It’s been said that the hardest thing to do in soccer is score a goal, but try telling that to a professional forward being tasked with becoming a professional center back. In the modern game, forward-to-defense transitions are common, particularly in the women’s game. Wingers or wide forwards often get pushed into fullback roles, and we’ve even seen midfielders become central defenders. Center backs can also pop up at center forward from time to time. In fact, it’s a slice of woso football heritage that center back Millie Bright once shared a Golden Boot with Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.

Tara McKeown’s journey from scoring goals to stopping them is a path without many footprints that aren’t hers. As she embarked on this journey she was naturally as unsure as any forward would be. “It’s definitely more real and I’m playing games there, so I understand It’s real,” she said after having logged her first handful of starts at her new position. “Still kind of trying to get my head around it, like when people ask my position I’m like, ‘Oh, [pause] center back‘, but I’m definitely getting more used to it.”

She knew it would take lots of learning and unlearning, new and re- wiring but also says that translating some of her skills as a forward helped giver her a foundation. In particular, McKeown’s ability to anticipate crosses into the box and the spaces attackers are targeting has come in handy – just for the completely opposite purpose of stopping goals rather than scoring them.

“I just kind of know from being a forward that there’s only like two crosses your teammates will get on the end of the most,” McKeown explained. “Either it’s gonna be like a cutback cross or like trying to get it like straight across the goal, so positioning myself as best as I can to intercept that when it does happen to get crossed is what’s been helping me with like the clearances piece for sure.”

On the surface this approach almost sounds too simple. If it were that easy, forward to central defender might be a more well-trodden path. However, digging into the numbers, McKeown has the stats to back it up. According to StatsBomb, in 2023 she led all defenders – every single one in the NWSL! – in clearances per 90, with 6.02(!).

McKeown knew that if she were to accept this new role, she had to do so fully. Technically she was a forward playing center back, but couldn’t allow herself to think in that way. “I think my mindset definitely switched,” admitted McKeown, “like I know they want me to be a center back so I’m not going to like dwell after the game like ‘oh, this wouldn’t have happened if I was playing forward.’ So I’m just studying the film now and saying like ‘what can I do to better myself going forward as a center back?‘”

She has also talked about being surprised by the idea of the position switch, but being open to it. McKeown joked that quite a few forwards would probably think their coaches were crazy if they told them they were now center backs, and she’s not wrong; the idea sounds like the perfect practical joke to pull on day one of training.

However, no matter how open one is to such a switch, there’s still the reality that this was not a position she was familiar with. At the University of Southern California, McKeown never played in defense – why would she? Across four years she racked up 33 goals and 28 assists in 76 games played. After college she spent her first two seasons as a professional along the forward line. In her rookie season she scored once and dished three assists, and in her second year, as she further adjusted to the pro game, she scored three and assisted another in twelve appearances (11 starts).

There was no escaping the fact that this would be different. Very different. Extremely different. Not just the defending, but even in possession. “It’s definitely weirder seeing the whole field in front of you and trying to decipher which passes should go into midfield or bring back around,” McKeown explained. “That’s been something to adjust to also, and I feel like it starts with mindset, then from there just being able to be coachable and learn. That’s kind of how I’ve been able to adjust.”

Then she got more comfortable, and confidence grew with solid performances against some of the biggest names and most dangerous forwards in the NWSL. In fact, in just her sixth regular season start at center back she found herself facing USWNT star forward Alex Morgan.

“Definitely going against Alex Morgan was nerve racking in the beginning of the game, but once I like just settled down and realized, like, I’ve been playing back here for a few games, they believe in me so just like believe in yourself,” she said about the role confidence plays when out of your comfort zone and facing an incredible challenge. “I think that’s kind of what helped me throughout that game, and yeah, like the same thing against like Lynn Williams: I feel like I go into the game every time with a mindset of trying to just do my best and see how it goes.”

In the 1-1 draw against the future 2023 NWSL champions, NJ/NY Gotham FC, she blocked both of Williams’s shot attempts in the box and only allowed her one other shot, a .03xG chance from 25 yards. A couple weeks later she followed it up with an outrageous 3-2 game against Kansas City Current.

A mightily cruel deflection had the Spirit down 1-0 in the first minute, and Debinha’s penalty doubled their lead twenty minutes later. But the Spirit would mount a comeback, which was made possible by perfectly timed tackles by McKeown to rob both Debinha and Kristen Hamilton opportunities to tack on a third.

In the second half, the defense only allowed three shots to make their way to goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, with each being .08xG or lower – and McKeown scored the winning goal.

But other days it won’t go as well. Other days Sophia Smith is on the other side.

While Smith has a list of defenders she’s turned into victims that unfurls like an ancient scroll, she was particularly wicked on this day against the Spirit. She scored a hat trick in 48 minutes and Morgan Weaver tacked on another to give the Thorns multiple social media highlights and a 4-2 win.

“For myself, like giving up four goals, not what a center back wants to do, so I definitely think that was more of a learning game,” said McKeown said. “And just looking at that game, seeing what could be done better, especially going up against Soph [Smith], one of the best forwards in the league, and how she was able to get a hat trick.”

Critically, McKeown wasn’t discouraged. Instead, she applied her mindset to persevere with her new responsibility on the pitch. And perhaps in another instance of borrowing from her former life, she applied a striker’s optimism in trusting herself and the work she and the coaching staff were putting in. “I feel like going forward, just studying the film on [Smith] and what she was able to do to exploit us is what’s going to help us going forward.”

Though her second duel with Smith two months later was cut short by Smith picking up an injury just before halftime, in the first game she’d already scored – and set the internet on fire – twice before the half. In the rematch, Smith exited after taking just two shots, both of which were blocked (one by McKeown).

The forward turned center back finished the year with impressive defensive stats. According to StatsBomb, among all center backs to play at least 1500 minutes, McKeown tied for second in blocked shots and led in aerial duels won per 90. Perhaps even more impressively given the front-to-back transition, she was one of only nine center backs to not register an error (on ball mistake that leads to a shot).

Now, with a year of experience building a foundation as a defender against some of the best forwards in the world, McKeown has no problem saying that she’s a center back – well, kinda. “People ask me what my position is now and I say ‘center back‘,” she said confidently, before adding a dash of sheepishness. “Maybe still reluctantly a little bit, but I’m definitely more used to it and enjoy being back there.”