The MIDFIELD Battle Goals are vital and defending is key but a soccer game is often won or lost in the midfield Most of the D0 OF I game takes place in the middle of the field If your midfielders are good at winning the ball and keeping possession your team can control the game You will stop the other team from building attacks and allow your midfield to create scoring chances for the forwards Midfielders look to pass or dribble as they build an attack When you win the ball in midfield or receive a pass what should you do The most important thing is to not give away possession of the ball You have to act quickly as an opponent will soon challenge you At the same time you must think about advancing the ball forward There are two main ways to do this You can pass to a teammate or dribble with the ball When under pressure from opponents you must battle to keep possession of the ball for your
EXPERT XAVI Spanish midfielder Xavi right is possibly the finest playmaker in the world A playmaker directs the team's play from midfield Most of Spain's passing and offensive moves go through Xavi He has great vision and directs passes all over the field with accuracy He rarely gives the ball away A team with Xavi on it is likely to dominate a game Xavi was named Man of the Match when his club Barcelona beat Manchester United 2 0 in the 2009 champions League Final a EUERIEL Ball Familiarity Before you become an expert at passing and dribbling you should learn how the ball responds to your touch Practice getting a feel for the ball with these exercises Make sure you practice using both feet In a game you cannot always use your stronger foot Roll your foot over the top of the ball and down the side below 1 3 Now keep going from one side to the other Next practice your feel for the ball on the move Set up two cones a short distance apart and dribble the ball T around the cones in a figure eight When you are more confident try some ball juggling How many times can you touch the ball in the air without it dropping left DEO
SHORT Passing During a game players use a variety of Make sure the ball reaches its target passes A simple sidefooted short pass and does not get intercepted along the ground is very accurate and a good way to keep possession The drawback is its lack of power sidefoot Pass Plant your non kicking foot by the ball and point it in the direction you want to pass Swing your leg back turning your foot outward With your body over the ball Sidefoot pass strike the middle of the ball firmly with the inside of your foot left Keep your ankle firm and follow through smoothly and low Instep Curling Pass A sidefoot pass is the most common but you can make passes with other parts of the foot If a defender is in the way you can curve the ball around them To do this you still use the inside of your foot but higher up toward your laces instep Strike the ball just off center and follow through to curl
Outside Foot Pass A simple pass with the outside of the shoe is to tap it with the area around your little toe There is no backswing or follow through The power of the pass comes from a sideways flick of your ankle It is a good pass to use when you are under pressure from a defender because it can be done quickly left Tricky to Passes MmmACY There are other more difficult passes you can use in a game When the ball is in the A headed pass usually needs to be cushioned A back heel is used to pass the ball backward When you kick back with the heel you need to keep your foot level in the air for a clean contact above air you can try a first time header or volley pass to a teammate When volleying a short pass above keep your eye on the ball your knee bent and use the This means pushing the ball forward gently so your pass will be accurate and not too hard To control the header your body should be relaxed with your knees bent inside of your foot to steer it to the receiver
