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midfielder

midfielder

21 3.3
A player in soccer or football who plays in the middle of the field and helps attack and defend
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪdˌfiːldər/
translation icon : centrocampista
  • She plays as a midfielder, balancing both offensive and defensive duties during matches.

James Madison, who is the better creative midfielder?

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Examples

  • Josh King may name a midfielder for Leeds United.

  • Should Kevin De Bruyne be in the top five Premier League midfielders of all time already?

  • When was the last time you remember seeing an English midfielder that good?

  • I was under the impression that he was a defensive midfielder who can pass.

    Blog text (7)
  • Most of the players we have now are midfielders. Why add more?

    Blog text (5)
  • Starting Bradley as a defensive midfielder does not limit his influence on the game.

    Blog text (11)
  • Last year, she started 22 matches for the Tigers while playing as an attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder, and right back.

    Blog text (2)
  • The ability to conduct such skills is significant to the midfielder, as their primary tactical role within a team is to link both the defensive and forward units.

    Academic text (2010)
  • At this time, I'd like to introduce Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, David Beckham.

  • A key issue for the Sounders is the availability of midfielder Mauro Rosales, who strained a hamstring against RSL on Friday.

    Blog text (4)

Synonyms

mid
vsmidfielder
  • Jargon
81 5.2

A player who plays in the middle of the field or court

focuses on supporting both attack and defense from the middle of the field

How Central

striker
14 2.9
midfielder
21 3.3
back
373 3.3
winger
64 3.4

Surface Forms

midfielder singular
midfielders plural

Morphology

midfielder = midfield (transparent) = midfield + er

The word is transparently formed from 'midfield' plus the agentive suffix '-er', meaning a person who plays in midfield.

Etymology

Midfielder comes from the parts mid- meaning 'middle', field meaning 'playing area', and -er meaning 'person'. So a midfielder is literally a person in the middle of the field who connects defense and attack.