Pressure from defenders will be constant, so Number 10s need to be able to complete these dribbles, touches, passes, crosses and combinations even when they're being pressed hard. To effectively connect midfield players with the front line, their movement needs to be extremely clever, finding pockets of space in the final third that allow them to thread together a through-ball, play a one-two, pass in midfield triangles or simply dribble forward into more dangerous areas. These central attacking midfielders should be able to receive the ball in tight spaces, controlling adeptly and moving on possession quickly, displaying great footwork and technical proficiency at all times. The Number 10 Role: Key Skills And ResponsibilitiesĪs we've mentioned, technical quality is essential for any decent Number 10. Some of the greatest soccer players to have played the game have operated in this position, and as a result the Number 10 jersey has a special place in the hearts and minds of soccer fans. These attacking midfielders are known for sending through a killer pass that leaves a striker one-on-one, or curling a jaw-dropping free-kick into the top corner of the net, just when their team needs it. Number 10s will be relied upon to make something happen and time after time, they'll live up to this expectation. Often, they will be the most technically proficient and creatively-minded player on the pitch, and with that level of talent comes great responsibility and pressure. When soccer players wear the number 10 shirt, it instantly marks them out as a key creator for their team. There's a level of mythology and magic surrounding this jersey number that arguably isn't replicated by any other position. There's a level of versatility here, boosted by the attacking freedom that these kinds of players will tend to have. 10 will usually play behind a lone central striker, perhaps in a 4-4-1-1 formation, it's also not uncommon to see a Number 10 operate behind a striking duo in a formation such as 4-3-1-2. Crucially, the Number 10 position in soccer is primarily a central one, with these players expected to thread together wide players, attackers and central midfielders by floating around the spaces between each zone.Īnd while a No. The role became particularly important during the 1980s, when players such as Diego Maradona and Michel Platini led the charge in underlining how useful it can be to station a creative player in a fluid role behind the main striker(s). That being said, Number 10s can be found across the world, with nations such as Argentina and Brazil known for giving their primary creative force the famous Number 10 on the back of their shirt, even if the role is referred to using a different title (for example, it's known as "enganche" in Argentina, which translates as "the hook"). These two labels are both closely tied to the position we're discussing today.Įssentially, a Number 10 in soccer is an attacking player who operates in the spaces between midfield and attack, with key parallels with the trequartista position (one of the primary differences being that the Number 10 label is one that is used largely by English football fans). The trequartista role was coined in Italy in reference to players who operate roughly "three-quarters" of the way up the pitch in the margins between midfield and attack, while Germany talisman Thomas Muller came up with his own term to describe the role he occupies at club side Bayern Munich: the raumdeuter, literally meaning "space investigator". Over the years, attacking midfield players have been given a wide variety of different labels by different fans, coaches and pundits across the world. We'll explain what a number 10 in soccer does, detail the key duties, responsibilities and qualities associated with this role, and ultimately answer the question: why is number 10 special in football? What Is A Number 10 In Soccer? In this article, we'll guide you through why that is. Demarcating not just a rough area of the pitch, but also a unique creative role within the team, this is a number that holds much importance to many fans and players across the world. Perhaps the most glamorous and widely-mythologised shirt number of all is the Number 10. In the decades since, certain shirt numbers have developed a level of cultural significance, and we've come to associate different digits with different skills and responsibilities. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() It was after this that the traditional system, moving up from #1 for the goalkeeper to #11 for the left midfield or wing (traditionally speaking) gradually became the norm. Shirt numbers were first introduced into professional football in the late 1920s, although it wasn't until the 1954 World Cup that players wore the same number throughout the duration of a competition.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |