TV-Soccer

5 Things You Can Learn from Watching Center Midfielders Play

center midfielder

We’ve written about how watching soccer, both pro games on TV and live games local to you, can help you become a better player.

This article will dig a little deeper into one specific position that requires the combination of many advanced techniques and dispositions as a player: central midfield.

Why Is Center Midfield a Hard Position in Soccer?

Center midfield is often considered one of the most challenging positions in soccer. CMs are often referred to as the engine room of the team, responsible for orchestrating both the offensive and defensive aspects of the game. Their role demands exceptional levels of stamina and awareness, as they are required to cover a significant amount of ground, tracking back to defend and pushing forward to create scoring opportunities. Even more difficult is the fact that due to their position in the center of the field, they must stay aware of and play the ball in all 360 degrees.

What sets central midfielders apart is their ability to set the tempo of the game. They must make crucial decisions about when to control the pace and when to be aggressive, all while maintaining composure under pressure. Any loose touches or sloppy passes in the center of the pitch can lead to turnovers and dangerous counter-attacks. Center midfield requires a well-rounded skill set, including fitness, positioning, defending, passing, and attacking prowess.

So knowing this about the position, what specifically can you look for when watching more experienced center midfielders play?

1. Constant Movement

One of the key aspects to learn from watching center midfielders is their ability to maintain constant movement throughout the game. Central midfielders are constantly on the go, covering vast areas of the field. Their movement isn’t aimless; it’s purposeful. Observe how they shuttle between defensive and attacking positions, seamlessly transitioning from offense to defense and vice versa. This constant movement serves multiple purposes: it helps them create passing lanes, provide support to teammates, and disrupt the opposition’s game plan. Pay attention to their off-the-ball runs, how they position themselves to receive passes, and their agility in evading opponents. By studying their movement patterns, you can learn how to stay engaged and effective throughout the game, ensuring you’re always in the right place at the right time to make an impact on the pitch.

2. Being Aware of Your Surroundings

One of the most valuable lessons you can glean from watching center midfielders is their remarkable awareness of their surroundings. These players have a knack for keeping their heads up and their eyes constantly scanning the field. As you observe them, take note of how they frequently look over their shoulders, not just to check for nearby opponents but also to assess the positioning of their teammates. This 360-degree awareness enables them to make quick decisions and maintain possession even in tight spaces. They rarely have their heads down, and this allows them to anticipate pressure and incoming passes.

Additionally, pay attention to how center midfielders use their peripheral vision to track the movement of players in their blind spots. This skill enables them to receive the ball under pressure, knowing where to distribute it next. By emulating this awareness in your own game, you can improve your ability to maintain better control of the ball, spot passing opportunities, and avoid unnecessary turnovers. Being aware of your surroundings, just like elite central midfielders, can significantly elevate your effectiveness as a soccer player.

3. How They Take their First Touch

The best central midfielders excel at perfectly-weighted first touches that keeps the ball close, minimizing the risk of losing possession. Be sure to watch how they open up their body and receive passes with their back foot, allowing them to quickly assess their options and maintain a wide field of vision. This also enables them to pivot away from pressure and distribute it efficiently. Learning from their first-touch mastery can enhance your ball control, composure under pressure, and versatility on the field, making you a more reliable player with a greater ability to create space and time during matches.

4. Playing Simple vs. Risk Taking

Watching center midfielders can teach you the delicate balance between playing simple and knowing when to take calculated risks. These players have a remarkable ability to read the flow of the game and make decisions based on the situation. Pay attention to how they often opt for short, accurate passes to maintain possession and keep the team’s rhythm. However, they also recognize when the opportunity arises to make a more ambitious pass that can break the opposition’s lines or create a scoring chance. Studying this aspect of their game can help you understand the importance of adaptability and decision-making. Learning when to play it safe and when to take calculated risks will make you a more effective and versatile midfielder, capable of influencing the game in various ways.

