Pacey players can be lethal in FIFA Ultimate Team. Using counter attacks to breeze past your last line of defence and slot past the keeper can be really disheartening. Sportra has faced many fast line-ups, and has come up with a few tips to help you deal with those lightning fast players and keep them at bay.
We’ll break down what positions you’ll need to strengthen, what tactics and mentalities you’ll need to use, and most importantly, how to get the win.
Fast full-backs
The first thing you’ll need are two very fast full backs. There are very few quick centre backs in Ultimate Team, and even the quickest tend to be slower than most pacey wingers and forwards due to their size, this is why your right and left backs are so important. Your full backs will be needed to ‘tuck round’ your CBs and provide cover for passes over the top, or when an attacker goes on a lung-bursting run. Players like Kyle Walker, Gael Clichy and João Pereira are the types you need. Defenders with a pace of at least 80, ideally over 85, are what you need on the flanks. FIFA Ultimate Team 14 coins
Whether your opponent looks to exploit pace on the wings or through the middle, the RB/LB combo will cover all areas of the back four, which is why having good chemistry across the defence is so important. Making sure the defence is well positioned to snuff out any through balls will give you the best chance of staying in the game and grabbing the win.
Balance you Midfield
Depending on your formation (4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 is recommended), a balance of central midfielders who have the pace and strength to snuff out any counter attacks is so important if you want to take points from fast teams. If you opt for two central midfielders, having one strong and one fast player is always helpful, as it gives you two different ways to win possession. A Fellaini/Fernandinho-style pairing is perfect. Fellaini is one of the most overpowered players in Ultimate Team, and Fernandinho is a very quick player who can also help out defensively.
Even with two holding players, one will tend to press forward in attacks more than the other. Make sure your best defensive player is the one who stays back with the defenders.
Mentality and Tactics
The kind of tactics you need to employ require a deep defensive line but allow you to get forward quickly once you regain possession. Counter-attack and possession work well, while offside trap can be pretty risky, especially as lofted through balls are too effective in ’14.
Counter attacking allows you to soak up attacking pressure with your midfield and defence behind the ball, leaving little space for the quick-men to exploit. It also allows you to take advantage of an opponent’s over-commitment, hitting them with a counter-attack of your own.
Continue to change your tactics according to the flow of the game. If you’re enjoying a spell of dominance, change to a more attacking mindset and look to get a couple of goals.
Control a defender off the ball
If your opponent has a tendency to look for the through ball over the top, then control one of your centre backs and not the defender closest to the ball. Hold RB/R1 to have the AI press the man on the ball, leaving you free to deal with the movement of forwards.
Make sure that when you track runs you don’t drop too deep and break your defensive line. If you drop deeper than the rest of the defence, you play their entire attack onside and make it easy for more passes to be made and exploit the space. Controlling a defender means you’ll be prepared for the pass, and the default auto-switch won’t leave you standing lifeless as the game hands you control of a different player, giving the forward a five-yard advantage and, more often than not, a free shot at the ‘keeper.
This is a pretty cheap tactic, but it can really help you slow down rushing forwards: holding both triggers and positioning yourself in front of an opponent’s run can ‘block’ them, sometimes causing them to fall over.
If the attacker beats the AI, hit the right stick to switch to the next defender he will approach. Your priority should switch to the ball carrier, as your opponent will be somebody who likes to use skill moves frequently and will try to dazzle his way to goal. Just hold A/X and the left stick to stay close to him until he does one trick too many, before pressing B/Circle to steal the ball (this is based on the Tactical Defending settings).
Don’t rush the goalkeeper
Some goalkeepers have a tendency to rush from their goal-line without any input whatsoever (Lloris being one of the worst offenders), but as much as you can help it, keep your goalkeeper in goal until the last possible second. Rushing out when an attacker is one-on-one leaves you very susceptible to a lob, which is a gift to fast players in FIFA 14, especially when they attack from one of the wings and have much more of the goal to aim at.
Ideally, try and wait until the striker takes a heavy touch into the 18-yard box, giving you a greater chance of making it to the ball first. If your goalkeeper is slow, then you may not get there first, but you at least give him less room to aim for, and the lob is much more difficult from this distance.
Rushing out is a better option if the forward is running straight down the middle, rather than from the wings. This is because the lob is more difficult from the centre, because there is a smaller angle, as in real world football.
Have a target man
Having at least one player you can give the ball to and slow down play, giving you time in possession and get all of your players back into position will help quell any offensive pressure from the other team. Using the movement modifiers (the triggers and bumpers) will help shield the ball and give you more time. Don’t be afraid to clear the ball to the half way line instead of playing out of trouble at times, especially if your forward is very strong.
