THE DEFENSE
- Goalkeeper (GK)
The guy with the funky colored gloves on who stands between the goal posts, and the only person on the pitch that can use his hands. He is responsible for blocking the shots heading on goal, using his hands, legs, face, or pretty much any other body part needed to deflect the ball, because in essence, he is the last line of defense. In football team pictures, he is the only person wearing a different colored kit.
Famous keepers:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Spain)
Carlo Cudicini (Tottenham Hotspur, Italy)
- Full backs (FB, RB, LB)
They are positioned near their own team’s goal and their main job is to defend the goal against the opposing team scoring against them. Football players in this position have the job of taking return balls from the goalie as well as getting the ball to their midfielders.
Famous full backs:
Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Maicon (Internazionale, Brazil)
Dani Alves (FC Barcelona, Brazil)
- Centre backs (CB)
The players who guard the area directly in front of the goal. Since they stand right in front of the goalkeeper, they cannot afford to make any mistake; therefore they are often considered to be the the strongest defenders. They are also responsible for man-to-man marking (guard the attacking player directly) and zonal defense (guard a particular area of the pitch).
Famous centre backs:
Gerard Pique (FC Barcelona, Spain)
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United, Serbia)
Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers, USA)
- Defensive Midfielders (DM)
The player positioned just in front of their team’s defense (or at the midfield) and often assigned to mark the opposition’s best offensive player.
Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid, Spain)
Nigel De Jong (Manchester City, Netherlands)
Sex–I mean–Cesc Fabregas (FC Barcelona, Spain)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool, England)
