Scoring as a midfielder

[SoccerIsForLife]

hey guys, recently i have been playing center mid and attacking mid for my team, and we do pretty well. we play in regional league, are in contention to get promoted and are winning our state league and are a favorite to win state cup...my question is how can i produce some goals from the midfield..i used to be a striker for odp and my club team so i know i can score goals..its just getting to that position..against a few teams i can dribble them all but it wont work against the better ones..do center mids usually only score from outside the 18? because the way it works out..we usually play a 3-5-2 me being the attacking mid, dont find myself inside the 18 getting the ball very much..mostly patrolling between the 18yd box and around half field and my only option there is to shoot from far out..any advice please and thanks!

[rca2]

...my question is how can i produce some goals from the midfield..i used to be a striker for odp and my club team so i know i can score goals..its just getting to that position..against a few teams i can dribble them all but it wont work against the better ones..do center mids usually only score from outside the 18?

In my experience, a midfielder would normally be taking successful shots in the 20-30 yard range. Often it involves a short lateral movement to the left or right to find space for the shot.

If the midfielders are scoring closer its because its a counter-attacking situation which is more fluid.

In a slow attack, the playmaker is instrumental in the buildup through the middle third. So normally a forward or both of them will be trying to show for you closer to the goal so it only makes sense that they will have more opportunities inside the penalty area, since its their primary job to get there and yours to pass them the ball.

Close to the goal the longer you have the ball, the less chance for a good shot. So successful shots get taken early: meaning shooting from 20-30 yards. Do you think penatrating another 5 yards closer to the goal would be worth taking on the increased pressure? I bet you are just as dangerous at 20yards as you are at 15 yards.

The advantage you have as a midfielder is that you are usually facing the goal and can see what is happening. Basically the best opportunity for the midfielder is when there are forwards in the penalty area forcing the keeper to stay on his line so he can't cut down your angle on the ball. If the defense is sagging on the forwards and doesn't put enough pressure on you, punish them by shooting.