Having speed in soccer is a huge advantage that you MUST use! Some soccer players are gifted with speed and others have worked for it. Fast players in soccer are a great asset to any team and provide great attacking and defensive options. This post will tell you the best soccer positions for fast players.
These are the 3 best soccer positions for fast players
In no specific order, these are the best soccer positions for fast players:
- Striker
- Fullback
- Winger
Below I go into more detail as to why these are the best soccer positions for fast players, along with the qualities needed to excel in these positions as well as professional soccer player examples.
The 4-3-3 soccer formation is used as an example formation.
Why the striker position is best for fast players
The striker is the player that a team looks to for goals.
Their main responsibility is spearheading the attack but they also have defensive responsibilities too.
The striker should be leading the press by closing down passing angles and forcing the opposition players into mistakes.
This a complete breakdown of how to play as a striker in soccer
3 reasons why one of the best positions in soccer for fast players is a striker
Puts the opposition defense on the back foot with passes that are played in behind
A fast striker is a great attacking option for a team.
Teams can play passes in behind and immediately put defenses on the back foot by turning them to face their own goal.
Center backs in soccer tend to be slower players too and the fast striker will be able to beat them in a foot race every day of the week.
It will give confidence to your midfielders knowing that they can play passes in behind the defense and know a fast striker will be able to get on the end of it.
Gives less time to opposition players on the ball
A fast striker can pressure defenders quicker than a slower striker.
This means that defenders will have less time on the ball to make a decision.
When a fast striker pressures an oppositions defender they will be more likely to force them into a mistake and help their team regain possession in a dangerous area of the pitch
Ideal for counterattacking teams
The purpose of a counterattack is to attack as quickly as possible while the opposition is trying to transition back to defense.
While the team is transitioning back to defense there is a huge amount of space for the counter-attacking team to exploit.
The quicker a team is able to attack, the more likely a team is going to launch a successful counter.
Having a fast striker is a huge benefit for any team that looks to counter-attack.
Qualities needed for a fast striker
If you are a fast player in soccer who is looking to become a striker then these are qualities needed
Plays in the blinds spots of the defenders
To make life as difficult as possible for defenders to make you, you should always be playing in their blind spots.
Blind spots are areas of the pitch that are out of the line of sight of opposition players unless they turn their heads.
By playing in opposition blind spots, you will give yourself a huge advantage when looking to receive the ball, especially combined with your speed.
The defenders will be having to constantly check their shoulders to know your where-a-bouts, and need perfect communication to ensure you are given no space.
This will be incredibly difficult for defenders to do this consistently for over 90 minutes.
Presses opposition defenders
As well as utilizing your speed for attacking and getting in behind the opposition’s defense, you also need to use your speed for pressing.
A faster striker is great at helping a team press high up the pitch.
There are able to use their pace to push opposition players on the ball under immediate pressure.
The fast striker should look to press form angle to simultaneously limit the number of options on the ball and force them into certain areas of the pitch.
These are different pressing triggers fast strikers should learn
Create space behind the defenders
As a fast striker, you should always be looking to get in behind the opposition’s defense.
The space behind will allow you to really open up your legs and maximize your speed advantage.
An easy way to create space for yourself in behind is to drag the defender up with your first movement by looking like you are going to receive the ball to your feet.
With your second movement, you should look to spin in behind the defender to receive the ball.
When looking to run in behind the defenders you need to make sure you are watching across the line to beat the offside trap.
As a striker with lots of speed, there should be no reason to be caught offside.
Great fast strikers in soccer
These are some of the best fast strikers who are a nightmare for defenders:
Mbappe is arguably one of the best strikers in the world.
He is an incredibly fast striker, with an abundance of skill and finishing ability.
Mbappe is an expert at finding new and creative ways to beat the offside trap and get in behind the opposition’s defense.
Why the fullback position is best for fast players
The fullback in soccer plays on the outside of the defense.
As well as defending they also play an important role to help their team attack, especially from wide areas.
Here is a complete breakdown of how to play as a fullback in soccer
3 reasons why one of the best positions in soccer for fast players is a fullback
Counter fast wingers
The best way to counter a fast winger is to be a fast fullback.
The wingers of the opposition team tend to be the fastest and most confident players in 1v1s.
Having the speed advantage playing as a fullback in wide areas can help negate one of the largest attacking threats of the opposition team.
A fast fullback is also great for preventing counter-attacks because they can get back in position quickly.
Cover for center backs
Fast wingers play a crucial role in helping cover the center-backs when the ball gets played over the top.
When it comes to pace, center-backs are often mismatched against the opposition strikers.
This means opposition teams will frequently try to play passes behind the defense.
A fast fullback in soccer can help the center-backs on their team who don’t have enough speed to keep up with the striker.
Great for helping a team attack
A fast fullback can be a fantastic option going forward as a team.
The fast full-back will be able to make more overlapping or under-lapping runs into more advanced areas of the pitch.
This will create overloads for the team to exploit.
When a fullback makes an overlapping run, they’ll be already close to top speed, making them near impossible to catch from a standing start.
Qualities needed for a fast fullback
If you are a fast player looking to become a fullback in soccer, these are the qualities you need to take into consideration.
Supports the team when attacking
Yes, a fullback needs to defend but they also need to attack too, especially a fast fullback!
A fullback can support the attack by making overlapping or underlapping runs for their respective winger.
If they receive the ball they should look to continue to drive toward the goal with the ball or look to cross the ball into dangerous positions in the opposition box.
