Central midfielders have a vital role in any soccer team, although not necessarily a creative one. While central midfielders can be among their team’s most skilled players, coaches may also deploy players in this area of the field to break up opposition attacks. The precise role of the central midfielder will vary, depending on the tactical formation the coach chooses to play. However, no matter the formation, the central midfielder is crucial in both attack and defense, linking play and often an important goal scorer.
Link Play
Central midfielders stand at the heart of the way a team plays, linking defense and attack. They play an important role in directing the game because, in most tactical formations, they can decide where the ball should go and the focus of their team’s play. This linking aspect of the role means that one of the most important requirements of the position is vision -- the ability to spot where best to play the ball. Central midfielders also need close control allied with effective passing technique, since the ability to spot a pass is of little value without the technique to carry it out.
Defend
When the opposition has possession of the ball, central midfielders have a crucial role in shielding defenders. This is particularly true when teams play a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 formation. These formations, which set the team up with four defenders, either four or five midfielders and either one or two attackers, often involve coaches tasking a specific player with a defensive role, sitting in front of the four defenders to protect them. These players’ main role is to break up opposition attacks through tackling and intercepting passes. Some central midfielders, such as former Irish international Roy Keane, are known for their tough-tackling style in this position.
Attack
Central midfielders often act as providers of goals for attacking players. This can be directly by passing the ball through or over the opposition defense to give an attacker a chance to score, or indirectly by passing the ball to a left or right midfielder to cross into the strikers. For example, a substantial proportion of the 226 goals scored by French striker Thierry Henry at Arsenal – a club record – were provided by passes played through opposition defense by midfielders Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit for Henry to run onto. Midfielders can also disrupt the opposition defense by making runs from the center of the field into the area around the opposition penalty area. Opposition defenders are forced to deal with their presence, which can provide a chance for an attacking teammate to score.
Score Goals
Central midfielders often find themselves in a position to take a shot at goal and the best midfielders are able to score, in addition to setting up goals for their teammates. For example, English central midfielder Steven Gerrard scored 23 goals in 53 games for Liverpool in the 2005-2006 season – more than many strikers – while compatriot Frank Lampard scored 22 league goals for Chelsea in the 2009-2010 season, making him the third-highest scorer in the club’s history. Central midfielders are also often called on to take free kicks in attacking positions and some, such as David Beckham, have honed their free kick technique to a fine art. Beckham has scored many important goals from free kicks around the penalty box, including one against Greece in 2001 that secured England’s qualification for the 2002 World Cup.
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