Over the course of the years, my FIFA skill level has evolved drastically. I began playing as a complete noob who had absolutely no idea how to shoot effectively or even pass the ball without getting it stolen. It also didn’t help that I knew very little about the game of soccer and even teams as popular as Real Madrid and Barcelona had players I didn’t recognize, including the current greats Ronaldo and Messi.
Yet slowly but surely my knowledge of the beautiful game quickly grew and with it so did my FIFA skills. That isn’t to say that I’m one of the best players in the world, but I can say with great confidence that I win a good 95% percent of my matches online. The following are a collection of tips that have helped me step-up my game and I’m hoping that they can do the same for you.
5) Play Calmly
After I had developed my skills into an “okay player,” I knew that there were still plenty of areas where I could improve. I decided to take to the net and see what fellow players were saying about improving your game. The most common trend I discovered was that there were a lot of players who were losing simply due to frustration and uneasiness. Remember, you are playing FIFA which is more like a chess game as a opposed to a more fast paced game such as Call of Duty. When the opposing team scores on you in the first ten minutes, rather than get discouraged keep a cool head and stick with your game plan. It’s important to keep calm even when your opponent is doing “that one taunt” that gets under your skin. Play calmly and stick with your game plan. If you’re holding the controller with a rugged grip and are constantly jamming the buttons to oblivion, you are doing it wrong.
4) Play With A Mediocre Team
As I mentioned previously, when I first began playing FIFA I knew very little about soccer. Feeling a little American pride after the World Cup, I chose to support and select an MLS club when I would play online. Unfortunately for me, the MLS clubs were weak in comparison to other teams based off Spain or Europe. Let’s just say the beatings online were monumental and staggering and my team would come off defeats that equated to losing by three goals or more. Eventually it got to the point where I began to select teams with five stars just so I could win a couple of matches. It wasn’t long until I was the one taking names and beating others. What I discovered though was that by playing slowly with a mediocre team, it helped me become a better player with the better teams. When you are using a mediocre team you are forced to slow down your game. You forward isn’t going to outrun your opponent’s defense so you have think about where your next move will be, whether that’s a pass or a shot at goal. Your defensive players in the same way aren’t going to outrun your opponents forwards so you have to be aware of the gambles you make and learn to develop good predictions of what your opponent will do next. I can assure you that there will be countless losses in your record but this will ultimately make you a better player in the long run.
3) Don’t Be Flashy (Unless You Know How)
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve encountered players that think that just because they can juggle the ball, do a couple spin-moves, or even strike from midfield, they feel as though they are the best players in the world. Whereas you get points for being flashy in FIFA Street (at least I think so) you don’t get any in the yearly editions. There are a lot of players that act flashy in the game but in no way does it improve their skill. Equally, there are players that use their flashiness effectively by getting around the defense or making the right pass. The point is, you don’t have to be flashy to win in FIFA. The game is more of a mental game as opposed to unleashing the right move. In contrast, if you are already an intermediate player, consider learning a couple of the flashy moves to aid you in improving. That isn’t to say use all of them but just use the ones that fit you best. There’s nothing more embarrassing than someone trying to be flashy and losing by seven goals.
2) Pass, Pass, Pass
I cannot stress the importance of passing enough. The best players in the online world and even the best teams in the real world are some of the best passers. Passing however, is better implemented when it isn’t solely focused on attacking. For example, let’s say that your opponent has a solid defense that you just can’t seem to outrun or get past. A weak passer would only pass the ball toward the goal in hopes of breaking through. On the other hand, a strong passer will *always find the open man” and carve a new opening towards goal. This of course includes passing the ball backwards as well as forward. Instead of trying to go directly through an opponent’s defensive wall, consider going around the court, finding the open man, or passing the ball backwards. The main takeaway is that passing is crucial if you want to improve your skills and you should do it consistently and often.
1) Remember, It’s A Game
When it comes down to it, FIFA is still a beloved video game. As we have learned from even the best sports-sim games, they can never replicate real teams or players as effectively as they’d like. This comes to play in FIFA mainly when your opponent “just appears” as though they can beat you. If they have a custom team of “Atk. 99 Mid.99 Def.99,” or if Ronaldo and Messi are on the same team, or even if they are using a two level star team, it is never a good idea to underestimate or overestimate your opponent. Regardless of what you face, play a skillful intelligent game without fear. Personally, I’ve lost to very low level teams a number of times assuming that they would be easy pickings. I’ve also embarrassingly crushed opposition that would normally seem impossible to beat in real life. In the end, FIFA is a video game just like The Legend of Zelda, Uncharted, and Final Fantasy. As we have all learned, when it comes to games anything could happen.
Bonus: Know Your Players
When selecting your team, it is important to know each of player’s strengths and weaknesses. I first uncovered this tip when I began choosing Real Madrid as my team. Granted, I had only heard Real Madrid was a good team but I knew next to nothing about the players. This became a problem when substitutions came into play since I couldn’t figure out which players to use as forwards or midfields. Ronaldo is a great example since he can be effective as a forward and as a midfielder, but again,with a lack of experience in soccer knowledge I always assumed he was a forward. The best way in my opinion to know your players would be to simply watch a little more soccer every now and then with the team that you normally play as. That way you can see how the real life players are used and how you can implement them yourselves on your virtual squad.
FIFA is what I would call a thinking man’s game. For the most part, it’s a game where you’re better of making the smart choice instead of the fast one. With this in mind, try some of these tips to help you improve and see which ones work with your style of play. Remember that just like with anything else, practice makes perfect.
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