5. Communication and Coordination with Teammates

Center midfielders excel with communication, constantly providing instructions and support to their teammates and fostering cohesion within the team. They use verbal instructions and gestures to guide positioning and movements and also possess a deep understanding of their teammates’ tendencies, enabling them to efficiently link up play between different areas of the field. Their ability to establish a passing rhythm and dictate the tempo of the game enhances teamwork. Learning from their communication and coordination skills can make you a more effective player, promoting better synergy with your teammates, both on and off the ball.image credit

Why Every Soccer Player Should Know Tactics

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

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At Soccer Training Solutions, our focus is on individual training and showing players what they can do to improve their game outside of the structured environment of team practices and games. This motivation and work-ethic is vital for players aspiring to unlock their full potential.

But there’s another element to continuous improvement that we also recommend: learning some soccer tactics.

Your individual training will give you lots and lots of touches and to develop your fundamental soccer skills like dribbling, receiving and touch.

These skills serve as your building blocks, but the way you put these blocks together to be the best player you can be requires knowledge of how they all fit into a larger whole in the context of real competition.

And it’s important to clarify that I’m not talking about getting deep in the weeds on theoretical philosophies or a bunch of complicated Xs and Os diagrams.

I’m talking about the basics: common styles of play and how different teams (including yours) go about trying to win games.

Like with individual training, your team’s practices and games aren’t totally sufficient for developing the tactical knowledge you’ll need to thrive.

For one, your coach will usually be teaching just one particular style of play (and depending on your age and level, your coach may be more of a motivator/organizer and not even have much tactical experience themselves outside of putting the best players in the game or making sure everyone has fun).

Your coach’s style may be at odds with what you yourself need to thrive. We of course recommend you always listen to and obey your coach, but you also want to be able to identify where they’re coming from in terms of how they set your team up and how that fits into universal soccer strategies you see in high school games all the way up to the English Premier League.

So what are some of these tactical concepts that are important for any player to know about?

At it’s core, we’re talking about what a team does to try to win?.

Do they try to possess the ball for long periods of time and gradually build up attacks? Or do they try to quickly spring forward and attack their opponent’s goal?

Do they press the opposition and try to win the ball, or sit back deeper and stay disciplined?

This involves the formation (like 4-4-2, or 4-3-3, or 3-5-2) but it’s also much more; any of those formations could be trying many different things tactically and put the players in different roles.

For example, in the team’s midfield, is one player positioned farthest up the field and lead the attack? (A classic number 10). Do the players more or less equally push forward to attack and drop back to defend? (a number 8) Is there one or two midfielders who largely stay back and anchor the defense and start passing sequences? (a number 6)

When the team has the ball, does a forward try to run in behind the defense to receive a through ball? Or do they check back to receive it farther from the goal?

Does the team as a whole try to attack down the middle, or attack the end line from out wide? If the latter, who is it that provides the width and pushes forward? Outside backs? Wingers? (And who is ready to drop back immediately if possession is lost?) Do they mainly utilize quick, short passes or longer, more direct passes? Are any players a big part of the offense for their dribbling ability?

And in response, what strategies does the defense do to try to counter these strategies?

You can discuss soccer tactics with a ton of advanced terminology, but at the end of the day it’s these types of questions that we’re talking about.

So thinking about them in terms of your own team, and looking for them when you watch soccer on TV can make sure you have the larger soccer IQ that will serve you well throughout your playing career.

As a caveat, I’m not talking about burdening the youngest players with this additional requirement (although watching soccer on TV and in person is a great habit for players of any age to build). But by U-13 or U-14 or so, this type of thinking should be happening. (Some more good discussion in this article.)

To take the next step, you can read some of our tactical-related articles, start here. and/or let us know if there are any particular concepts you’d like us to talk about

If you want to take a deep tactical dive, take a look at our list of recommended books on soccer tactics.

EPL Tactical Trends in 2022-23: What to Watch For

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

One of the best ways to get better at soccer is to learn from the pros, and with the recent boom in soccer streaming services there are more ways than ever to watch the best leagues from around the world on any device.

The English Premier League has always been one of the most popular, due to its storied traditions, rabid fanbases, and ambitious clubs keen on constantly putting together the best players from around the globe.

But as an aspiring player yourself, what should you be watching for to make sure you aren’t just entertained, but also educated? Following the movements and actions of a single player (ideally who plays your position), throughout the game is always a good idea, and has direct relevance to your own play.

