Very few coaches and team managers have the option of putting 11 strong soccer players on the field; most of us have to do what we can with a mix of excellent and not-so-great players. Though there are no “easy” positions in soccer, there are some that require a better player than others. So, where should you play your best soccer players?
The positions of the best soccer players will depend on their skills and attributes, but they are generally best suited for positions like striker, central midfielder, center-back, and goalkeeper. Good players are equally crucial for defensive and attacking roles, depending on their strengths.
The best soccer players are generally the ones that have the best technical understanding of the game, so they are often adaptable, fast, strong, and have excellent reflexes. That’s what makes them perfect for these roles. Let’s look at them in more detail.
Table of Contents
- Playing Your Best Players As Strikers
- Your Best Players As Central Midfielders
- Center-Backs Must Be Good Players
- Playing Your Best Players As Goalkeepers
- Conclusion
Playing Your Best Players As Strikers
The role of a striker is often more demanding than other roles. While players in some positions can be trained to focus on one thing and do it well, strikers must balance a few skills to be efficient. These skills and attributes include:
- Speed. Strikers have to be fast to make it from one side of the field to the other quickly. That’s because they score more goals than other players and also why they are often the most-noticed players on a team.
- Strength. Most teams play their largest and most muscular players in defensive positions, partly because they are intimidating. A striker with above-average physical strength won’t be as easily intimidated, not to mention the extra force such a player can put into their kicks.
- Positioning. Many professionals talk about how a striker should be in exactly the right place at precisely the right time. In a fast-paced game like soccer, this is no easy feat, and your striker must be good enough to track the game’s progress and determine where they will most likely be needed next.
Especially the last point is why only the best soccer players can be great strikers. The game can change anytime; a striker must know and understand soccer well enough to adapt to the change.
Strikers must also be able to balance a few essential soccer skills, like dribbling, while recognizing the importance of teamwork. It’s easy for a striker to think they always have to take the shot, but it takes an excellent striker to know when to let someone else take it.
Your Best Players As Central Midfielders
Central midfielders are often seen as some of the most athletic players, which is true in many ways as this position statistically runs the second-most in an average soccer match. But great central midfielders need more than just athleticism, speed, and stamina.
Most professional soccer coaches realize that a central midfielder is an all-rounder position. As the game pushes the attack, they will play in front, driving the attack. When the team moves to the defensive, this player is at the back, keeping the ball away from the goalkeeper.
This requires a plethora of physical abilities but also a keen understanding of strategy and tactics. They play a central role in the execution of a team’s game plan because they are literally in the middle of it. If a central midfielder doesn’t understand the team’s strategy, they won’t be able to adapt under changing circumstances.
A midfielder must also have constant situational awareness. They must be ready to receive the ball from anyone at any time and be prepared to charge an attack when that happens. This means they must constantly focus on their position on the field and move quickly enough as needed.
All of these factors make it vital that you have an excellent player in the central midfielder position, as weaker players may be unable to balance all these aspects effectively.
Center-Backs Must Be Good Players
Center-backs weren’t always some of the best soccer players. There was a time when almost any tall, fast player could do it. That has changed with modern soccer rules, though, and center-backs are now some of the best players on the team.
Their role is similar to that of the central midfielder. They must be able to instantly adapt to offensive and defensive play, with enough understanding of the team’s game strategy to change tactics mid-play. They must also have great speed and stamina to meet the game’s requirements.
Since the center-back is the last line of defense before the goalkeeper, they must stop the opponent’s attack, but then something vital happens: they must decide what the best strategy would be to drive the game forward and change from defensive to offensive.
This requires a player that doesn’t just keep up with the match physically but also mentally. These players are often so invested in the game and their team that they become team captains. It comes naturally to center-backs to take the lead and guide the team; most teams willingly accept that.
So, a center-back must be a good player in the physical and mental sense, but also emotionally. They must be confident enough to make a split-second decision without a moment’s hesitation, then be strong enough to face the consequences of their decision.
Playing Your Best Players As Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers are usually noticed as much as strikers because a good save can be just as stimulating to watch as a beautiful goal, if not more so. But goalkeeping is one of the most challenging positions, in my opinion, the hardest position in the game, which requires a strong player to play well, and not just in the physical sense.
Goalkeepers must be quick and calculating. They must be able to predict the course of the game and the trajectory of the ball and get themselves in front of it as quickly as possible. It requires much more than just physical ability; goalkeepers need mental prowess just as much.
But goalkeepers can also keep an eye on the game with much the same eye as the coach. They can see how the opposition changes tactics and moves players around. Goalkeepers should notice the other team’s strong and weak points so they can turn each save into a play that can exploit those weaknesses.
This is not something that an average soccer player can do; it requires excellent soccer skills, quick responses, and a mind that can plan and strategize with little or no input from the rest of the team.
Conclusion
Your choice of where to play your best soccer players depends on their particular skills since some can be the best athletically while others can have a mental or emotional edge. For more information, you might be interested in reading about the easiest positions and hardest positions in soccer or this guide on choosing the best soccer position.
