The central area of a sports field (especially in soccer/football) where the middle players position themselves and control the game.
Compound of 'mid-' (from Old English 'mid' meaning middle) and 'field' (Old English 'feld'). Became standard in soccer terminology in the 20th century.
In soccer, controlling the midfield is controlling the entire game—it's like holding the center in a chess match, because everything flows through the middle of the field!
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