Tips That a Winger Could Use in a Soccer Match

A winger on a soccer team is essentially an offensive player. Her primary role is to cross the ball into the penalty box for the strikers to make an attempt on goal. Her secondary role is to play defensively and help the fullback clear the ball, if necessary. High fitness levels, fast running speed and good ball control are skills required to be a successful winger.

  1. Crossing

    • The winger must produce quality crosses for the strikers. Always look up and be aware of where your teammates are before crossing the ball. There would be no point crossing the ball if none of your teammates are in the penalty area. Play high balls into a tall striker and low balls to a striker if he is smaller than the opposing defenders. Cross at pace if your striker is a good header of the ball. The speed of the ball will do the work without the striker having to obtain power.

    Speed

    • Speed training will help the winger move quickly up and down the flanks on the soccer pitch. Practice accelerating and sprinting from a standing position. Jog around the edge of the soccer field and practice bursts of sprinting for a few seconds down the the sides of the pitch. Practice grid sprints by jogging from the goal line to the next line on the pitch. Touch the line and sprint back to the goal line.

    Control

    • Dribbling with the ball is one of the fundamental skills expected of a winger. Often, he will be considered the flair player on the team. A winger who can move quickly with the ball and turn defense into attack is a great asset for any team. A practice method to improve ball control is running with the ball and keep it close to the feet. Place some obstacles in your path, such as plastic cones, to dribble around. The faster the winger can dribble the ball, the more of a threat he will be to the opposition.

    The Nutmeg

    • The Nutmeg is a cheeky but effective way of beating a defender. The winger plays the ball on the ground, deliberately through the legs of the defender, and runs around him to retrieve the ball. The ball must be played at pace so the defender cannot move his legs and stop the ball. Speed and good ball control are required to execute this move.