Second Line of Defense - Midfielders Shifting

Yesterday we discussed the role of the forwards in making play predictable and how they must work together to be the first line of defense. Now that we have established our first line of defense we need to midfielders to shift in position in anticipation of any passes. Just like the forwards, the midfielders must work together to limit space and cut down on the passing lanes. Below is the defensive shape for the midfielders:

Description

As the forwards initiate pressure on the defenders the midfielders must adjust so that they can cover the predictable passing lanes. The center mids must shift towards the ball while still covering their marks (Yellow #1 & #2). They want to be close enough to mark their players while still being able to cover passing lanes. The right mid does not need to man mark the opposing teams left mid and can help mark passing lanes and players in the midfield (Yellow #3). The reason this works is because even if a long ball is played across the field to the open player the right mid will have enough time to get back into position. The goal of this type of defending is to shift towards the ball and leave the weak side players open and use this numerical advantage to clog the passing lanes and make it easier to defend.