How To Be A Good Soccer Midfielder
If you want to learn how to be a good soccer midfielder this article is for you.
I’ll break down the most important qualities, skills, and characteristics of good soccer midfielders. As well as actionable steps you can take to become a better midfielder, perform better for your team, and stand out in the middle of the park when you play.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase – “the game is won in the midfield” – it’s true. If you want to be a good soccer midfielder, you must be brave enough to take responsibility for your team’s success.
Much is expected of you but that is a good thing. You thrive under pressure. The pressure makes you better. You are a midfielder.
How To Be A Good Soccer Midfielder
If you want to be successful in any position, you must take pride in your craft. Different players need to have different skills and approach the game in different ways.
The more you can learn about your position, the better you can perform. If you want to be a great midfielder you need to recognize that being a midfielder requires you to be a complete player.
You have to be good at passing, playmaking, and keep possession. Midfielders need to be able to make tackles, read the play, and intercept passes. They have to contribute with goals and help with defending. If you are not a complete player you will get exposed for your weaknesses.
Don’t look at this as an overwhelming obstacle. You play in the middle because you want to be involved. You want to make a difference. Use this as motivation. Develop every area of your game and become a complete player.
What Makes A Good Midfielder In Soccer
Before we get into the specifics about how to be a good midfielder soccer player, you must make a commitment to one simple mindset:
DO NOT BE LAZY!
Obviously, it’s important to be hard working in any position on the soccer field. However, the midfield requires more movement and effort than most positions.
Midfielders run the most of any position on the soccer field:
Goalkeepers
– 2-3 miles (3.2-4.8 km) per game
Defenders
– 4-7 miles (6.4-11.2 km) per game
Midfielders
– 6-9 miles (9.6 – 14.5 km) per game
Forwards
– 3 – 6 miles (4.8 – 9.6 km) per game
Change the way you look at stamina & running. Running isn’t something you have to do. It’s something you get to do. You want to run because that mindset separates you from your competition. Develop your stamina so you can be a top midfielder.
What To Do As A Midfielder In Soccer
One of the best ways to learn how to be a better midfielder in soccer is by watching professional players who play your position (in this case soccer midfielder).
In my experience, the players who watch the most professional football are usually the smartest. They make better decisions, have better vision, and sharper awareness.
You can watch highlights or professional matches but understand there is a big difference between watching & analyzing. You want to analyze the players who play your position. Instead of watching the ball the entire time. Focus on the midfielder you want to analyze:
What do they do when they don’t have the ball?
Which runs do they make to attack & support their teammates?
What decisions do they make in certain situations?
When do they pass? When do they dribble?
How do they read the play and make interceptions or tackles?
The more you analyze and learn from the professional midfielders, the better you will become.
How To Become A Good Midfielder In Soccer
In order to help you learn how to be a very good midfielder in soccer, you obviously need to train to develop your skills. But it’s also important to have a style of play which will help you be more effective in this specific position.
#1 – Play forward when possible. The objective of the game is to score goals. If you are afraid to play forward passes, you will always struggle to play your role as a playmaker. When you see a teammate in a forward position that should be your first option. Space to dribble into? Exploit it quickly without hesitation.
#2 – Keep possession. You obviously want to play forward, however this is not always possible in the midfield. It’s very important that you take pride in your ability to keep possession of the ball. Do not give the ball away cheaply in the middle of the park. This can be very costly for your team.
#3 – Be the outlet. You should always be thinking about how I can support my teammate who has the ball. Constantly make passing angles for your teammates to help them get out of trouble. This applies when forwards, defenders, and even goalkeepers have the ball. Don’t stand there. Help your teammates get out of trouble by providing options.
What Should A Midfielder NOT Do In Soccer
In contrast, if you want to know how to be a good midfielder in soccer here are some habits you should avoid.
#1 – Being careless with your passes. One bad pass in the midfield can often result in chances (or even goals) for the other team. Never give the ball away because your passes lacked focus and effort. As we get tired or quality tends to drop, not because our skills decreased but because our focus dropped. Take pride in every single pass.
#2 – Getting caught in possession. Dribbling in the wrong areas is something to avoid when playing as a midfielder in soccer. If there is space to dribble, attack it. Sometimes you must use your skills to get out of trouble. But if there is high pressure or multiple opponents around you it’s often best to keep things simple, pass quickly, and let the ball do the work.
#3 – Slow transition. Switching from offence to defence in a quick second is important for all soccer players but especially midfielders. Minimize the time it takes you to transition from attacking to defending. If your team loses the ball, be the first to track back and make a tackle. If you retain possession from the other team, always have your head up looking to capitalize on an opportunity.
It’s okay to make mistakes. That’s part of learning. Just don’t continue to make the same mistakes again and again. Every failure is an opportunity for growth.
Qualities Of A Good Midfielder In Soccer
So far we’ve addressed many different qualities of good soccer midfielders. Below I’ve created an image to help remind you of some of the most important midfielder qualities.
It may be a good idea to periodically review this image and ask yourself:
How am I doing in these areas?
Did I do well in today’s games?
If not, what do I need to change for the next game?
How To Be A Good Soccer Midfielder
“The midfield is the heartbeat of a football team, it’s the centre of the action, so you can’t just do one thing.” – Casemiro
Soccer Training For Midfielders (VIDEO)
In this video I’ll show you some effective skill moves for midfielders.
You will also receive:
– ideas on how to make smarter possession
– how to stop losing the ball in dangerous areas
– the best soccer moves for midfielders
– plus much more
Understand that knowledge is only power when it’s put into action. Make the necessary changes to your mindset, technique, training, and start to fall in love with your training. Be consistent and you will develop the improvements you desire.
If you want to learn how to become a good midfielder in soccer – this should be obsession you keep with you for the rest of your soccer career.
Easy Soccer Skill Moves For Midfielders
Hopefully you enjoyed this tutorial about how to play midfielder in soccer. If you have any questions related to this topic please comment below.
You have the ability to improve all of your skills! You’ve learned how to become a better soccer midfielder but you can also become faster, stronger, and mentally tougher. I’d love to see you achieve great things in soccer and life.
If you really want to take another strong step in the right direction, continue training with me.
The Next Step
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About The Author
I used to be a soccer player who struggled with self-confidence. I felt slow, weak, and unmotivated. My coaches didn’t pay much attention to me, my friends laughed at my lack of skills. At one point, I even became so discouraged that I quit the sport altogether.
Enough was enough. I decided to take control of my own development and set out on a journey to become a better soccer player. This path led me on an incredible journey of self-improvement.
I went on to win league and goal-scoring titles, earn awards, lift trophies, and received a college scholarship. I’ve even earned international caps for my country.
I started sharing my knowledge with others and teaching them how to become the best soccer players they could be. My YouTube channel grew to over 500,000 subscribers. I’ve coached for the top youth clubs & men’s teams in my city, and have my own soccer training company.
But enough about me, let’s focus on you.
If you’re looking to improve your skills, let’s take your soccer game to the next level. I want to help you make a noticeable change in style of play and overall performance on the field.
I’m passionate about helping players achieve their goals in soccer, and I’d love to be a part of your journey. I can help you reach your goals faster and achieve more in this sport, but success must be your own choice. If you’re ready to take the next step, here’s what I suggest you do:
1) Download the soccer success planner (FREE)
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Coach Dylan
Progressive Soccer
Thank you for reading this article: How To Be A Good Soccer Midfielder