Another important principle is to remember to “take your eye off the ball.” Although it’s tempting to follow whoever has the ball in their possession at that moment, shifting your focus elsewhere helps you identify

But to become the best player you can be, it is also useful to consider your own role in the larger context of the team and its general strategy. Here the Premier League

In this article we will look at some tactical trends from last year, how they may shape Premier League teams’ approach this year, and

Inverted Wingers as Goalscorers

Which players tend to be the primary goalscorer is another question that reveals a lot about a team. Are they banging in crosses to a physical number 9 striker? Playing through-balls to forwards or wingers? Do they defend and aim to steal a set piece goal from their big center backs?

One tactical trend in the Premier League in recent years has been the False 9 who drops deep to draw defenders out of position and initiate attacks. Because of this the space often opens up for wingers to make diagonal runs through or cut in themselves.

An added twist that we also have seen frequently is the inverted winger, which means that a left-footed winger lines up on the right wing and vice versa. This gives them an advantage in cutting inside and either crossing, dribbling or even shooting the ball. (As a bonus look out for the outside back on the same side to overlap when the inverted winger runs inside.)

For many Premier League clubs, these inverted wingers are expected to carry the bulk of the goalscoring load.

Last EPL season we saw two inverted wingers battle for the Golden Boot, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Heung-min Son for Tottenham. Look to see if this trend continues this campaign.

Rotating Positions / Positional Fluidity

The scenario we laid out in the last point, an inverted winger cutting inside and an outside back overlapping to maintain the team’s width, represents a larger theme as well in modern football tactics that we see in the EPL. That is of rotating positions or positional fluidity.

The basic idea is that players can interchange and take on different positions and roles from what one would “normally” expect from their position.

To identify this, look for shifts in positioning when a team transitions into attack, like a center back dropping deep in between center backs, or a winger coming inside. It could even be an attacking fullback not just pushing forward but also coming inside, like Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The details vary by team, but often the goal is to create overloads and positional advantages and exploit them in the final third.

Manchester City recently have exhibited extreme fluidity up top due to their use of a False 9, often Bernardo Silva, and using Gabriel Jesus as a winger. One analysis called the side “extremely difficult to deal with due to them forever swapping roles and not staying in fixed areas. City have successfully destabilized defenses by firstly unbalancing them and then penetrating them.” Now with Gabriel Jesus gone to Arsenal and big striker Erling Haaland signed, it will be interesting to see how Guardiola shifts his tactics.

Another team to look out for for positional fluidity is Leeds United. A Leeds reporter explained some patterns in article about their preseason: “Although Marsch likes a 4-2-3-1, this is by no means fixed positionally, and in all three matches, Leeds rotated positions. This was notable in central midfield (namely new boy Marc Roca), with a player dropping either between or beside the two central defenders and acting as the quarterback. Roca dropped between right centre-back and right-back, and Crysencio Summerville, playing on the right wing, moved into the vacated central midfield space; Roca then broke the Palace press with a vertical pass to Summerville, who received on the half-turn and drove forward.”

Another example to look out for could be a center back who carries the ball forward and launches attacks, an especially effective strategy to counter the ever-popular high press: “Antonio Rudiger often did this extremely well for Chelsea but is now off to Real Madrid, and Erik Ten Hag also sometimes used Frenkie de Jong this way at Ajax, so it will be interesting to see if these or other clubs continue to utilize the strategy.

Counterpressing

This concept, known as “Gegenpressing” where it emerged in Germany, is certainly not a new idea in the EPL where it has been used to great success for years by some of the best managers including Jurgen Klopp. The idea is when you lose the ball to attempt to win it straight back as quickly as possible instead of falling back into your defensive shape.

High-work rate teams like Leeds will likely use this strategy frequently, as explained in the previously referenced article: “For Leeds to attack teams with vertical passes through the middle, they need space and a disorganised opponent, both of which are possible if you can quickly recover the ball. Critically, counter-pressing is a team activity, and Leeds often try to pincer press opponents by having multiple pressing players come from different sides of the ball. This cuts off passing options and hassles the player in possession into making a decision — and Leeds will hope it’s often the wrong one.”

