Have you ever wondered how soccer positions work, how soccer position numbers are traditionally assigned or how the roles and responsibilities of each position are defined? Ever considered the difference between a full-back and a wing-back? Well, you are in luck: The18 introduces you to the ultimate guide to understanding soccer positions.
First things first: let’s take a look at where the most common positions play on the field.
In the United States, it’s ubiquitous. Whether it’s the Super Bowl or a high school basketball game, the national anthem will be played before a sporting event. So why don’t European soccer teams play the national anthem before matches? The answer lies in the history of America’s own devotion to the Star-Spangled Banner.
The list for the players with the most official appearances in the history of soccer stretches from players who played in the 1940s to the present day. Goalkeepers like Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon have both entered the top 20, but there are still many players ahead of the two active legends.
According to Footballdatabase.eu, English goalkeeper Peter Shilton has accumulated the most official appearances with 1,390.
Timo Werner is rapid. As demonstrated in RB Leipzig’s 2-0 victory over Hamburg on Friday, the German international is a devastating one-man counter attack. Like Wayne Rooney in his pomp, Werner is unabashedly direct.
“What does a soccer captain do?” you typed into the search engine named Google. Here’s your answer in the form of 23-year-old Newcastle United center back Jamaal Lascelles. The Englishman skippered Newcastle’s return to the Premier League, and now he’s earned the Magpies a vital victory over Swansea City with a heartfelt block and buccaneering header.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a man of few celebrations. That makes sense. To stay on top as long as he has, you have to be completely about the work, not the reward. However, for a guy that’s scored nearly 630 professional goals in his career, his arsenal of goal celebrations is weak.
If you’ve ever been the victim of a nutmeg, you'll know it’s the most humiliating thing that can happen to you. On the other hand, for those that've been the nutmegger, you're aware of how surprisingly fast you can feel like Neymar and easily imagine the (often non-existent) crowd going wild.
watch out Neymar RT @FootballFunnys: The most savage nutmeg of the season. pic.twitter.com/1HhmnBVsTa
The year is 1931. Ghandi has been released from prison. The Empire State Building has just been completed in New York City, and France has just earned its first-ever international victory over England.
The two nations faced off in Paris with England representing the big bully and France the underdog. Despite the odds, Les Bleus pulled off the upset, recording their first win against their rivals with a commanding 5-2 result. The French were jubilant after the win — they had literally beaten the Three Lions at their own game.
Football is shocking. It’s so shocking that people have been known to literally lose their minds while doing football. I don’t have to prove that statement to you, it’s just a publicly acknowledged fact. Here are 25 football things that’ll have you looking like Phil Jones defending a lofted through ball by the time you’ve finished reading.
#1. Thomas Muller is only 27 years old. The six-time Bundesliga winner and 85-time German international is really just getting started.