The Central Defensive Middlefielder (CDM) is the backbone of any team. He is the player who cleans up after fellow midfielders. A CDM serves as both a shield and a ball-carrying enforcer in the midfield.
Each team is successful, even the most successful, because they have a player who has the right attributes to play the role of a CDM. This is a hardworking, defensively-minded player who prefers shutting down opposition teams over glory.
What Does CDM Stand For in Soccer? CDM in soccer refers to a central defensive midfielder. They play a defensive role in the middle of the field.
What is a CDMs role?
The Central Defensive midfielder serves the exact same purpose as the attacking midfielder. They are in a more central role and have a deeper position than central midfielders or attacking midfielders.
A central midfielder can be an intermediary between attack and defense. However, a central defense midfielder is rarely seen moving forwards and instead moves along the line between defense or midfield, acting as an additional layer of cover.
A CDM is a vital part of any team’s success. It is because of its excellent attacking options. A team’s attack is better if they are more aggressive in looking for goals. This leaves opponents with wide open options for counter-attacks.
CDMs are invariably selfless and tireless players who prefer to put in the effort than look for goals. This defensive mentality allows teammates to move forward knowing that they have an extra layer of defense.
A CDM that is great can slow down games, detect dangerous attacks and stop them before they become serious dangers.
These are the Key Attributes That Make A Great CDM
Many attributes make a CDM world-class, but many are mental.
A central defensive midfielder can’t switch off, can’t be out of position, and must not lose their focus for 90 minutes. While a striker may miss a shot, a game can continue. A CDM who loses their marker can immediately see that their defenders might be in serious trouble.
The following are 8 characteristics that make a CDM a great CDM.
- Read the game
- Controlled aggression
- Stamina
- Take control
- Communication
- Composure
- Strength
- The ball movement is off the table
1. The Game
Being able to get into the right spot before danger is present is like having psychic powers. The best CDMs are often at the right place at exactly the right moment. Their ability to read the game, to see the ebbs and flows of the ball and to be able take that knowledge and use it is what makes this possible.
Without a strong head for the game, many of the attributes required for a great CDM will be useless. Stamina and stamina are all fine, but running around like a chicken headless for 90 minutes every day is pointless.
A good understanding of opponents’ strengths and weaknesses can allow a defensive midfielder to anticipate and react faster than their opponent.
2. Controlled Aggression
This vital attribute requires control. A CDM often gets in some scrapes, makes last ditch tackles and is one of the best players on the pitch. While being an aggressive tackler is a great attribute, it should be tempered with intelligence. The best CDMs don’t get angry.
A player opposing to you must know that they will be in a fight, they know that they will be kicked and muscled off the ball and made to feel uncomfortable. The CDMs are there to disrupt play while they remain on the pitch for the 90-minute duration.
3. Stamina
The central defensive midfielders cover a lot and must be the first to each ball, close down all players, and keep their performance throughout the match.
CDMs must have the stamina necessary to properly perform defensive duties. CDMs often train harder than other players, do more cardio work and endurance training to ensure they can continue their performances.
Moving between the lines and moving from their defensive line to midfield and back again is hard and strenuous work. Not quite a defender but not quite a middlefielder, a CDM must be both.
4. Take control
A well-timed tackle is the reason defensive midfielders get out of bed each morning. It can make all the difference between success or failure. Strong tackles of the ball are almost an art that is being lost. Top teams expect a more technical, cultured player.
This cultural shift has led to the creation and evolution of the CDM position. The need for only one player to be responsible for tackling and retrieving the ball made it vital that the CDM function was created.
The more they tackle well, the fewer fouls they give up and the faster the ball is turned around to attack.
5. Communication
A central defensive midfielder is the link between defense, attack and offense. He or she must be able direct both defense and midfield simultaneously.
You could tell a defender drop deep and the CDM will go in for the ball. Or ask a midfielder to pick up a player to mark as they drop deep to add another player to defense. Whatever the need, the CDM uses their game reading to communicate with their teammates.
6. Composure
The best CDMs are calm under pressure, and almost impossible to get mad at other players. They make their opponents lose their cool and make them make mistakes. All the while, they remain composed and calm under pressure.
The central defensive midfielders can help teammates learn from their counterparts. A CDM can calmly disarm an opponent and take kicks and abuse without reacting before giving the ball back to a teammate.
7. Strength
Upper body strength is vital to defensive players, when a tackle can’t be made, or a player needs shepherding out of a danger area, a strong CDM simply gets in the way, cuts off avenues of attack and bullies opponents into making errors.
Good diet, exercise and lots of lifting weights are all key factors in a great central defensive midfielder. Your CDM can become a highly mobile tank by being able to read, tackle and stop players.
8. The Ball Movement
In much the same way a parent shouts to a child “walk! don’t run”, a CDM with excellent off-the-ball movement rarely has to break into anything more alarming than a gentle jog. They are strong candidates for the role due to their excellent reading of the game and their stamina.
However, being able read the game quickly and moving into the right areas of a pitch before they become dangerous areas can transform a CDM that may be already a great one into an elite one.
As already stated, Chelsea’s N’Golo Konte is a superb CDM, and spectators will often see an opposing team go on the attack against Chelsea, only for Kante to be stood right in front of an attacker.
This isn’t a coincidence, Kante reads the game better than most, and had already, off the ball, made the movement towards where he would need to be in order to break up play.
Every fan loves a great attacking player, every manager wants an N’Golo Kante, and for good reason, an elite CDM is priceless, and becoming a rarer sight in professional soccer.
Are Central Defensive Midfielders Obsolete?
CDMs are becoming less common, but that isn’t because they are becoming more rare, but rather due to increased attack-minded players.
Every manager who has worked in the field knows how important a CDM is. A quick glance at the best teams of our time shows that they all share a common goal: to have a world-class Central Defensive Middlefielder.
Also, read: What does CAM mean in soccer?