As you watch this and other presses, ask yourself if the team is immediately pressing or waiting for specific cues. And since it is such a drain on player fitness and stamina, how long can the team do this effectively before they either become ineffective, give it up, or make substitutions for fresh legs?

Dominance of the 4-3-3?

The most popular formation in 2021-22 was the 4-3-3, especially among the top clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City, so it’s likely to see this trend continue.

However, there are plenty of others that will see wide usage too, such as the 4-2-3-1. One manager who have made another formation a big part of their identity, we can look to Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel and his use of the back three in the 3-4-2-1 formation and its variations. With wingbacks who can drop back to make a back five when in the defensive phase, and two defensive midfielders to anchor the back line, it’s a strong base to start from. It wouldn’t be a bad bet to predict that more teams will use three at the back and wingbacks this year.

Another possible scenario is a return to more classic formations. It’s important to remember that tactical trends happen in cycles; that is, with constant tweaking and reactions to new ideas. Because of this we sometimes see teams return to older strategies, albeit with different context and reasoning than originally. One soccer analyst has theorized that “as defensive blocks become increasingly compact and more space appears both in behind defensive lines and in wide areas of the pitch, we’re likely to see sides adopt a more direct approach and return to formations like the classic 4-4-2.” He continued by touting the counterattacking potential against possession-based 4-3-3 sides, the potential for overloads on the wings, and the benefits of two central strikers who can run in behind.

All of these concepts, of course, are just a sampling of the wide tactical variety we are about to see over a long Premier League season with 20 very different teams.

To learn more about these and similar soccer strategies (as well as how they developed over the years) take a look at our recommended soccer tactics books.

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Watching the Women’s World Cup to Improve your Game

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

Watching the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France is a great way to improve your game. We’ve written several times about the benefits of carefully watching professionals in order to learn from them. In a previous post, we asked you to watch a specific player and check out of the formation of both teams. Today we’ll expand on a few things you can do when watching a specific player. The following questions are a few things to watch when you watch the huge United States vs. France quarterfinal, or another match during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup:

What surface does your player use to receive and pass the ball?

Typically, you’ll see that they use the widest and safest surface to receive and pass the ball, the inside of the foot.

How many touches does your player take each time they receive the ball?

Professional players average two to three touches with the majority of the time playing just two touch.

Where on the field does a player dribble and why?

Most of the time, a player will dribble in the attacking third of the field and on the wing. Check out our blog post Attacking on the Wing. Dribbling in other locations can be risky, so see how your player balances that risk versus any potential reward.

How does your player receive the ball?

Players will receive the ball across their body, side on, or with the foot furthest from where the pass came from or pressure from a defender. Check out our earlier blog post The Importance of Receiving the Ball Across your Body.

What does the player do after they pass the ball?

Almost always, the answer is MOVE. Professional players move to find a better passing angle to receive the ball again. Follow the rule of three threes, or 3-3-3. This means three touches, three seconds to get the ball back, three steps every time the ball moves.

How do they communicate with their teammates?

Players, especially professionals, are constantly communicating about all sorts of things on the field. They’re telling their teammates good pass verbally and encouraging them with hand gestures. Talking about their marks and where they want to force the ball.

What types of runs are they making?

Players usually ask for the ball at their feet or try to make a through run. Sometimes players with do both by making a double run: first asking for the ball at their feet knowing that they are not going to get it to draw the defense in. Then they make the second run of getting behind their defender.

Where do they position themselves on the field in relation to the ball on offense and on defense?

Generally speaking when you are on offense, your team opens up to spread the defense out and when you are on defense you tuck in to stay compact and avoid being stretched. Most teams will get back into their shape or formation they are playing.

If you’re watching the Women’s World Cup games, what else have you noticed?

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Premier League Tactics to Watch for in 2018-19

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

It’s an exciting time of the year for soccer: the start of the new English Premier League season. Cheering for your favorite team or simply marveling at all the talent present in the league is undoubtedly an enjoyable experience, but you can also significantly improve your own game by watching games a bit more analytically.

This can be done on both an individual and a team level. The individual level means focusing on what great players do, like their movement off the ball, their first touch, and the way they attack space.

