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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Positions & Players

Midfielder

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/ˈmɪdˌfiːldər/nounCore term

In football (soccer), midfielder means: A player who operates in the middle of the pitch, linking defence and attack by winning the ball back and moving it forward.

In Turkish: orta saha oyuncusu, orta sahacı

How it is used

Midfielders are described by their role: defensive, central, attacking or box-to-box. Coaches talk about controlling the midfield, and a midfielder can run the game or break up play.

Example sentences

  1. Our midfielders kept the ball well and controlled the tempo.

  2. He's a box-to-box midfielder who covers a huge amount of ground.

Common collocations

  • central midfielder
  • attacking midfielder
  • box-to-box midfielder
  • midfield battle
  • defensive midfielderA midfielder who plays just in front of the defence, breaks up the opponents' attacks and keeps the ball moving with simple passes.
  • playmakerA creative player, often a midfielder, who directs the team's attacking play and creates chances with clever passes and vision.
  • possessionControl of the ball by a team; also the percentage of time each team has the ball during a match.
  • passA kick, header or throw that sends the ball to a teammate. As a verb, to pass means to send the ball to a teammate in this way.

More terms: Positions & Players

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