So you wanna watch the World Cup, but you don’t know anything about soccer?
We here at SPR News have you covered.
Welcome to Soccer Saturday, a special weekend edition of SPR News Today.
Leading up to the World Cup this June, we’re talking to all types of soccer experts who want to help you understand—and love—the beautiful game.
So if you want to join the bandwagon this summer but you’ve never heard of Lionel Messi, you’re in the right place.
And even if you’re a die hard Premier League fan, you might like to hear what these guests have to say, too.
Today, we talk basics: positions, fouls, free kicks—basically, what the heck is going on on the field. Two footballers from Spokane’s pro women’s team are here to give us the rundown: midfielder Emma Jaskaniec and winger Ginger Fontenot.
But we start with the classic American accusation against soccer: that it’s boring. Players barely ever score—what’s the fun of that?
GINGER FONTENOT: Soccer is a low scoring sport. Like, everybody knows that. For me, like watching soccer, you can pay attention to what tactically is going on. But I think it's the anticipation of them scoring that I think gets people really excited because, you know, when somebody plays a really great pass and like maybe they're about to be on a breakaway and then, you know, the goalie makes a huge save and then you're like, this guy's amazing. And then all of a sudden, like that person becomes your favorite player.
And I think it's moments like that that brought me to the game as well. I think it's the anticipation of that because, you know, the skill that's like involved, especially like in a league like the Premier League or something like that---those are athletes, like true athletes, like what they do. I think it's quite incredible. It's just the precision of this movement of the ball just to have like the slightest chance of even getting it back in the net.
EMMA JASKANIEC: I think part of the thing that is so appealing about soccer is just the appreciation of the craft and the skill it takes to get those opportunities to score and to put the ball on the back of the net. And I think hopefully in this interview, people start to learn that it's more than just the scoring that makes soccer like the beautiful game.
And I think there's so many details that go unnoticed: the positioning of other players in the field that you might not even realize have such an effect on the game.
But I think to the people who don't understand soccer as deeply, anybody can know if a goalkeeper makes a crazy save. Like how did they do that? Or a defender makes this crazy side tackle or this forward takes somebody on and beats three defenders.
Like I think that is the beauty of soccer and scoring obviously is a part of that. But I think all the details that go into it is what makes soccer so amazing and so fun to watch.
GF: It's the drama.
EJ: The drama!
GF: Everybody who plays soccer is a drama queen, don't let them tell you different.
EJ: But I feel like it is just, you're watching a drama, I feel like when you're watching soccer.
I think because it is such a low scoring game, like you're always on the edge of your seat. Like is this going to happen? Like when is the goal going to come? And I think that that is also a really exciting part about it.
ELIZA BILLINGHAM: Can you guys talk about your positions and how they work with other positions on the field?
EJ: Going from like back to front, there's the goalkeeper and they're the only ones who can use their hands. And there's a box that they stand in and they often play with their feet, but their primary goal is stopping the shots from going in the goal.
Then there's defenders, which is the next three to four highest players. And their main responsibility is not letting the other team get shots off, crosses off and keeping the ball on the other half. So it's not by our goal.
Then there's midfielders and they're going to be anywhere from three to five midfielders. And sometimes they're central, sometimes they're wide. I would say primarily the most dominant formation right now is there's three midfielders in the middle of the field.
And they're responsible for more of the, you might hear this word like tiki-taka play, where they're like creating opportunities for their forwards. And they're getting the balls from their defenders to advance the ball up the field. And I would say they're the more technical players on the team. But obviously when you're at this level, everybody's amazing.
And then the next high sign, which is what Ginger is in, is the forwards. And there's two to three forwards. Normally there's one that stands in the center and typically they're a little bigger, stronger. And then the wingers are super fast and great 1v1 attackers.
But I guess everybody on the field is responsible for attacking and everybody is responsible for defending. So if you have the ball, the entire team is trying to score, but the responsibility lands on the forwards. And then if you're defending the ball, everybody's responsible for defending, but the main responsibility lands on the defenders.
And specifically for me, I'm a midfielder. Sometimes there's numbers given to them. And also I'm technically an 8, which is an attacking and defensive player on the field. So my role is to get up and down the field offensively and defensively.
EB: How are the ways that you can kind of identify these players on the field? Because sometimes it just seems like everyone just runs, but I don't really know how to watch.
