The striker (wearing the red shirt) is past the defence (in the white shirts) and is about to take a shot at the goal. The goalkeeper will attempt to stop the ball from going into the net.

Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, and formerly inside forwards, are the players on a team in association football (soccer) in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered

The first striker: advanced forwards or target men

Modern team formations usually include one to three strikers; two is most common. In Association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. 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. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring

The former is usually a large striker, typically known as a target man, who is used to win long balls or receive passes and "hold up" the ball as team-mates advance, to help team-mates score by providing a pass ('through ball' into the box), or to score himself; the latter variation usually requiring quicker pace. The penalty area (colloquiallly also known as the 18-yard box, penalty box or simply the box) is an area of an Association football pitch Less frequently, some strikers operate on the wings of the field and work their way goalward.

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

The Norwegian teams of the late 1990s made frequent use of strikers like Jostein Flo, famous for his physical playing style and aerial skills. Here, target man Flo scores against Brazil in the 1998 World Cup, running on alone after receiving an extremely long pass.

The centre forward, or an "out-and-out" striker, is normally the principal goal-scorer of a football team. Centre forwards act predominantly as "targets" or the focal point of an attack; it is the duty of the midfield to supply and to assist them to score.

Some centre forwards are goal poachers who work in and around the penalty area to snatch goals and who are sometimes referred to proverbially as a "fox in the box". The penalty area (colloquiallly also known as the 18-yard box, penalty box or simply the box) is an area of an Association football pitch These strikers are known for their positional sense and excellent reflexes. Other forwards may rely on their pace to latch on balls from outside the six-yard area. Other players rely on their excellent dribbling ability to pierce through opposition defences.

Another group of centre forwards are known as "target men" and are usually of above-average height, with good heading ability. They hold the ball up and bring other players into the game, scoring from crosses, often with the head, and use their body strength to shield the ball while turning to score. In football, a cross is a delivery of a ball from either side of the field across to the front of the goal by applying various kicking techniques Centre forwards with exceptionally towering figures and accurate heading abilities also make great "target men".

Some notable "target-man" centre forwards include; Didier Drogba, Nikola Žigić, Emmanuel Adebayor and Luca Toni. Didier Drogba Tebily (born 11 March 1978 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) is an Ivorian Footballer who plays for Chelsea in Nikola Žigić (Никола Жигић born 25 September 1980 in Bačka Topola) is a Serbian football player who currently Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (born 26 February 1984 in Luca Toni Varchetta Delle Cave, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born May 26, 1977 in Pavullo nel Frignano, Modena) is an Italian Leading 'fox-in-the-box' players include Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, David Trezeguet, Miroslav Klose, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Raúl González, Filippo Inzaghi and Hernán Crespo where as strikers such as Alessandro Del Piero, Wayne Rooney, Patrick Kluivert, Dimitar Berbatov, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Francesco Totti usually rely on their own technical skills to score goals. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (born August 12 1983 is a Dutch footballer who plays as a Striker for AFC Ajax and the Netherlands. David Sergio Trezeguet (david sɛʀʒjo tʀezeˈgɛ (born 15 October, 1977 in Rouen, France) is a French football Striker Miroslav Klose ( born as Mirosław Marian Kloze on June 9, 1978) is a German footballer who plays as a Striker. Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (commonly spelled as van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer Raúl González Blanco (born June 27, 1977 in Madrid) simply known as Raúl, is a Spanish football Striker Hernán Jorge Crespo (born July 5, Alessandro Del Piero, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI (born November 9 1974 in Conegliano Veneto) is an Italian World Cup -winning footballer Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English footballer who currently plays for English Premier Patrick Stephan Kluivert ( (born July 1, 1976) is a Dutch professional footballer. Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov (Димитър Иванов Бербатов (born 30 January 1981 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria) He is captain of the Zlatan Ibrahimović (born October 3, 1981 in Malmö, Sweden) is a Swedish football Striker of Bosnian Francesco Totti, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born September 27 1976 in Rome) is a World Cup -winning footballer who plays for Italian Strikers like Obafemi Martins, Andriy Shevchenko, Samuel Eto'o, Thierry Henry, Fernando Torres, David Villa, and Ronaldo use their pace to latch on to through balls. Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins (born 28 October, 1984 in Lagos) is a Nigerian football player who plays as a Striker for the Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Андрій Миколайович Шевченко Andrij Mykolajovyč Ševčenko; born September 29 1976 in Dvirkivschyna, Samuel Eto'o Fils (born March 10, 1981 in Douala) is a Cameroonian football striker who plays for Spanish La Liga club Thierry Daniel Henry ( born 17 August 1977 Fernando José Torres Sanz (born 20 March 1984 in Madrid, Spain nicknamed El Niño ("The Kid" is a Spanish footballer, who plays for Liverpool David Villa Sánchez (born December 4, 1981 in Langreo, Asturias, Spain) nicknamed El Guaje ( The Kid Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima (xo'nawdʊ lu'iz na'zaɾjʊ dʒɪ 'limɐ born September 18, 1976. ^[1]

