Soccer Positions on the Field and What They Do

The FIFA fever is fast catching up and with a number of matches on way, with some upsets and goof ups, this soccer extravaganza is nothing but exciting. The biggies and under dogs, both are trying to gain ground in a tournament where you have to be your best from the word go. Let's kick off and find out more about soccer positions!

Soccer Positions and Their Significance

Okay, now consider this. Think of a football team as a computer. I am sure it will be easy enough to understand that, if soccer positions on the field are explained in the terms of computer jargon. So let's take a look.

The Anti Virus - Defenders
You must be wondering now what can be the anti virus of a football team. If you consider the functions of an anti virus, it is supposed to protect the computer from a virus. Similarly, in soccer positions the defenders have to protect the goal from the opponent team. There are basically 3 or four defenders to protect the goal stationed in the area in front of the goal. The task of a defender is to avert any attacks on the goal by the opponent striker. These players have to be extremely alert and have to win back the ball from the opposition team for their team. The defenders who are positioned in the center of the back line are central defenders and those who run along the flanks are called either wingers or full backs. These wingers have to curb the attack on their goal from the sides, closet to the sidelines. Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Fabio Cannavaro are amongst the best defenders in world football as of now.

The Central Processing Unit - Midfielders
Imagine if the CPU of your computer goes kaput, would your computer work? No, of course not. See if you can relate the midfielders with this imperative part of a computer. The midfielders have the most challenging task on the soccer pitch. They are a liaison between the defenders and the attackers and create goal scoring opportunities for their team. They have to be fit and fast and tactically sound. Steven Gerrard is one example who fits the title of one of the best midfielders in world soccer today. In a proper match, 3 to 5 midfielders are played. Just as the defenders, some of these play close to the sidelines and some of them hold fort in the center. The most important asset these midfielders need to have is to be able to switch between attacking and defending as per the demands of the game.

Monitor - Strikers or Attackers
The monitor projects and displays whatever data is processed in the CPU. Likewise, the build up and the dribbling and passing done by the midfielders and defenders eventually culminates in an attempt by the attacker to score a goal. The attackers lead the offense of a team and are the main goal scorers for a team. These are also referred to as strikers and forwards. If it is a tall player, he would be great in the air, while a smaller and a quicker player would be great with the ball at his feet. Typically 3 strikers are played and one of them plays a bit deeper than the rest to create chinks in the defense armor of the opposite team.

The Hard Drive - Goal Keeper
Eventually everything boils down to the hard drive which stores and saves our data and helps us create new data. Your CPU cannot do anything if the hard drive is gone. I think on the soccer or football pitch the position akin to the hard drive is the goal keeper. The only player in the field allowed to use his hand is the goal keeper. He wears a different jersey than the rest of the players and he has to block the shots on goal standing ahead of the net or the goal post. He can only handle the ball in the penalty area and not anywhere else.

in addition to this there is a libero and a sweeper. A sweeper plays behind the central defenders and the libero or the midfield sweeper plays in front of the defense, acting as an extra barrier cutting down the intensity of the opposite team's attack. But these are decided as per the game situation and are hybrid positions.

Soccer positions and their significance is a pretty simple affair, isn't it? I mean, do you think the analogy I have described works in this regard? Nevertheless, even if that might be contentious, the football positions and descriptions are clear enough, I hope!