# Only 10 men on soccer team - strategy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-10-men-on-soccer-team-strategy/835040>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [June 4, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-10-men-on-soccer-team-strategy/835040 "2019-06-04T23:32:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-10-men-on-soccer-team-strategy/835040/1 "2019-06-04T23:32:30Z")

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When a soccer team has to play one man down due to a red card, how do they usually compensate - playing less offense or less defense?

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**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-10-men-on-soccer-team-strategy/835040/2 "2019-06-05T01:31:27Z")

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Less offense in general. If the ejected player is a defender, they’ll often sub off an attacker for a replacement back.

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**Author:** ![Helmut\_Doork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e8c25b/32.png) [@Helmut\_Doork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helmut_Doork)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-10-men-on-soccer-team-strategy/835040/3 "2019-06-05T21:35:13Z")

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If in the lead, it is defend, defend, defend. If they need a goal, pick and choose your counterattack spots.

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**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-10-men-on-soccer-team-strategy/835040/4 "2019-06-06T22:14:25Z")

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If the score is even then 4 2 3 or 3 2 4 depending on your strengths. Do away with the middleman. Half the game is wasted trying to finesse the ball up the field. Just boot it up and let them duke it out. If you consider most of the scores are spontaneous and not set plays then just get on with it.

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**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-10-men-on-soccer-team-strategy/835040/5 "2019-06-10T23:48:02Z")

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I recall from my days of HS that we played with one less forward, 4-4-1 basically. Offense in soccer is not entirely the avenue of the forwards - they’re going to be the ones who will _always_ be forward, but most of the attackers come from midfield and even defense sometimes, rushing up the field when their team has possession. The only goal I scored in HS was on a run that was nearly the length of the field after the midfielder on the other side of the field had stolen the ball or something and the guy I was marking wasn’t as deep in our territory, and so I, even though I was playing defender nominally, was in the best position to run to support his attack and was able to put a cross into the back of the net with my head.