How To Play Defensive Soccer - Facing Your Opponent 1 on 1

How To Play Defensive Soccer - Intro
When you are facing your opponent 1 vs 1 it is important to figure out the best way for stealing the ball from him. In, this "how to play defensive soccer" article I will present some points that will help you out with that. Let’s start immediately:

1. Distance to your opponent – Don’t be too close on your opponent. The nearer you are, the easier it will be to get around you. However, you should not either be too far away. I recommend you to keep your opponent about half yard from you.

2. Don’t rush at your opponent – You should keep in mind that one of the most important things while playing as defender is to have patience. If you rush at your opponents it will be so much easier to get around you. Keep yourself calm and wait for your opponent to make the first move.

3. Analyze your opponent - One thing that will help you perform well as defender is to recognize your opponent’s weak sides. It doesn’t matter how good your opponent is because he will always have a weak side and it is your task to find it. This will be much easier if you have already faced your opponent before.

4. Don’t stare at the ball - While defending you should of course always try to regain the possession of the ball. However, don’t stare too much. Instead, keep an eye on your opponent feet and try to predict what he will do next.

5. Don’t slide tackle - When facing an opponent 1vs1 your last option should be executing a slide tackle against him. Your first option should be to regain the possession of the ball by staying on your feet. However, if you slide tackle, you need to be focused at 100%. The reason is simple; if you miss the ball the referee will either punish with a yellow or maybe even a red card (if the tackle is brutal).

Summary
As you realize playing in defense is not just about clearing the ball 100 yards away from your goal. Instead, you have to analyze the game fast and also predict your opponent’s next move. One thing I have learned while playing as defender is to never underestimate my opponent no matter how poor he is. Instead, act professionally and treat every opponent with respect. If you do so, I can promise that you will rarely loose a 1 vs 1 situation.