The second striker: deeper lying attackers

Striker scores

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, two more variations of this old type of player have developed: the second or support or auxiliary striker and, in what is arguably a distinct position unto its own, being neither midfield nor attack the Number 10, or playmaker, an advanced as opposed to a deep-lying playmaker.

The second striker position is a loosely-defined and often misapplied one somewhere between the out-and-out striker, whether he is a target-man or more of a poacher, and the Number 10 or Trequartista, while possibly showing some of the characteristics of both. In fact a coined term, the "nine-and-a-half" has been an attempt to define the position. Conceivably, a Number 10 can alternate as a second-striker provided that he is also a prolific goalscorer, otherwise a striker (such as Del Piero or Raúl) who can both score and create opportunities for a less versatile centre forward is more suited. Alessandro Del Piero, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI (born November 9 1974 in Conegliano Veneto) is an Italian World Cup -winning footballer Raúl González Blanco (born June 27, 1977 in Madrid) simply known as Raúl, is a Spanish football Striker This has been true of a natural trequartista like Roberto Baggio who seldom played in a team formation which permitted him the creative license to play as a number 10 and so he adapted himself to the second-striker role. Roberto Baggio (born 18 February 1967 in Caldogno, Veneto) is a retired Italian footballer among the most technically gifted A second- or support-striker does not tend to get as involved in the orchestration of attacks, nor bring as many other players into play as the Number 10 since they do not have the range of vision, nor the burden of responsibility that the latter, around whom the team's game is built, possess. Accordingly, neither do they have as much responsibility for inventing the game. ^[2]

Fantasista is a term also used to coin such players, and inspired a Japanese manga of the same name which described Fantasista as "a player who has creativity far beyond comparison and has the ability to turn games around with his high technique". ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly

Notable examples of current second strikers include Robinho, Lionel Messi, Kaká, Wayne Rooney^[3], Carlos Tevez, Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Ronaldinho. Robson de Souza (born January 25 1984 in São Vicente, Lionel Andrés Messi (born June 24 1987 in Rosario) is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in La Liga. Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (hiˈkaɾdʊ Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English footballer who currently plays for English Premier Carlos Alberto Tévez (born Carlos Alberto Martínez, 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine Alessandro Del Piero, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI (born November 9 1974 in Conegliano Veneto) is an Italian World Cup -winning footballer Francesco Totti, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born September 27 1976 in Rome) is a World Cup -winning footballer who plays for Italian Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born March 21 1980 in Porto Alegre) commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer

Historically influential "Number 10s" include Pele, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Gheorghe Hagi, Zico, Ferenc Puskas, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Baggio, Johan Cruyff, Eduard Streltsov, Sandro Mazzola, Rivaldo and Dennis Bergkamp. Michel François Platini (born June 21, 1955) is a French former football player manager and current president of the UEFA. Gheorghe Hagi (ˈge̯orge ˈhaʤi in Romanian born February 5, 1965 in Săcele) is a Romanian former football player Arthur Antunes Coimbra ɐ̃'tũnis ko'ĩbrɐ (born in March 3, 1953) better known as Zico, is a former Brazilian footballer Ferenc Purczeld Biró ( 2 April 1927 &ndash 17 November 2006) or "Ferenc Puskás", was a legendary Hungarian Roberto Baggio (born 18 February 1967 in Caldogno, Veneto) is a retired Italian footballer among the most technically gifted Eduard Anatoliyevich Streltsov (Эдуард Анатольевич Стрельцов ( July 21, 1937 - July 20, 1990) was a Alessandro ("Sandro" Mazzola (born 8 November 1942 is an Italian former football player Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (born April 19, 1972 in Paulista, Pernambuco) commonly known as Rivaldo, is regarded as one of Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (born May 10, 1969 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch Professional footballer At club level

