CAM Soccer Position Explained
The central attacking midfielder, or the CAM, is a creative position that acts as the team’s primary playmaker. Positioned right behind the forward players, the CAM is responsible for creating attacks, threading accurate passes, and unlocking defenses with vision and creativity.
A traditional CAM is typically referred to as the number 10, although in the modern game the player does not have to be wearing that specific jersey number. In this blog, I will be discussing what the CAM soccer position is, the important traits of attacking central midfielders, their roles and responsibilities, as well as list some of the best CAMs in the history of the beautiful game.
What is the CAM Soccer Position?
In soccer, CAM stands for center attacking midfielder and this position is an essential link between defense and offense, usually operating in the spaces between midfield and attack. This player is usually positioned behind the striker or center forward and in front of the central defensive midfielders and/or central midfielder.
Depending on the team’s formation and tactics, a team may have zero, one, or two or more attacking midfielders. The main objectives of a CAM include creating goal scoring opportunities for their teams and being constant attacking threats in the final and middle thirds of the field.
A great CAM has to play like a chess grandmaster, meaning they are always thinking several moves ahead. They must anticipate play patterns, find gaps in opposition defenses, and create spaces for their teammates to exploit with their own movements and passes.
Important Traits for Attacking Midfielders
If you have ever tried playing the CAM position, either in real life or in FIFA, you know that you need a very specific player to be successful in this position. Here are some of the most important traits to develop if you want to become a successful center attacking midfielder.
Constantly creating scoring opportunities
- Creating scoring opportunities as an attacking midfielder means having good dribbling ability, knowing how to create space, giving key passes to teammates, and scoring goals.
Spatial Awareness:
- A successful CAM needs a great understanding of their position relative to other players on the field. You need to be fast mentally, not just physically and technically.
Ball Control
- As an attacking midfielder you need to develop elite ball control which means trapping the ball properly from the air and the ground as well as good dribbling ability in tight spaces.
Good vision
- As an attacking midfielder you need to develop good vision, by scanning often, gathering a lot of information, and being able to make the best choice from that information.
Stay calm during pressure
- Staying calm during pressure, being composed, and confident, are very important aspects for any attacking midfielder to develop. In this position you will be receiving the ball a lot with a lot of pressure on you so its important to be comfortable playing calm, cool, collected, yet fast and efficiently.
Extremely creative
- As an attacking midfielder not only do you have to be composed but you also need to be creative in how you pass and dribble the ball. Soccer is a game of deceiving your opponents and that requires creativity mixed with calmness and acting through instinct.
Passing Ability
- In soccer, having the ability to pass efficiently with both feet is a game-changer. A central attacking midfielder with excellent passing skills using both feet can create opportunities out of thin air and have a lot more variability than a player who can only use one foot.
Conditioning
- Midfielders are some of the players that run the most during a soccer game and the CAM position is no different. To be a good CAM not only do you need the technical abilities and tactical understanding, but you also need elite conditioning and stamina to keep up with the demands of this position for 90 minutes.
Responsibilities of the Attacking Midfielder
The role of the attacking midfielder is very important if the formation you choose has at least one or more CAMs. Below are the key responsibilities of playing this position:
- Act as the team’s primary playmaker
- Be a constant attacking threat
- Create goal scoring opportunities for teammates
- Score goals and get assists
- Play in the half-spaces and in between the lines of the opposing team
- Scan the field constantly
- Make efficient runs and off-the-ball movements to open up space for themselves and for teammates
- Keep possession of the ball
- Stay calm and composed
- Balance the tempo of the game
- Drop to help the team in defense when needed
Best CAM Soccer players
Now that you are more familiar with the traits and responsibilities of the CAM position, let’s go over some of the best CAM players in the world to analyze and learn from,
- Leo Messi
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Bernardo Silva
- Bruno Fernandes
- Antoine Griezzman
- Martin Odegaard
- Jamal Musiala
- Florian Wirtz
Summary
To summarize, mastering the CAM soccer position requires a blend of creativity, vision, and technical abilities. The CAM serves as the link between defense and offense and the primary playmaker who orchestrates plays, and creates goal scoring opportunities.
In this blog, I covered everything you need to know about the CAM soccer position from the key traits needed to their roles and responsibilities to listing some of the best CAMs in the modern game to study and learn from.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best cleats for midfielders?
The best soccer cleats for midfielders are the Nike Tiempo Legend line.
What number is the CAM usually associated with in soccer?
The CAM position is usually referred to as the number 10. The player playing the CAM position can be referred to as “playing as the 10” but they do not have to be wearing the number 10 jersey.
What is the difference between CM, CDM, and CAM?
A central midfielder, a central defensive midfielder, and a central attacking midfielder all play in the center of the midfield, but they have quite different roles which you can guess what they stand for by reading the names.
