Comparison Essay

Student: Phan Vinh Thinh

Class: 61B.NNA-2

Forward or Defender: Which Football Position Contributes More to a Win?

Soccer is a fascinating sport for a myriad reasons: it has changing speeds, dynamics
in the variety of player positions, and a hint of unpredictability where a twist of fate can turn
the game around. Soccer is no doubt a team game—one can seldom score a goal by
dribbling the ball across the field and getting it across the goal line alone. Every player
contributes to the overall result—even those players sitting on the substitute bench can
contribute to the general winning spirit of their team. Yet, despite the undoubted fact that
soccer is a team game, there has consistently been the argument as to who contributes more
to a win, and thus, which role is to be considered more valuable: is it the defender or the
forward players? I believe it is incorrect to consider choosing between these two positions.
To prove my point, it will be instructive to compare the two roles in detail.

The forward position is no doubt both exciting and fascinating. It is no secret that forward
players are commonly the most popular names in the world of soccer, and are also usually
sold to clubs at a much higher rate than players in any other position. After all, it is a
forward in most cases who scores that longed-for goal and makes the whole stadium chant
their name. Forwards also most often earn free kicks and penalties for their team by forcing
the opposing player to commit a foul to stop the marauding striker from getting the ball
across the goal line (Winston, Soccer’s Reality). Forwards are the most widely recognized,
that even non-fans can identify them by face and name. Soccer fans themselves will, in the
majority of cases, agree that forwards are the players who deserves, on-and-off the field,
more than any other.

However, there have been millions of soccer games where even the world’s top-ranked
strikers have failed to score a goal because they seldom had the ball in their possession.
When defenders play their role properly, there is no ball to get into the goal, no matter how
great a forward is up front and how much he or she is willing to contribute. Forwards are
rarely able to fall back to their half of the field to tackle for the ball, and still have the
strength to bring it all the way to the opponent’s goal (Howards, Statistics of Soccer). It is
the defenders who do the job of winning the ball for their team and sending it across to their
forwards. It is also the defender who covers for the forward when the latter loses the ball
and there is a danger of a fast counter-attack from the opposing side.

Defenders have to be ready to make a sliding tackle—alert and ready to back up their
teammates in the event of a mistake. Defenders themselves do not have the luxury of
making mistakes, since even a small slip on their part might result in a goal for their
opponents, and thus, a loss that fans are likely not to forgive. Being a successful defender
calls for a consistent, reliable, and sound performance; on the other hand, being a forward is
about readiness to react in an instant, having an awareness of the play of the ball without
turning around—and of course, a brave heart and a firm kick to strike for your team.

One quality that any soccer player should have—whether they are a forward, a defender, a
goalkeeper, or a midfielder—is the ability to sense the team and each member of it, read
their intentions and act in unison for the team’s victory (Richard, Analysis of Soccer
Positions). We cannot truly say which position is more valuable: whether it is the defender
Comparison Essay
Student: Phan Vinh Thinh
Class: 61B.NNA-2

or the striker, since they are both irreplaceable to the team and could not work effectively
without each other.

Forward or Defender: Which Football Position Contributes More to a Win?

(05 March 2012)
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