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WORLD CUP 2014: SOCCER POSITIONS
AND FORMATIONS
July 3rd, 2014 By Jovel Johnson
Every World Cup season, spouses, siblings, children and even the family pet are held hostage in front of the
TV when a soccer match is on. You jump, you scream and you’re disappointed when a team scores or
misses the back of net. But do you really know what’s happening on the field? Do you know why the referee
keeps blowing his whistle and why he throws up the flag? Do you know why certain players stay on certain
parts of the field?
In any sport, each player has his own position, and of course those positions carry responsibilities:
Goalkeeper
I think everybody knows what the goalkeeper’s responsibility is; to keep the ball from crossing over the goal
line. He’s not allowed to play on the field and his main goal is to block any and all shots taken on the net or
towards the goal line. Also, he’s the only player who can use his hands on the field. The goalie is as
important as the striker (more on that position later), and that’s evident with Mexico’s goalie, Guillermo “You
Shall Not Pass” Ochoa, in this year’s World Cup tournament. I know you’ve seen ​the memes​. We cannot
forget USA’s goalie, Tim Howard, who now ​holds a World Cup record for most saves​, with 16. Despite his
record­breaking efforts, they were still knocked out of the top 16 in the team’s last match against Belgium.
Forwards – ​Strikers (Center Forwards)
The forwards are usually the players who score the goals – one of their main responsibilities. There are
normally one to three strikers on the field who have to possess speed, quickness and great foot skills.
Midfielders – ​Central Midfielders and Side Midfielders
(Left and Right)

2. The Midfielders keep the ball in play and basically control the entire game. They play in front of the
defenders and behind the strikers. Responsible for both offense and defense, they cross the balls to the
strikers, they score goals, and they resume stopping the opposite team from scoring.
Typically positions on a soccer field. (soccer­training­guide.com)
Defenders – ​Centre Backs and Fullbacks
They play behind the midfielders with their main goal being stopping the opposing offense from scoring a
goal. They can be positioned in various formations, but there are two main positions in the defense: stopper
and sweeper. The stopper is the most forward of the defense and is there to prevent an offensive attack

3. from building. They are usually the first defender a striker meets in play. The sweeper is responsible for
sweeping up the ball should the offense get past the stopper. They are the last defense before it reaches the
goalie.
Formations
The most popular team formation in Modern Soccer is the “4­4­2” formation. In this formation, there are four
defenders, four midfielders and two forwards/centers. This way, the midfielders and defenders will be able to
participate in offensive plays which will, with any luck, produce more goals.
With the 4­4­2 formation, the defenders can play in a diamond formation. In the midfield, there are two
wingers and two central midfielders. One of the central midfielders will normally play more offensively. There
are two forwards who have to work together seamlessly during the match and not be apart by more than 10
to 20 yards. One has to be a good runner and the other a good receiver.
A classic 4­4­2 soccer formation. (richielauridsen.com)

4. Other Formations
There are other formations that have been beneficial to various teams including many of the teams in the
2014 World Cup.
● 4­3­3 – Four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards.
● 4­5­1 – Same responsibilities as the ‘4­3­3’ but the wingers are considered more as midfielders.
● 4­6­0 – Similar to a 4­3­3, but there are actually no forwards.
● 3­4­3 – Three center backs, four midfielders (two wing­backs/two central midfielders), and three forwards.
This is very offensive with ​only three players to defend the goal​. But the midfield and backline can work
together on defense.
● 3­5­2 – Three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards.
● 3­6­1 – Three defenders, six midfielders, and one striker.
● 5­3­2 – Same formation as a ‘3­5­2’, the difference is how the two players on each flank are seen. The
fullbacks/wingers are seen as defenders.
● 1­4­3­2 – One sweeper, four defenders, three central midfielders, and two strikers.
● 3­4­2­1 – Three defenders, four midfielders, two attacking midfielders, and one striker.
● 4­3­2­1 (the Christmas tree) – Four defenders, three central midfielders, two attacking midfielders, and
one striker.
● 4­2­1­3 – Four defenders, two central midfielders, three advanced midfielders, and one striker.