GF: I think that's a really good point because something you learn as you grow up in the sport is that in a lot of games it can feel like there are no positions.
There's a lot of people replacing each other because people get pulled out of shape for different reasons. And so maybe your winger comes down and becomes like another 6, like another defensive midfielder. Or maybe your outside back is really high and playing like a winger.
And so I think that's kind of the beauty of it, like how players can move around the field and replace each other because no matter what, like some responsibility kind of has to be filled. And so if it's not, then it's on the entire team to make sure that it does get filled.
EJ: The higher up you go, and I'm sure this is for any sport, you need to be aware of all the positions, not just your own. And you might have a primary position. Like I might primarily be a midfielder who's like attacking and defensively like split 50-50. But there's going to be times when something crazy happens and I might get pushed up into the forward line.
And then now I need to know the roles and responsibilities of a forward player because now that is the role I'm taking for that time being.
EB: And sometimes when a goal is scored, I'm like, how did they do that? That person is magically in the right spot.
GF: I think the most exciting part for me in a situation like that is how did they even find their teammate? I think it takes an incredible amount of skill to play the perfect ball two feet or like in stride.
Or especially like if you're really tight in the box or something like that. Like you have to be incredibly precise or else your defender is really tight to you. So that could easily become a transition moment and you're running back to your own goal.
Like you might have a deep run coming that nobody even saw. And if you didn't see it, probably the defenders didn't see it either. And that's why they scored.
But I do think that is part of the excitement. Once you start to understand the sport, you realize that like that was the only perfect. Like that was the only option. And that was the only thing that could have happened like best case scenario.
EJ: I think a lot of people who don't know the sport can crack things up to be, oh, that person was just in the right place at the right time. But I think a lot of it, the right place, the right time is because they're so knowledgeable about the spaces and where their defenders are and where their attackers are and the abilities of their teammates to play certain balls and where they'll fall.
And so I think that is also some of the beauty and excitement of it. Especially I think for us watching it is like that person was in the right place at the right time. But it's because they're so knowledgeable in their sport and they're so amazing and intricate in what they're doing. And I think that's a super cool part of soccer.
EB: And you mentioned all soccer players are drama queens. And I mean that as a genderless statement.
GF: They are!
EB: Can you talk to me, are there like stereotypes for certain positions? What people are like?
GF: Certainly there are. I would say… [laughter]
EJ: I think forwards typically get [that] they’re primadonnas. I think midfielders can get [that] they’re workhorses because they go up and down the field.
And I think defenders are known for big tackles and strong, beastly people. But I think the forwards get the bad raps.
GF: Yeah, they totally do. Yeah, which is, I mean, like I get it. I do. It's like you want to score so bad. And so like you think that pretty much everyone's against you, like trying to defend you. And so like you're just trying to find literally any edge on your defenders just to get a better opportunity in any moment of the game. And like forwards get fouled a lot. So that's also like frustrating.
EJ: I think a big difference between men and women's soccer---and this is coming from outside people telling me this---is men are the biggest drama queens ever.
And you'll see them get fouled and start rolling in circles and doing somersaults. And as a soccer player, I think I have to agree with it because we get fouled and we bite our tongue and we stand up and we move on with the game. And I feel like that isn't true for everybody on the women's side.
But I feel like typically that's what I see. And for men, it's just like they're milking the injury in any way, shape or form. Even after the ref is called the whistle, they're still doing somersaults.
EB: Women don't flop.
EJ: Women don't flop. Women don't flop and I will stand by that.
EB: Back up for a second and talk to me about what constitutes a foul. I'm sure there are lots of different ones. But what are like the main fouls that get called?
GF: I think when someone's late to a tackle is probably the one that happens the most often. For example, if I get past the ball, I'm receiving it and then I release the ball very quickly. But there's a defender coming towards me and they miss their tackle because the ball's already been released. They're late. And so I'm on the ground basically at that point. But being late to tackle and not getting any of the ball, but getting pretty much all of the player is always going to be a foul.
EJ: When a player misses the ball and just hits the other person, that's a foul. A lot of times there will be like shoulder to shoulder contact. But if you go in like recklessly, that can be a foul where it's, I don't want to say too aggressive, but it's just not a legal play.