Successful attacks require the collaboration of many strikers, and goals can be made from the flanks or from the center, all in one movement. In the diagram shown, some of the most successful strikers of the 20th century help to create a goal for a midfielder. The fast German winger Libuda starts the move by floating a long cross to Seeler at the far post. Seeler heads down for Muller, who plays it back to midfielder Overath for a goal. Though considered a center-forward, Seeler's dangerous aerial skills created countless chances for his teammates. Skillful combined play will see a center-forward switch to a supporting role as the situation demands.

The third striker: Wingers or flanking attackers

Main article: Midfielder#Winger

A winger is an attacking player who is stationed in a wide position near the touchlines. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. They can be classified as forwards, considering their origin as the old "outside-forward" position, and continue to be termed as such in most parts of the world, especially in Latin and Dutch footballing cultures. However, in the Anglo-Saxon world, they are usually counted as part of the midfield.

It is a winger's duty to beat opposing fullbacks, deliver cut-backs or crosses from wide positions and, to a lesser extent, to beat defenders and score from close range They are usually some of the quickest players in the team and usually have good dribbling skills as well. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Sports such as Football (soccer, Basketball, Bandy and Water polo, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender In their Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese usage, the defensive duties of the winger have been usually confined to pressing the opposition fullbacks when they have the ball. Otherwise, a winger will drop closer to the midfield to make himself available, should his team win back the ball.

In British and other northern European styles of football, the wide-midfielder is expected to track back all the way to his own corner flag should his full-back require help, as well as tucking into the midfield when the more central players are trying to pressure the opposition for the ball, a huge responsibility for attack-orientated players, and particularly those like Joaquin (winger/wide midfielder) or Leo Messi (winger/second-striker) that lack the physical attributes of a wing-back or of a more orthodox midfield player. As these players grow older and lose their natural pace, they are frequently redeployed as Number 10s between the midfield and the forward line, where their innate ball control and improved reading of the game in the final third can serve to improve their teams' attacking options in tight spaces. An example is Internazionale use of veteran Luis Figo behind one or two other attackers. ^[4]

While the wing specialist position receives less emphasis in contemporary football, attacks from the flanks are a potent part of any offense. Germany's final goal of the 1974 World Cup was set up by a midfielder, Bonhof, who was set in motion by one of the last of the 'classic' international wingers - Juergen Grabowski.

In recent years there has been a trend of playing 'unorthodox' wingers - wide men stationed on the 'wrong' side of the pitch, in order to enable them to cut inside and shoot on their stronger foot. One example of this is the tactical use of Robin van Persie by Netherlands coach Marco van Basten at the 2006 World Cup; the Netherlands played with a front three of Arjen Robben wide left, target-man Ruud van Nistelrooy in the middle and the left-footed van Persie wide right. Robin van Persie (born August 6 1983 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League team The Netherlands national football team is the national football team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association Marcel "Marco" van Basten ( 31 October 1964 in Oog in Al, Utrecht) is a Dutch football manager currently The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament Arjen Robben (born 23 January 1984 in Bedum) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a winger for Real Madrid. Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (commonly spelled as van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer Robin van Persie (born August 6 1983 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League team Such deployment usually leads to players being referred to as playing 'from the right' rather than 'on the right'. Similarly, former Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce, who favours a front three, started the 2007-08 season with right-footed James Milner playing from the left, Mark Viduka as a centre forward and left-footed Obafemi Martins from the right, whilst at Manchester United it is common for right-footed Cristiano Ronaldo and left-footed Ryan Giggs to switch sides continually throughout a match. Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon Samuel "Sam" Allardyce (born 19 October 1954 in Dudley, West Midlands) is an English football manager and former James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English footballer who plays as a winger and left-sided Midfielder for Mark Anthony Viduka (ˈmaː(rk ˈʋiduka (born October 9, 1975 in Melbourne) is an Australian football Centre forward Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins (born 28 October, 1984 in Lagos) is a Nigerian football player who plays as a Striker for the Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (kɾɨʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira) is a Portuguese footballer Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

