Gone is the shoddy and unrelenting emphasis on sprint speed and acceleration – a combination of strength, ball control and vision is the new elixir for any budding participant. No more sticking Theo Walcott up front and hoping for the best, as FIFA 14 is reliant on close control and a pass-and-move structure that is far more reminiscent of real-life football. The physical side of the beautiful game is conveyed extremely well here.

 

Given the improvements made to animations in FIFA 14, it’s slightly disappointing that the overall graphics haven’t been improved, though. On the pitch of FIFA 14, it looks like it has for the last few years, and it’s on the verge of becoming stale. That said, the overall presentation continues to improve. The pre-match build up is impeccably directed, doing a great job of imitating the the spectacle and glitz that’s synonymous with modern sports broadcasting.

 

For starters of FIFA 14, a never-ending high-pressure tactic will gradually begin to destroy the shape of your team as players charge around until they end up out of position, leaving big spaces in dangerous areas. A good opponent will quickly spot that you’re playing with a pressing tactic, and will simply play the ball around your chasers while waiting for one of these gaps to open up. Once they advance into that space then stopping their attack is so much more difficult, because you’ll most likely need to move another defender out of position to halt the advance - leaving a gap somewhere else.

 

Use both contain and secondary contain to prevent dangerous attacks in FIFA 14 and hold up play. Make sure to use the A button sparingly when containing to make sure players do not get pulled out of position and lose their shape. It is wise to also avoid containing with your center backs as this will leave large gaps in your defense for your opponent to exploit. Secondary contain is effective as it cuts down options for attackers. Rather than having two players rush an attacker, apply pressure with your containing player by holding RB and use the selected player to cover the channels or a passing option. What to do when ball is stuck in my box. The only solution is to send the ball far away. When your opponent is having the ball control in your crowded penalty area and you cannot take the control back, you better just send the ball once you touched it either far away or just out of the pitch by shooting the ball. Even giving a corner kick to your opponent could help this situation. In a situation like this, don’t switch between players a lot, don’t send the goalie off the line. Your other defenders try to put strikers in a offside trap automatically, switching between them might break the trap. 

 

One really important aspect to play FIFA successfully is being able to second-guess your opponent's moves. Don't just look at what he's doing right now; keep an eye out for what he might do or will do next. For example, if you see the player running on the halfway line toward the touchline and you've got the feeling he's going to double back, don't run with him but instead run toward his path and if you anticipated correctly, you'll take the ball from him in the forward move and the counterattack can begin.

 

Shooting has noticeably changed in FIFA 14, meaning that there are now different ways in which to score. Players now have a chance of scoring from unusual angles, particularly those which used to require turning to face directly at goal and often result in being intercepted. If not directly in front of goal but facing the byline, aim towards the far post and your attacker will attempt to use his momentum and the enhanced ball physics to finish, all without the risk of the shot being blocked. Similarly, if your player is moving away from goal but has the ball come across him to his strong foot, then he will attempt to wrap his foot around the ball which often means the shot may swerve back into the far post.