But this article will be concerned more with the team level: the larger-scale tactics that determine how games are played on a strategic basis. This not only gives you a more rewarding viewing experience; it can greatly improve how you approach your own games and understand your role within them. The following are a few things you can look out for this EPL campaign.

What is the team’s formation?

In soccer, all tactics stem from the formation, which determines player roles and how the team will attack and defend together. The pregame lineups will show you the formation, but it can be a valuable exercise to skip that and try to work it out yourself after kickoff. If you try to do this, it’s usually easier to see the distinct lines of players when they drop back to defend.

What differences can you see between 4-4-2, a 4-3-3, a 4-2-3-1? What weaknesses can you identify in a particular formation? For example, are the two center midfielders in a 4-4-2 struggling to keep possession against a three-man central midfield? Also, look to see if the team changes its formation at halftime if they are winning or losing. Why do you think they made those particular changes? (Also try not to be fooled by natural switching or overlapping within a system; this doesn’t mean that the team has actually changed its formation.)

How does the team pressure defensively? Do they press high or sit back?

Heavy defensive pressure is a staple for many top clubs today. Chelsea under new manager Maurizio Sarri, for example, are expected to employ a high press in order to force the opposing defense into making mistakes. Other teams in the Premier League, on the other hand, are more content to sit back and let the action come to them. Which approach do you see being more effective in the league?

There’s also more to look for than just a high vs. a low press. Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool is well-known for his gegenpress (counterpress), where after losing possession, the team immediately tries to get the ball back in order to avoid a counterattack. When watching a game, take note of whether the team tries to get the ball back after losing it in the attacking half, or if they fall back into their normal defensive shape. Finally, take note of where the team keeps its defensive line. Do they try to trap the opponents into running offside?

Is the offense possession-based or do they play more direct?

The Premier League has come a long way from its “route one” days in which the main strategy was to constantly play long balls up the center of the field to a target forward, but this stereotypically English style is of course still around to some degree. Many of the top Premier League teams keep possession with a multitude of short passes, which helps break down opponents and as well as maintain their own shape.

Not every good team attempts to dominate the possession stats, however. Just look at Leicester in 2016-17. They had some of the lowest possession stats in the league, but their lethal counterattacks led by Rihad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy propelled them to the title.

Which teams “park the bus”? How does their opponent try to break them down?

Since the gap between the top clubs in the Premier League and the rest of the pack is very large, you see some interesting tactics when the minnows try to steal a point away from a giant. A team that hunkers down and diverts all of their energy to defensing is often said to be “parking the bus.” Such a team brings everyone back behind the ball and clogs the middle of the field, forcing the opponents to play out wide. When you’ve identified a team doing this, how does their opponent try to break them down? Do they try to overwhelm them early before they can get comfortable? Wear them down relentlessly? Draw defenders out in a strategic manner?

How does the team attack?

By studying a team’s formation you’ll know if they employ two or three strikers, but look to see which other players get involved and how they go about their attack. A fun offense to watch is the lethal three-man attack of Salah, Mane and Firmino at Liverpool. Watch to see when Firmino drops back in the midfield to receive the ball (as a type of “False 9”) opening up space for someone else, often Mane, to run through. This forces the defenders to make a very difficult choice.

Movement is key for any offense, and top attackers often have freer roles that allow them to make runs and cuts all over the field. Take note of where Mane starts the match, for example, and then all of the locations you spot him in during the next 45 minutes. Try the same for Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling of Manchester City. Then compare them to a player like Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United, a big, more traditional center forward.

We hope this article gives you a few things to look for in the Premier League this season.

Are there any other tactics that you like to look for when watching soccer on TV?

How to Work Out While Watching TV

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

In today’s society, TV is a big deal. Many of us spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on the newest models to make the viewing experience as perfect as can be. Many people even set their schedules around certain TV shows, often at the expense of other activities like working out.

Most of us do not like watching commercials (except during the Super Bowl), and a lot of people use DVR to skip them and get around the inconvenience. Today, though, we’re going to make a case for not hitting the fast forward button.

Next time you’re watching TV, why not try doing a workout during the commercials so you can improve your fitness while you’re being entertained?

