![]() ![]() The mezzala is often a quick and hard-working attack-minded midfielder, with good skills and noted offensive capabilities, as well as a tendency to make overlapping attacking runs, but also a player who participates in the defensive aspect of the game, and who can give width to a team by drifting out wide as such, the term can be applied to several different roles. The term was initially applied to the role of an inside forward in the WM and Metodo formations in Italian, but later described a specific type of central midfielder. In Italian football, the term mezzala (literally "half-winger" in Italian) is used to describe the position of the one or two central midfielders who play on either side of a holding midfielder and/or playmaker. Some notable examples of box-to-box midfielders are Lothar Matthäus, Clarence Seedorf, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Steven Gerrard, Johan Neeskens, Sócrates, Yaya Touré, Park Ji-sung, Patrick Vieira, Frank Lampard, Bryan Robson and Roy Keane. Beginning in the mid-2000s, the change of trends and the decline of the standard 4–4–2 formation (in many cases making way for the 4–2–3–1 and 4–3–3 formations) imposed restrictions on the typical box-to-box midfielders of the 1980s and 1990s, as teams' two midfield roles were now often divided into "holders" or "creators", with a third variation upon the role being described as that of a "carrier" or "surger". These players can therefore track back to their own box to make tackles and block shots and also carry the ball forward or run to the opponents' box to try to score. The term box-to-box midfielder refers to central midfielders who are hard-working and who have good all-round abilities, which makes them skilled at both defending and attacking. Prominent central midfielders are known for their ability of pacing the game when their team is in possession of the ball, by dictating the tempo of play from the centre of the pitch.Ī hardworking box-to-box midfielder, Steven Gerrard has been lauded for his effectiveness both offensively and defensively and his ability to make late runs from behind into the penalty area. The 4−4−2 formation may use two central midfielders, and in the 4–2–3–1 formation one of the two deeper midfielders may be a central midfielder. The 4–3–3 and 4–5–1 formations each use three central midfielders. A centre midfielder defending their goal will move in front of their centre-backs to block long shots by the opposition and possibly track opposition midfielders making runs towards the goal. When the opposing team has the ball, a central midfielder may drop back to protect the goal or move forward and press the opposition ball-carrier to recover the ball. They also provide secondary support to attackers, both in and out of possession. These players will try to pass the ball to the team's attacking midfielders and forwards and may also help their team's attacks by making runs into the opposition's penalty area and attempting shots on goal themselves. ![]() Midfielders are often assigned the task of assisting forwards to create scoring chances.įormer Spain midfielder Xavi was voted to the FIFPro World XI six years in a row.Ĭentral or centre midfielders are players whose role is divided mostly equally between attacking and defensive duties to control the play in and around the centre of the pitch. Midfielders arguably have the most possession during a game, and thus they are some of the fittest players on the pitch. ![]() ![]() Midfielders are the players who typically travel the greatest distance during a match. Managers frequently assign one or more midfielders to disrupt the opposing team's attacks, while others may be tasked with creating goals, or have equal responsibilities between attack and defence. Its name derives from the fact that midfield units typically make up the in-between units to the defensive units and forward units of a formation. The size of midfield units on a team and their assigned roles depend on what formation is used the unit of these players on the pitch is commonly referred to as the midfield. There are also attacking midfielders with limited defensive assignments. As central midfielders often go across boundaries, with mobility and passing ability, they are often referred to as deep-lying midfielders, play-makers, box-to-box midfielders, or holding midfielders. Midfielders may play an exclusively right back role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. The midfield positions highlighted in relation to other positions in association footballĪ midfielder is an outfield position in association football. ![]()
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