To be a successful soccer midfielder, you must be versatile and fit. Midfielders play right at the heart of the team's formation, covering a lot of ground during 90 minutes of soccer. As your game develops, it is possible that your coach will give you a more specialized midfield role, perhaps favoring attack over defense. In general, however, your job demands a large set of skills and a great deal of commitment.
Defend
As a midfielder, be prepared to defend. Unlike strikers, you cannot simply hold your central position and watch as the opposition attacks your defensive back line. Get back and support your defenders. If you don't, be prepared to face criticism from both your coach and your defensive teammates. If you are a good tackler, your coach may decide to give you a defensive midfield role. According to the Talk Football website, a defensive midfielder "sits just behind the center circle and is primarily required to break down opposition attacks and augment the defense."
Attack
When your team attacks, you should move up the field to support your forwards. With the exception of defensive midfielders, every midfielder should look to move up and down the full length of the field as necessary. If you excel going forward, your coach may give you the role of an attacking midfielder. Attacking midfielders normally possess good passing, shooting and dribbling skills, as well as excellent ball control and positional awareness. You also must be fit because you must join every attacking move.
Control
It is your job as a midfielder to help control the game, ensuring that your team retains possession of the ball. While individual skills and tricks are good in attack, you must first look to link up play between the defensive and forward lines. To control the game, you must be aware of your surroundings. Midfielders are generally under constant pressure from the opposition, with little time or space in which to play. Try to develop good short passing skills. This will allow you to pass and move quickly while retaining possession with the help of your teammates. A central midfielder who can control the game is a valuable asset to his team. They are "the orchestra conductors, the engines of the team, the players pulling the strings from the middle," according to the BBC Sport website.
Create
Short, simple passes help your team retain possession, but you should still look to create attacking opportunities for your forwards when you receive the ball. Look for a striker, or an attacking midfielder, who has found some space in an advance position. Create an opportunity by feeding the ball to your attacking teammate, either passing it through or over the opposition's defensive line. If you have a talent for creative passing and a good sense of attacking play, you may become a playmaker midfielder. A playmaker is the creative powerhouse in midfield, the spark that ignites many attacking moves.
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