Notable orthodox right-wingers currently playing include Joaquín, David Beckham and Mauro Camoranesi. Joaquín Sánchez Rodríguez, (born July 21, 1981 in El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz) is a Spanish footballer, who David Robert Joseph Beckham, and is also a member of the England national team. Mauro Germán Camoranesi Serra, Cavaliere OMRI, (born October 4, 1976 in Tandil, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) is an Orthodox left-wingers include Florent Malouda, Vicente Rodríguez and Ryan Giggs. Florent Johan Malouda (born June 13 1980 in Cayenne, French Guiana) is a French footballer. This article is about a Spanish football (soccer player For the Spanish boxer see Vicente Rodríguez (boxer. Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

'Unorthodox' right-wingers (left-footed) include Lionel Messi and Shunsuke Nakamura. Lionel Andrés Messi (born June 24 1987 in Rosario) is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in La Liga. Shunsuke Nakamura is not to be confused with Shinsuke Nakamura, the Japanese Professional wrestler / MMA fighter is a Japanese Unorthodox left-wingers (right-footed) include Robinho, Ronaldinho and Franck Ribéry (who plays on the left for Bayern Munich but usually on the right for France). Robson de Souza (born January 25 1984 in São Vicente, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born March 21 1980 in Porto Alegre) commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer Franck Bilal Ribéry (born April 1, 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer) is a French football Midfielder who plays for Bundesliga FC Bayern München is a German Sports club based in Munich, Bavaria (München Bayern The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football.

Contemporary players who can play from either side include Simão Sabrosa, Ricardo Quaresma and Cristiano Ronaldo. Simão Pedro Fonseca Sabrosa, OIH, commonly known as Simão Sabrosa ( pron. Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo (born September 26 1983, in Lisbon, Portugal) is a Portuguese footballer usually positioned Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (kɾɨʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira) is a Portuguese footballer In the 1970s, one of the foremost practitioners of playing from either flank was the German winger, Juergen Grabowski, whose flexibility helped Germany to third place in 1970, and a championship in 1974. Jürgen Grabowski (born July 7, 1944 in Wiesbaden) is a former German footballer.

Strike teams and combinations

Holland's Johan Cryuff was often part of an effective strike combination

A strike team is two or more strikers that work well together to devastating effect. The history of soccer is filled with such effective combinations. Two player partnerships such as Dwight York and Andy Cole of the 1999 Manchester United treble winning squad, are well known, but also important to any attack are bigger groups of players who form distinct strike packages. Three-man teams often operate in "triangles", giving a wealth of attacking options. Four-man packages expand options even more. Whatever the number of players involved, the strikers must possess good technical skills, be creative and have a hunger for goal. Strikers must also be flexible, and be able to switch roles at a moment's notice, between the first (advanced penetrator position), second (deep-lying maneuver) and third (support and expansion, eg. wings) attacker roles.

Strikers at work showing rotation between first, second and third attacker roles

Depicted is an illustration of strikers at work, from one of the most potent strike teams of the 20th century- Pele, Jairzonho and Tostao of Brazil. During Brazil's 1970 campaign, center-forward Tostao played the advanced penetration role of first attacker as described above in the article. Pele often dropped back into midfield not only to escape tight marking but to draw his markers with him, opening gaps and helping create attacks. The third attacker- the winger Jairzinho, often took an advanced position but specialized in working the right side of the field. In the semi-final against the ultra-defensive Uruguay, it is Pele who takes on the role of target man, dropping infield to receive from Jairzinho. Tostao becomes the second attacker and Pele finds him with a soft backheel. Jairzinho meanwhile becomes the most advanced man, sprinting far upfield to receive Tostoa's pass. This tight exchange put Jair through for a score, and illustrates how three strikers can work together to blow open the tightest defenses.

See also

• Football (soccer) positions
• Formation (football)
• Long ball
• Goalkeepers

References