Striker

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This article is about football (soccer) players. See also striker (disambiguation).

Strikers, also known as centre forwards, forwards and attackers, and formerly inside forwards, are the players on a team in football in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.

Modern team formations usually include from one to three strikers; two is most common. Coaches typically field one striker who plays over the shoulder of the last defender (close to the opposing team's goal), and another attacking forward who plays somewhat deeper and assists in making goals as well as scoring. The former is usually a large striker, typically known as a target man, who is used either to distract opposing defenders, to receive passes and "hold up" the ball so that teammates can advance, to help teammates score by providing a pass or 'through ball' into the box, or to score himself; the latter variation usually requiring quicker pace. Less frequently, some strikers operate on the wings of the field and work their way goalward.

The very advanced position and limited defensive responsibilities mean strikers normally score more goals than other players; accordingly, strikers are often among the best-known and most expensive players on their teams.

1 Centre Forward
2 Deep-lying forwards
3 Trivia
4 See also

[edit] Centre Forward

The centre forward, or "out and out" striker, is normally known as the principal goal-scorer on the football team. Centre forwards can sometimes act predominantly as "targets" and sometimes work to link the play between midfield and attack.

Some centre forwards are "poachers", who work in and around the goal area to snatch goals; they are sometimes called a "fox in the box"'; notable examples of poachers are Gerd Müller, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Hernán Crespo, Pauleta, David Trézéguet, Didier Drogba, Gary Lineker and Filippo Inzaghi. These strikers are known for their excellent positional skills with the knack of "being in the right place at the right time". Other forwards may rely on their pace to run onto balls passed over or through the opposition defence, rather than to collect the ball with their back to goal in the manner of a target man, for example Michael Owen, Andriy Shevchenko, Samuel Eto'o, Thierry Henry and Ronaldo.

Other centre-forwards are known as "target men" and are usually of above-average height, with good heading ability. They tend to be the "outlet" player for both midfielders and defenders, able to hold the ball up and bring other players into the game. They tend to score goals from crosses, often with the head, and use their body strength to shield the ball while turning to score; examples of target men are Christian Vieri, Jan Koller, Adriano, Peter Crouch, and Alan Shearer.

[edit] Deep-lying forwards

Deep-lying forwards have a long history in the game, but the terminology to describe them has varied over the years. Originally such players were termed inside forwards, or deep-lying centre forwards. More recently, the preferred terms have been withdrawn striker, supporting striker, second striker, fantasista, number ten or playing "in the hole" (i.e., the space between the midfield and defence of the opposing team).

The position was initially developed by the famous Hungary national football team of the late 1940s and mid 1950s-nicknamed the "Magnificent Magyars" or the Aranycsapat (Hung lit: Golden Team). Led by the influential Ferenc Puskás, the team was judged the finest national team of its time and one of the greatest of all time.

The position itself was popularized in Italian football as the trequartista - the playmaker who plays neither in midfield nor as a forward, but effectively pulls the strings for his team's attack. In Spanish football this position is referred to as the mediapunta, armador or enganche. In the UK it is now often referred to as the Sheringham role after the former England international Teddy Sheringham (although England have had other players play "in the hole" prior to Sheringham, such as Peter Beardsley). In France it is called the neuf et demi, the player with the number nine and a half, neither number 9 nor number 10.

Whatever the terminology, the position itself is a loosely-defined one somewhere between the out-and-out striker and the midfield. Such a player is either a skillful, attack-minded midfielder or a striker who can both score and create opportunities for a centre forward.

Deep-lying forwards have often been referred to as "No. 10" players, due to the popularity of particular shirt number among widely known and influential players such as Ferenc Puskás, Pelé, Eusébio, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero, Rivaldo, Francesco Totti and Dennis Bergkamp.