense. Without an effective goalie, even hastily taken shots will result in a loss. But if you have a great goalie in the net, your opponents will have difficulty scoring even if the rest of the team is falling apart.
Defenders
The defenders, or fullbacks, support the goalie by limiting the shooting capabilities of the other team. Without them, two or more players could pass the ball back and forth in front of the net, making it difficult for the goalie to know which shooter to defend against. Defenders block passes and force opponents to work hard to get a clear shot at goal. The role of the defenders is to take the ball away from the opposing team and send it back up to midfield, which is called clearing the ball.
Midfielders
Midfielders, also called halfbacks, help the defenders limit the mobility of the opposing team, and support the offense by providing a passing structure that creates shot opportunities for the forwards. Midfielders must be flexible enough to switch quickly between defensive and offensive strategies, so in a sense, they are the most multifunctional unit of a team. Goalies keep an eye on the midfield action to anticipate weak spots in the defense and warn defenders to shift to compensate.
Forwards
Forwards generally shoot the ball most, and must be fast enough to outpace the defense of the other team, nimble enough to dart into open locations and talented enough to trap and shoot crossed balls before the defense can step in to block them. Forwards who play on the outside are called wingers. They dribble the ball up the side of the field and then cross it into the middle where the strikers, or middle-playing forwards, wait for the pass. Although strikers are typically the top scorers, aggressive midfielders and wingers also shoot when the opportunity presents itself.
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