Position of The Sweeper in Soccer

When you hear the word sweeper in soccer you probably think on the big German legend of soccer the great Kaiser (King) more known as Franz Beckenbauer who dominated world cup of 70’s with his elegance on the soccer field.

In the 1990 World Cup even the great World Cup winners of all time The mighty Brazil were playing with a sweeper for the first time in a World Cup tournament. Brazil was eliminated early in the tournament and Germany won the whole competition, playing with a sweeper. You should also know that Germany's coach under 1990 World Cup was the great Kaiser.

Many teams have abandoned the use of a sweeper in their games, but there are still some clubs that use this formation today. Many of these clubs play in the German league, and no wonder of that, when the greatest of all sweepers live there. If you currently play as sweeper in your soccer team or think that it would be fun to test it, then you must keep in mind following:

• As a sweeper you must always be the last player in your defense line (Don’t count your goalkeeper as a defender, he he)

• Your job is to close down gaps that are left by your teammates

• You must be good at analyzing the game and try to figure out your opponents next move

• You need also to be quick thinking and try to make right decision both defensively and offensively

As a sweeper, you task is not to mark opponents forwards, instead, you are supposed to carry the ball forward when your team is in possession of the ball.

Most amateur teams will not know how to react on this formation because they usually don’t have a strategy for how to mark a sweeper, which will give you great opportunities to score goals. A player that is experienced, has good technique and confidence is perfect for the position of sweeper.

My advice to you is to always play simple, and do not dribble on your own half. Keep in mind that sweeper must provide stability and conduct his own team. In my team we usually play with a sweeper and my own experience is that a sweeper is right choice if your team likes to play the ball on the ground. With other words, teams that prefer to play more technically should adapt this formation.

If you are serious with your soccer career and want to learn all details and secrets behind the sweeper position, make sure to check out The Ultimate Guide To Soccer Positions.