Center Midfielders Profile (#6)
- Technical
- Marking, tracking, intercepting and tackling
- Collect, turn, re-direct to all regions of field (360)
- Passing to penetrate (all service types)
- Technically advanced-receiving and turning in tight spaces, passing range including final pass
- 1v1 defending
- Aerial Duels
- Receiving &Turning with ball
- Variations in passing ability and range
- Long range shooting
- Tactical
- Primary option for build out and possession
- Defensive control centrally in front of backs
- Penetrate- movement, passing or running with ball
- Dominating positionally and individually, controlling and protecting central area
- Positioning between lines (spatial awareness and body orientation) and quick decision making (360° scanning)
- Recognizing when to play forward, switch play and keep possession (ball security)
- Breaking down compact defenses and finishing the attack (insight and creativity)
- Providing offensive/defensive balance
- Physical
- Mobility- multi-directional box to box centrally
- Speed endurance- intermittent, intense actions.
- Explosive movement- maximum acceleration
- Survive with ball- use of body to protect ball
- Power
- Mental
- Energized- maximal effort to connect the team
- Game Awareness- control tempo and speed of play
- Self-less- effort to connect all parts of the team
- Confident
- Communication to organize players defensively
- Leadership qualities
- Aggression
- Self Control
OFFENSIVE
BUILD UP PHASE OFFENSIVELY
OFFENSIVE
ADVANCEMENT PHASE OFFENSIVE
OFFENSIVE
CHANCE CREATION/SCORING PHASE
TRANSITION
ATTCKING TO DEFENDING
- Break lines to progress ball
- Correct body shape to turn and face forward in possession
- Diagonal Support to CBs
- Support any straight ball into teammate to create third man situation
- Start attack on one side; finish on the other
- Correct body shape to turn and face forward in possession
- Recirculate through CBs
- Time on the ball; stay away, no time; come to support
- If we play long, support to win second ball
- Positioned slightly behind opponent’s FWs aware of body shape to turn and play forward
- If CB progress with the ball, balance to protect the central channel.
- Align movements with other central midfielders/rotate positions
- and triangulate
- Dribble forward when there is no passing option and there is open
- space, look to create 2v1, also create 2v1 by switching the field
- Position for 2nd ball if long diagonal pass is played, protect central
- channel
- Balance, protect central channel, awareness of positional spacing and movement (protect the counterattack)
- Reaching finishing positions (edge of the box)
- Decision for long range shots
- After loss of possession
- Nearest player pressures the ball.
- Surrounding teammates close passing lanes to make pass predictable.
- Drop and regain shape
- Mark player in possession to win ball or foul
- Delay
- Nearest players to our goal attach to form a line and close the middle
- Leave the line address the ball
- The back line has been established and we have a numerical advantage
- The opponent is in dangerous shooting distance (22 yards)
DEFENSIVE
PRESS
DEFENSIVE
MID BLOCK DEFENDING
DEFENSIVE
DEFENSIVE THIRD
TRANSITION
DEFENDING TO ATTACKING
- Coordinated team movement to move forward as AMF begin to press
- Build Pressure on the Ball when Cover is Present
- Prevent central passes
- Deny penetration in 1 v 1 situations
- When pressure is broken recover towards goal to regain compactness
- Prevent central passes, limit opponent’s passes between lines
- Build Pressure on the Ball when Cover is present and help teammates to outnumber.
- When pressure is broken recover towards goal to regain compactness
- Reduce Space Between Teammates in Red Zone
- Make decision to switch from zonal marking to player
- When defending wide balls-crosses and long frontal balls ready to join the back line
- 1v1 marking inside the box
- Complete first pass. Furthest safe pass possible, preferably forward or diagonal
- No pressure
- Pass – Longest forward, safe pass available
- Dribble – Isolate defender to create numerical advantage
- Two to Three runners immediately join the attack at high tempo to move defense and open space: (Occupy Three Channels)
- Under pressure
- Pass out of pressure