EA Sports FC 24 has been available for almost a month. Despite the new name, gameplay is nearly identical to previous iterations. Aside from some tweaks to HyperMotion V technology, the art of shooting and passing is hard to master, but the art of defense is even harder.
Knowing when to slide tackle or how not to get caught by a counter-attack is one of the biggest puzzles in the game. But with these six simple steps, you’ll be able to master the best techniques for defense and earn more EA Sports FC coins in no time.
Whether you play Ultimate Team, Career Mode or Clubs, understanding the keys to defending against attacks will help you win the game. This will improve your gaming experience.
While high-pressure, attacking skill-filled play may be the icing on the cake, it’s often only resolute defense that pays off.
-
Custom Tactics
The first form of defense occurs before the game begins. Custom tactics can be confusing to some, and while it may seem easy, they can make your work in a match more coordinated. The options for customizing tactics are diverse and you can do anything from a “balanced” defensive style to “constant pressure” and “drop back”.
Using constant pressure makes your defense less safe but more likely to win the ball higher up the field. It’s a risk-versus-reward scenario that turns out to be rewarding.
However, it drains the player’s stamina, making it only useful for short periods of time. This also means you’ll need to invest more EA FC 24 Coins in a player’s stamina to boost their overall stats.
During this time, the “drop back” tactic was considered too defensive unless you were holding a slim 1-0 lead down the stretch.
Everyone will have different tactical preferences, but these defensive strategies may be helpful in your custom tactics.
First, maintaining a “balanced” defensive style gives you security at the back and options for possession of the ball on the pitch. Meanwhile, combining the defensive width of 40 with the depth of 50, you can win the ball higher up the pitch and force opponents out wide.
Finally, and this may seem obvious, keep your full-backs and centre-backs behind during attack to provide security. In addition, at least two midfielders implement the tactics of “cover center” and “stay back while attacking”. This way, you have a balanced team that can improve your defense before they even kicked the ball.
We typically use these tactics in a “4-2-3-1”, “4-3-2-1” or “4-3-3” formation, all of which provide balance throughout the pitch. Everyone has their favorite, but using a back three in the backfield just makes your defensive job that much harder.
-
Patience With Your Defenders
One important thing you need to be perfect in defense on the court is patience. It can feel tempting to rush out with a strong centre-back and try to win the ball immediately, but the vast majority of the time, this doesn’t work. In the meantime, this approach always provides greater stability.
When losing possession, don’t control your centre-back when defending. Because they are more likely to stay in the sweet spot. Instead, control your wide central midfielders, who can then press and drop back as you see fit. This helps keep the defense stable and rigid, making it harder for your team to collapse and score.
This may mean your midfielders’ stamina drops quickly, but quick substitutions in the last minutes will help restore energy to the midfield.
You can take this further by asking your forwards to drop deep when defending. Therefore, stamina and movement speed are important factors to consider before you spend FUT 24 coins for sale on players.
If you start counter-attacking quickly, your options may be limited. But if you’re facing a challenging opponent, it may be worth it.
This tactic can be difficult to master, especially if you want to defend aggressively with your centre-backs. But it will only improve your defensive skills in the long run.
-
Jockeying
If used correctly, Jockeying button can be one of the most powerful tools when defending in EA FC 24. You simply hold down LT or L2 on a standard Xbox or PlayStation controller to activate.
It allows you to position players into your opponent’s position, making it harder for them to break through. It reduces reliance on traditional tackling methods, thereby reducing the risk of unnecessary fouls.
When positioning close to a defender, it is best to provide a small area of space for the opponent. This way, you can quickly react to their moves without committing a foul. Meanwhile, doing so may cause your opponents to become impatient, which often leads to their own mistakes.
If given the opportunity, you can use Jockeying with Manual Defending. When using this button, you can combine it with a Sprint button to press your opponent and win the ball.
However, like high press, this is a high risk versus high reward situation. Combining the Sprint button with Jockeying will reduce your player’s agility. So a dynamic dribbler can quickly get past your defender.
Plus, just like the other parts, jockeying is a difficult skill to master. But if you buy FC 24 Coins in advance and combine these plays, it can be one of the best tactics.
-
Avoid Last Resort Slide Tackles
It can be tempting to make a tackle with one of your defenders. In previous iterations of EA, the satisfaction of stopping an attack with aggressive blocking was one of the more rewarding things. But unfortunately, it rarely works.
Often, this results in a yellow card or a missed tackle, and the attacker’s scoring chances only increase. That’s why taking Slide Tackles only at the last possible chance is the best way to play EA FC 24.
As mentioned earlier, Jockeying and Standing Tackles are more effective. This reduces the chances of you being exposed even if you fail. Maintaining a tight and consistent defense is the best way to play EA FC 24. Even though it might not be as flashy and fun as the radical Slide Tackles.
Slide Tackles are effective in certain situations. If an opposing player is one-on-one with your goalkeeper, it’s worth making a tackle, even if it results in a red card.
-
Dropping Off For Counter Attacks
Similar to the need for patience before, counter-attack may be one of the most difficult attack modes to defend against. When you’re trying to extend your lead in the final third, the next moment you have to defend Mbappe and Erling Haaland coming at you. They are difficult to deal with, but retreating with your defenders is the best solution for them.
Instead of pushing your attacking centre-backs up the pitch, keep them in the middle and drop back when the counter-attack begins. As a result, you’re less likely to go one-on-one with an attacker, and you’re also less likely to rush into any reckless challenges.
Sometimes this can seem counter-intuitive, especially when it gives so much space to an oncoming attacker, making them question their decisions and delay their attack. Giving yourself more options when defending is key to outsmarting your opponent, especially in the most intense moments of Ultimate Team.
-
Player Switching
Last but not least, player switching is the key to being a successful defender in EA FC 24. Most people will understand the basics of player switching, but doing it as smoothly and quickly as possible can be the difference between conceding a goal or not.
The traditional way to switch players is to use LB on Xbox or L1 on PlayStation. This switches to the player with the little white arrow above their head, usually the player closest to the ball. However, this may be unreliable and not as efficient.
Therefore, being able to master the correct use of the joystick can make defensive decisions much easier. When using the correct joystick, you can quickly switch to any nearby player, giving you greater control over your defensive actions. Not only that, but it’s smoother and faster, allowing you to switch to a fellow defender in the heat of the moment without worry.
Overall, defending in EA FC 24 can be a challenge for everyone, especially when one adapts to the gameplay. But mastering these six tips will keep you in good shape and win more games over the next few months!