In addition, the image below perfectly illustrates the 4-4-2 formation with number. Jersey Number Position in a 4-4-2 Formation 1 Goalkeeper 2 Rightback 3 Leftback 4 Left Center back 5 Right center back 6 Defensive Midfielder 8 Box-to-box Midfielder 7 Right Midfielder 11 Left Midfielder 10 Second Striker 9 Striker

See below how a 4-4-2 formation with number looks for each respective position. However, playing two center midfielders could still work fine. It is important to note that playing two defensive midfielders or two attacking midfielders in a 4-4-2 formation defies logic or tactical wisdom.

Center Midfielder + Attacking Midfielder.

Defensive Midfielder + Center Midfielder.

Defensive Midfielder + Attacking Midfielder.

Read Also: 27 Best Midfielders of All Time by Trophies Won Possible Combinations of Center Midfielders for in a 4-4-2 Formation Ultimately, the coach decides which two functions of midfielders he needs (since he can only use 2 center midfielders in a 4-4-2 formation). Barca’s Xavi Hernandez is a good example of a central midfielder. In most cases, a center midfielder’s job is to keep possession of the ball and distribute creativity to his teammates from the middle of the park. They are neither completely here nor there. Typically, a Center Midfielder is somewhere in between a defensive midfielder and an attacking midfielder. Mesut Ozil and Bruno Fernandez are good examples of players that can be associated with this role. His primary duty is to get forward and create goal-scoring opportunities for his team.Ĭollectively, he joins the team in their defensive approach, but he’s not tasked with a special defensive assignment. In every 4-4-2 formation, there is at least one attacking midfielder who operates from the middle. However, he could be the starting point of an attack from the middle.Ĭlaudio Makelele and Fabinho are good examples of Defensive Midfielders. This type of midfielder is not really tasked with creating goal-scoring chances. The primary duty of a defensive midfielder is to protect the defense and break up opposition attacks from the middle before they reach the two center backs.

One of the two midfielders in the formation can be a Defensive midfielder. In a 4-4-2 formation, there are two center midfielders who could function in a combination of any two of these roles below: Defensive Midfielder

The Rightback has two duties 1.) To defend against the opposing Wingers and 2.) Contribute meaningfully to the right side of the team’s attack. This is a traditional position for a right-sided defender. The Goalkeeper is the team’s last line of defense and his job is to save the team from conceding a goal. 4-4-2 Formation – Each Position Explained Goalkeeper Also, the two Wide Midfielders always have much of the ball in this tactical setup.įor a Soccer 4-4-2 formation to be successful, the coach needs to find a perfect pairing of the center Midfielders and the two center Forwards.Ī wrong pairing in these two departments would render the formation less successful. Ideally, the two center midfielders are the two key men in this formation. In most cases, it is a possession-based formation. The 4-4-2 formation is used by a coach who wants to find the right balance between attacking domination and gaining defensive width. Source: LiveAbout Tactical Explanation of The Soccer 4-4-2 Formation One good thing about the formation is that the two Strikers can easily unsettle a defence while both wingers and fullbacks cover a lot of widths and launch threats from the wing.

Soccer position numbers 4 4 2