Tyler Polanski believes there is a myth about soccer’s center midfielders.

In his eyes, many people think the position is primarily an offensive position, but the Riverside Brookfield junior begs to differ. Center midfielders can focus just as much on defense as on offense, if not more.

Take Polanski, for example. The RB junior is in his third year playing center mid for the Bulldogs, who feature two center midfielders in their lineup. Polanski focuses more on the defensive part of the game, while his counterpart, senior Ismael Romo, is more offensive oriented.

“We play good together in that sense,” Polanski said.

While he may be more of a defensive midfielder, Polanski still loves the ball at his feet, a frequent occurrence in the middle of the field. Being in the center of the action is what has pushed him to be a center midfielder the past eight or nine years.

“My favorite part is being able to control the game and being a big influence on the team,” Polanski said.

“(The center midfield) is where the play starts, and how the play gets its strength.”

RB coach Danny Makaric likes Polanski’s vision and ability to distribute the ball, but it his defensive talent Makaric likes most.

That is why the RB coach frequently has Polanski marking the other team’s best player.

And so far, the year has gone quite well for Polanski and the Bulldogs, who are 10-2 (7-1 Metro Suburban) and have already wrapped up at least a share of the conference title.

“(Because of) the team chemistry and the overall skill level of the team,” Polanski said, “this has been by far my best year out of the three years on varsity.”