Even, if the fullback does not receive the ball, by continuing to make those runs they will create spaces and opportunities for their teammates.
Works hard to get back in position
Fullbacks are typically industrious workers.
Helping work the wings can be an incredibly tough job, even more so when you are attacking and defending.
But as a fullback, though your main priority is to defend, and this will take preference over attacking.
As soon as you see that your team’s attack has broken down you need to quickly transition and put yourself in a good defensive position.
If you do not work hard to get back as a fullback this can cause massive spaces in wide areas for the opposition team to quickly exploit on the counterattack.
Stands the opposition winger up and forces them into mistakes.
As a fast fullback, you can’t always rely on your speed to get yourself out of 1v1 defensive errors.
Make sure that you stand the opposition player up and force them into a mistake.
You can do this by:
- Standing in a side-on-body position
- Your body should be facing the direction you want to show the attacker
- Stand slightly to an angle so the attacker will find it harder to go where they want to go.
- Give yourself a yard of space to give yourself more time to react to the attacker
- Only step in to win the ball when the opposition player has made a mistake
If you follow those tips and combine them with your speed, you will be an unstoppable fullback!
Great fast fullbacks in soccer
These are some of the best fastest fullbacks in soccer:
Kyle Walker is a perfect example of a fast fullback who works incredibly hard going forward and backward.
He will make attacking runs that will help support their team going forward as well as help assist teammates from wide positions.
Why the winger position is best for fast players
The winger in soccer is a player who plays on the outside of the midfield.
There are the players who will try to create dangerous opportunities on goal for the team by either cutting inside or by going down the outside.
By the end of the season, a winger should look to be getting double figures for assists and goals combined.
This is a complete breakdown of how to be a winger in soccer.
3 reasons why one of the best positions in soccer for fast players is a fullback
Most of the space is in wide areas
in soccer, and the most amount of space is in wide areas.
As a fast winger, you should be relishing every opportunity you get to exploit this space.
Whether it be the ball at your feet or a long ball over the top, the aim is to get the oppositions fullback turned and facing their goal as often as possible throughout the match
Perfect for counterattacks
Similar to having a fast striker a fast winger can prove invaluable when looking to start a counterattack.
As soon as the transition occurs from defense to attack a winger should be looking to get as wide as possible and as quickly as possible.
This will provide immediate width and depth when for the attacking team.
More 1v1 opportunities
Playing as a winger you are more likely to be in 1v1 scenarios than other players.
As a fast winger, this will give you many opportunities to get at the opposition fullback.
When you are able to beat the fullback 1v1 you can easily drive and accelerate away from the fullback, into the space that’s behind them.
This will immediately put the opposition team on the back foot.
Qualities needed for a fast winger
If you are a fast player looking to become a winger in soccer these are the qualities you need to work on.
Confident decision making
As a winger, your first thought should always be forward but sometimes this isn’t always the best decision.
Just because you are fast doesn’t mean you will always beat the fullback to go forward.
Sometimes you may need to go backward to go forward.
However, whenever you do need to make a quick decision back yourself at that moment.
Whether it be to dribble past the defender, take an early cross, or cut inside to shoot.
You may surprise yourself at the number of great goal-scoring opportunities you can create for your team if you make quick, confident decisions.
Dribbling skills
A big part of a fast wingers game comes down to how good they are when the ball is at their feet.
To be the best dribbler you don’t need to know thousands of skills, you just need to focus on the simple and effective things.
This includes:
- Changing the speed at which you dribble the ball
- Using both feet when dribbling
- Combining a skill/ body feints with a shape change of direction
- Use your teammates’ runs as passing decoys
- Accelerating away from the defender
These simple tricks will have the oppositions fullback pulling their hair out!
Good positioning
A fast winger with good positioning can really make you stand out above the crowd.
Knowing when to attack, which space to attack, and how to attack are crucial skills a fast winger needs.
Fast-wingers with good positioning are constantly scanning the area to take in as much information as possible.
The information will help them anticipate what could happen next in the phase of play.
They will then base their position on what they think will happen next.
The wingers will also take into consideration the positioning of their opponents, and how they could potentially take advantage of them to create space for themselves.
Great fast wingers in soccer
These are an example of some of the top fastest wingers in soccer:
Gareth Bale initially started as a fullback but as his career advanced, so did his position on the pitch!
He was a powerful winger, who was rapid!
As a fast winger, he didn’t use many skills, but he was really good at shifting his weight and accelerating past defenders.
As well as scoring memorable goals, he also helped the team with his fair share of assists too!
Final thoughts on the best soccer positions for fast players
Being fast in soccer is a great advantage, and can be a huge help to you defensively and offensively.
In my opinion, these are the best soccer positions for fast players.
However, a fast player can be an asset to a team in any position on the pitch.
Another thing to consider as a fast player is your rest and recovery after games.
Fast players push their bodies to the limit, this will often increase the chances of injury.
Make sure you are giving your muscles enough time to repair before the next game!
Naturally, you may be a fast player, but to keep your speed and stay on top of your game you need to put the work in off the pitch
These are the best soccer player workouts and exercises to take your power and speed to the next level.
This is a great guide to prepare you for your soccer tryouts.
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Thank you for reading and sharing,
Toby
Related posts:
- The Best Soccer Positions For Tall Players | 3 Perfect Positions
- The Best Soccer Positions For Short Players | 3 Perfect Positions
- Best Soccer Positions for Slow Players | 3 Best Options
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