By doing these TV exercises, you will be getting an interval workout. The average length of a commercial for a 30 minute TV show is three two minute breaks. Within this timeframe, you can do numerous body weight workouts, so all you need is a TV and a show to watch. (If you watch TV shows online, many of these services still have ad breaks, although the timing might differ slightly.)

Exercises to Do While Watching TV

First, if you want to work your legs you can do lunges or body weight squats.

For arms, you can do push-ups or dips. There are many different push-ups you can do by the way you position your hands: wide, close, diamond and staggered. When doing dips, you will need a chair or a coffee table.

For abs, you can do bicycles, crunches, heel touches, pike-ups, russian twists, or planks.

Famous athletes have heeded this commercial break workout advice to great effect. Herschel Walker, 2 time Pro Bowl and All-Pro running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and mixed martial artist, made it a point of doing pushups during TV commercial breaks.

You can really challenge yourself here by seeing how many reps you can get in during the first break and try to improve for the next two. You can also do a different body section for each commercial break. You can choose what works for you, but don’t forget to work on your weaknesses too. If you have any more specific questions about any of these exercises, let us know in the comments. We’ll be covering them in more detail on Soccer Training Solutions in the coming weeks.

How Watching Soccer on TV Can Make You a Better Player

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

It’s pretty obvious that playing more soccer helps develop your skills, but you might not know that watching games on TV can also make you a better player.

This sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it? Just flip on the tube and see your skill level skyrocket.

Of course, watching soccer alone won’t turn you into a superstar, but I believe that most players greatly underestimate the value of regularly watching matches on TV.

First of all, there is value in following a favorite team, becoming emotionally invested in the results, and talking about professional soccer with your family and teammates.

Engaging with the sport outside of your own games will certainly have a positive effect on your play.

But this isn’t what I’m talking about here. This post isn’t about what games you watch, it’s how you watch them.

There are particular ways to watch a soccer game that will provide real benefits, and it won’t matter if you’re watching the World Cup final or a non-conference college game.

What to Watch For in a Soccer Game on TV

These benefits will require a shift in what you focus on during the game.

First, the most common tendency is to follow the ball as you watch. This is very common, and we do it all the time too.

But it’s much more valuable to follow a particular player, and see how they move off the ball, create space for themselves and interact with their teammates.

It’s an incredible experience to follow a player like Lionel Messi for a whole half of play, and see how much he does for his team both on and off the ball.

My advice is to pick a player who plays your position, either up top, in the midfield or in the back.

How to Identify a Soccer Team’s Formation

Of course, a lot of these things depend on the formation and overall strategy of the team in question. And that brings us to the second major thing you can do while watching a soccer game: analyze the formation and tactics.

At the beginning of soccer matches, the announcers go over each team’s starting line-up and formation. (a 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2, etc)

I recommend not watching this part so you can test yourself on what formation the two teams are playing.

In order to do this, focus on one team at a time. The best way to determine what formation a team is playing is on the defensive side of the ball.

When a team retreats to play defense, you will be able to see distinct lines of defense (ie. the backline, midfielders, and forwards).

You will also be able to see where the team likes to hold their defensive line, whether it is high (putting pressure on the ball) or low (preferring to sit back).

Most teams stay in one formation defensively and offensively, but sometimes teams change formation on the offensive side of the ball to add numbers into the attack.

A team that changes formation from defense to offense likes to get numbers behind the ball to defend but once they get the ball get numbers forward. In order to get numbers forward, the team must be able to keep possession.

Do not mistake outside backs making overlapping runs to be a change in formation. Depending on the formation, outside backs will be overlapping outside midfielders or wingers.

When teams change formation on the attack, they will most likely move either one or both outside backs forward into a midfielder role, most likely outside mid. Then a midfielder will move into a forward/striker/winger role.

This type of knowledge can be quite valuable to your own game.

By knowing what formation the opposing team is in, you will be able to exploit their weaknesses.

You will know what spaces the opposing team is giving up, so you will know what spaces to exploit.

Don’t get discouraged if you find this difficult at first; the more you watch, the easier it will get, and the more you can apply it to your own game.

Do you have any other tips for getting the most out of soccer games you watch on TV? If so, let us know in the comments below.

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