When you play the midfield position in soccer, you have many responsibilities. One of the key jobs of the midfielder is serving as his team's playmaker. The right and left midfielders help fulfill this role, but it is the central midfielder who is most responsible for taking the ball, bringing it upfield and finding an open teammate with a pass.
Overall Responsibilities
The midfielder has responsibilities all over the field. The midfielder will play defense and tackle opponents to take away the ball or break up a play. He will then carry the ball upfield, determining the right pace to take advantage of the opposing defense. He then passes to a winger or a striker to set up a chance to score. The midfielder must understand the game like a coach, have the courage and ability to challenge the best defenders and lead the attack quickly.
Gaining Possession
The central midfielder often gets the ball from from the fullback or the goaltender after receiving a pass, but the central midfielder plays aggressive defense and will try to take the ball from opponents by tackling the ball. As soon as the midfielder gains possession, he secures the ball and starts carrying it upfield. He often will dribble past the first wave of defenders before attempting to pass the ball to a streaking winger, who will attempt to exploit the defense with his speed.
Passing the Ball
Accurate passing is a must for the midfielder as he gets the ball to an attacking teammate. Soccer is often a low-scoring game and a 1-0 or 2-1 final is not unusual. That means that scoring opportunities are limited and a midfielder who does not pass the ball accurately will hurt his team's chances. Performing the job well means passing the ball to the spot where a teammate will be and not where he's standing at the moment. The teammate will take the pass on the run and the best passes by the midfielder will hit the midfielder in stride. He won't have to stop, slow down or speed up to catch the ball.
Top Playmakers
Fox Sports ranked the top 10 midfielders during the 2010 World Cup. Among those that earned the ranking because of their playmaking ability were American Landon Donovan, England's Frank Lampard, Arjen Robbens of the Netherlands, Kaka of Brazil, Xavi of Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. Ronaldo was ranked as the top playmaker in the world, largely because of his ability to pass and set up teammates with either foot. He's also a solid scorer himself, which is a bonus for a playmaker.
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