When you think of attacking midfielder roles what comes to your mind? The first things I think of is shooting from distance and making creative passes. This is by far one of the most important positions because they link play and have the hardest job in terms of connecting passes. Other key elements needed for this position is vision and the ability to know what’s going to happen before hand.
Shooting from distance
A key element I think of when talking about good attacking midfielders is shooting from distance. Not only that, but being able to do it with both feet!
The space in which you find yourself as a CAM [Center Attacking Mid] is for sure on top of the 18 yard box…
Being able to take 1 touch shots and off the dribble are vital.
To practice, focus on a mix of stationary shots [high reps] both feet. In addition work on dribbling towards the goal and at angles.
You’re rarely going to have a perfect setup. Therefore, work on different techniques and situations, like tight spaces in a rush.
When it comes to shooting from 20-40 yards out, your top 2 ways are going to be laces and bending balls.
On the contrary, most goals are scored between 6-12 yards out. Here you’ll use the inside of the feet more. There are multiple ways to use the inside to finish.
When you have players who can shoot from distance, it forces your opponents to step up. This allows space in behind them to pass to.
Best attacking midfielder
One of, if not the best way to get futbol knowledge is by watching the worlds best pros.
When you think of the best attacking midfielder who do you think of?
Here’s a list of some of the current top players in this position.
Men’s Top 10
- Jude Bellingham
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Cole Palmer
- Phil Foden
- Martin Ødegaard
- Bernardo Silva
- Bruno Fernandes
- Jamal Musiala
- Dani Olmo
- Florian Wirtz
Next Level ⬇️ Attacking Mid Qualities
Coaches want players who can defend as well as attack.
Women’s Top 10
- Aitana Bonmati – 2024 Ballon d’Or winner
- Keira Walsh
- Lindsey Horan
- Patri Guijarro
- Melchie Dumornay
- Yui Hasegawa
- Lena Oberdorf
- Georgia Stanway
- Jenni Hermoso
- Rose Lavelle
World’s best ⬇️
Growth of the Women’s game
The women’s game has really grown worldwide over the last decade!
European nations have exploded into the top 5-10 rankings. Germany, Norway & Sweden have always been good, but Spain has grown the most since 2015. The Netherlands have a similar story.
Spain never even qualified for the World Cup until 2015. By 2023 they were crowned Word Cup Champs.
In South America, I think of Columbia and their young star Linda Caicedo who plays forward, but can play attacking mid.
Countries like USA and Japan have been good for a long time, but there is much more competition now.
Barcelona & Bayern Munich have several of the Women’s best players!
Taking risks is key
When it comes to the attacking midfielder role, you have arguably the most difficult job when it comes to passing.
The strikers are almost always outnumbered, making it hard to get them the ball.
On top of having to make creative passes, the attacking mids are surrounded by pressure.
It’s important to make simple passes and possess the ball, but on the contrary, you also have to take risks when passing.
When in the attacking third:
Example: Certain through balls are tough or balls over the top of defenders… A player who isn’t good at passing won’t be a good attacking mid. This position needs to be very good at making passes in tight spaces. Especially around the 18 yard box.
When playing in your own defensive third or in the center there’s tons of space. As you get closer to your opponents goal [attacking third] space is limited making passing difficult.
To compare to NFL/American football, it’s like the Red Zone in terms of space being taken away.
Don’t think “What if I lose the ball”… Instead, your mindset has to be “What if we score?”
Shooting with both feet
As you know, in competitive soccer there’s not much time to get easy shots off…
Players who have the ability to use both feet have a big advantage.
It’s not natural to be good with both feet.
You have to put in the work!
There are a number of drills to do… Think about situations you get during games and work on it.
Become a 2 footed goal scorer ⬇️
“Jillian Anderson started as a Freshman at Boise State University. Her mindset and work ethic is next level.”
Small group drill/video ⬇️
How to work your way up
When training on your own or with a team you have to act like a professional. Meaning, warm up and stretch before knocking long balls.
Remember, you want to prevent injuries…
This means you need a proper warm up!
After you have stretched work on dribbling and short passing. In addition, add in shooting and finishing inside the box [6-12 yards out].
Once you are warmed up and have done some passing and up close finishing, start hitting balls from 20, 30 and 40 yards out.
Don’t be that guy/girl who starts knocking 30 yard balls without warming up and passing short.
Most popular blog posts:
- How to strike the ball with more power
- Expert dribbling tips
- Importance of goal side defending
- First touch drills
- How to play more aggressive
Follow me on social media @GFTskills
