by James Tennant

Created on: November 19, 2009

Centre forwards are the main focus of any soccer team's attack and the the most prolific and talented strikers and goalscorers in any team. Their job is to score the goals that will help their team win a game. They will often be man marked throughout a game in the hope that they will be nullified as an attacking threat.

Centre forwards tend to patrol the opposition's penalty area, sometimes coming deeper to collect passes. A centre forward is, more often than not, a "target man". This means that players look to pass the ball to the centre forward for him or her to hold up the ball and wait for the rest of the team to move forward. He is also a target man for corners and free kicks, where the ball is crossed towards him or her for a header or shot on goal.

A Centre forward will have:

Excellent finishing - Obviously, being any team's main goal scorer, the centre forward should have excellent finishing skills. He should be able to comfortably beat the keeper in any situation and under any pressure.

Great shooting ability - Having the mentality to finish is nothing without the proper technique and know-how. The centre forward should be able to hit a variety of shots all of which should be on target.

Strength - A centre forward will be challenged by at least one player throughout the entire game. He therefore needs to be strong enough to hold on to the ball and hold it up if need be whilst being challenged.

Excellent ball control - The centre forward will recieve a variety of passes, crosses and deflections during a game and needs to be able to control the ball effectively on his head, chest, thigh or foot to maximise his or her team's chances of scoring.

Great positioning - Findin the best goal scoring positions in the opposition's half of the field and their penalty area is harder than you might think. The centre forward must lose his marker and still get into a position where he thinks the ball can be passed or crossed into that will give him a shot on goal. This skill is hugely important for forwards.

Centre forwards, like centre backs, fulfil a very important role on the soccer field. Without goals, a team can not win a game. The onus is mainly on this player to score these goals and a world class centre forward will do just that. A good indication of a centre forward's ability is if he or she can score 15-25 goals a season in league play. A good example of a classic centre forward is Alan Shearer, formerly of Newcastle United and England.

Centre forwards must also be able to deal with pressure. In some teams, that play with only one centre forward at a time, the pressure to score goals can be very high and the players must be able to deal with this. Due to their goal scoring nature, centre forwards get more of the spotlight and stardom associated with modern day soccer and because of their ability to score goals, often commanding the greatest transfer fees and wages.

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