Greetings soccer fans. I hope you liked my introductory episode just as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. I was thinking about what I should write that would attract the next generation of players.

When I was kid, my academy coach Adrian Solca used to tell me all the time: “In order to become great, you have to do the small things that make a big difference in the game.”

I understood the general idea of what he was saying but what did that really mean? Today is your lucky day because I’m going to tell you all about the little things that make a big difference. Let’s start with the central midfielders this week. Playing in the midfield, in my opinion, is one of the hardest yet most rewarding positions on the field. The plays goes through them. They make the important pass that unlocks the defense. They are the “quarterback” of the team. Here are some tips/drills that will help improve your game in the middle of the park.

Head on a swivel: Since my youth academy days, my coaches stressed the importance of scanning the field and looking over your shoulder to see where your opponents were at all times. This is also known as “having your head on a swivel”. The rule of thumb for this is three seconds. So essentially you should look over your shoulder every three seconds to see where your opponent is. This is second nature to world-class midfielders like Xavi, Andres Iniesta and many more. This will help with keeping possession and having appropriate tactical awareness of where to be. The next time you and your best friend go train at your local park, set up goals similar to the famous Footbonaut in Germany. Have him/her call out a number and you turn and play the ball into the designated goal.

Finding “the pass”: Often times in the game, the play of the midfielders goes unnoticed. For example, Toni Kroos, one of the best midfielders in the world, was arguably Germany’s most important player. Not Müller and Klose. Kroos. While Miroslav Klose broke the record for the most scoring the most goals in World Cup history and Müller scored in abundance Kroos was the engine that made all of that possible. His ability to find pockets of space behind the midfield line and then feed his teammates toward goal, is what makes him one of the best. Next time you’re playing, try to find pockets of space so that when you turn, there’s only one layer of defenders between you and the goal.

Shielding: You’re going for a 50/50 ball and you see your opponent out of the corner of your eye. You realize that you’re only 5’8 and weigh 155lbs and your opponent is 6’2 and weighs 185lbs. He knocks you off the ball and goes towards goal. How did this happen? The answer is called shielding. Shielding is strategically using your body to hold off opponents to draw a foul or keep possession of the ball for your team. As a central midfielder, ball retention is one of the small stats that have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. Regardless of how tall you are and how much you weigh, shielding can be perfected by anyone. Have your friend throw the ball up, and you and another friend battle for the ball. Focus on having your body between the defender and the ball. Use your shoulders and elbows to shield the defender and then when ready, play the ball into a mini-goal.

That’s all I have for you this week guys but tune in next week as I spit a few tips about the defenders. Until next time.