Identifying Popular Soccer Formations

In football, lineups are the way a team lines up its defense, midfield, and offensive line at the start of a match. But football is a smooth sport, and during a match a midfielder may become an attacker for five or ten minutes and then return to his original position. Or, similarly, the attacker may return to defend.
When talking about formations, defenders are listed first, followed by midfielders and then attackers. For example, a 4-2-4 formation includes four defenders, two midfielders, and four forwards. Goalkeepers do not count because their position is the only one that has not changed over the years.
In fact, you can produce dozens of formations due to the mathematical possibilities. Here are two of the most common formations.

4-2-4
The 4-2-4 method is the most offensive method in the modern era. To take advantage of this formation, talented and skilled midfielders and strikers must strike early and hold the ball for extended periods of time because the pressure is on the midfield and defense most of the time when the opponents have possession of the ball.
3-5-2
Today’s match is win or lose in midfield, which is why the 3-5-2 method is so popular. A team that does not have a midfield operating at full capacity suffers in possession of the ball and the chances of scoring. Therefore, many coaches like to use up to five midfielders, although outside midfielders may have more defensive responsibilities than their teammates.