I think another big one that's going to come up is offsides, which is not a foul, but that's a lot of where stoppage of play comes from. And what offsides is, so there's the defenders. The attacker has to be in front of the last defender when the ball is released.
If the attacker is behind the last defender before the ball is released, then that is considered offsides. And then you'll see the side ref raise a flag and then the other team will get like a free possession or a free kick. And that's what happens with any foul.
The team that gets fouled or the team that the offsides gets called for, they get a free play on the ball. So the ball will get set down. No players on the other team can be within 10 yards and they get to pass it or kick it. You cannot dribble, so pass it or kick it.
EB: And that's called a free kick?
EJ: A free kick, yes.
EB: And that's when they spray paint on the ground and they put the ball there and someone stands there and...
EJ: Yes.
EB: Then what in the world is a corner kick?
GF: That's when the ball goes out on the opponent's end line. It has to go out on the opponent's end line, but it has to come off the opponent. So if there's a defender and there's an attacker and if the attacker tries to strike the ball but it hits the defender and goes out on the end line, that's a corner for the attacking team.
EB: And are corners good opportunities for a goal?
EJ and GF: Yes.
EB: Okay. because that's when someone kicks it from the corner. Both teams are standing in front of the goal and someone's basically trying to head it into the goal?
EJ: Basically head it or kick it. And why corners are such a good opportunity is if you're the attacking team and you're matched up with the defenders and your team is bigger or stronger than the other team, you're more likely to be more physical than them and get to the ball first.
And it's really hard for the goalkeeper because there's so many bodies in the box to try and get through them, and to punch the ball away or kick the ball away is really difficult. And I think there's a stat that's like 75% of goals are scored on set pieces. And a set piece also can be if a foul happened and it's right outside the goal, then they'll try and shoot it.
GF: Yeah, so technically all free kicks like fouls, offsides, corners. But a set piece is kind of something that the attacking team comes up with to try and trick, I guess, the defensive team so that they can get a better opportunity on goal like after the ball is played.
EB: Guys, thank you so much for these explanations. I know it's super basic, but it's really helpful if you're just getting into the game as someone who is just getting into the game. But other people might be getting interested because of the World Cup. So tell me before you go, do you care about the World Cup? Will you watch it? Are you watching any specific teams or players?
GF: I love watching the World Cup. It's literally my favorite thing in the entire world. I will watch every single game and I won't be on my phone or anything or see any of the results. I'll literally turn my notifications off because if I can't watch it for whatever reason, I'll rewatch it at home.
I'm excited that Norway is in the World Cup this year because we haven't seen Erling Haaland in a World Cup. And I'm pretty sure this is his first one. And so it'll be exciting to see him matched up with some other players---I think Norway plays France or something like that. And so Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are some of the best nines in the world right now. And so it seems like you hope it's a high scoring game just because you want to see them at work and everything.
But I feel like when I watch the World Cup, I'm thinking of those kind of matchups because you see all of your favorite players in completely different settings and you see them matched up with people you've never seen them matched up with before.
I mean, I'll be watching that game for sure. I'll be watching all of them. But I also really want to watch Morocco and Brazil because Morocco had this huge upset last World Cup in Brazil.
You just always have to watch Brazil. So that should be a fun, I think it's an opening match or maybe not.
EJ: Brazil is always just such a fun team to watch.
I highly recommend watching them. They are just so good on the ball like every single player and it's just such a high level game no matter who they're playing. So that's always exciting to watch.
But I myself am just such a USA die hard fan. I just remember when I was a kid watching them and having watch parties with all my teammates and just having the best time and screaming at the TV. And I also just think seeing all these players who might play on different club teams come together on one team is so exciting and fun to watch.
I just think soccer has gotten to a point where it's so high level and I think it's getting a lot more respect in the world. And so I'm just excited to see where the sport goes and see who wins and for it to be in the US. I think that's amazing.
The Zephyr play tonight at ONE Spokane Stadium as they vie for the last playoff spot in the Gainbridge Super League
Next week, we’ll have another Soccer Saturday edition—and if you like more of a video game view of the field, that one’s for you.
We’ll talk to Spokane’s pro soccer head coaches Nicole Lukic and Leigh Veidman about building strategies and plays—and they’ll give the rundown on must-know lingo.
