You defend by cutting of the line of the offender. This forces them one way and makes them have a decision on where to play the ball. This creates stress and they would play the ball to one of your teammates. Don’t stab at the ball, this means they can outrun you and have a shot at goal. This is bad, so stand slanted, with the line cut off, and stand your ground. This allows your teammates to get back and assist you with the attack on the defender.

“soccer football” by SVG Silh is licensed under a   (CC0 1.0) public domain and is free for reuse.