Match making

Hi e1fnmpfdv92b​ 

It’s not your controller, and it’s probably not your skill either. Let me guess — the first few weeks everything felt fine, right? That was the honeymoon period. And it's not only the match making that is designed to make you suffer it is the gameplay itself.

Now ask yourself:

• Do your players suddenly feel heavy and unresponsive?
• Do opponents seem much faster and sharper than your team?
• Does your AI feel completely switched off both defensively and offensively?
• Are your attackers no longer making runs?
• Are defenders no longer tracking properly?
• And how does tackling compare to those first few weeks?

Because a huge number of players describe exactly the same experience.

It has also already been confirmed on these forums that even if you are in Division 3 or 4, you can still get matched against Division 1 players. As for Champs, I honestly think a lot of people stopped playing because they went through the same experience you are describing now. And yes you can defiantly be matched against few demons but for me most of the time is the gameplay itself that suddenly changed to unplayable.

Personally, I don’t think this game consistently rewards improving your own skill level, because the AI can overpower or undermine human input whenever it wants. Some matches your team moves perfectly, other matches it feels like you are fighting both the opponent and your own AI.

Also, what buttons are you using to defend? Describe your defending style and I’ll tell you which mechanics are currently overpowered and which ones are basically useless.

Somehow, after 3 decades of technological advancement, EA managed to make their game much worse than it was when we would buy it on a disc and played it as is. Go figure.

SpartanLogan23​ 

Thank you for the reply. Honestly, this sounds very close to the truth. Everything you said is accurate and matches my experience perfectly.

I defend progressively. In midfield on the opponent’s side I usually control my CAM or LM/RM. When the opponent gets closer, I switch to my CMs and defend with jockeying without overcommitting. If I get beaten or concede space, then I switch to my back line and only step in when I’m confident I can win the ball.

When the opponent starts left-stick dribbling around the edge of the box, I turn on AI press.

Hi 

Sounds like you’re already doing most things right. A few extra things I would suggest:

1. Use the offside trap occasionally. On the D-pad press up twice — this pushes your whole team forward. And this tactic is not only very good to get you opponent offside. Also, it’s very useful when opponents keep passing backwards because it helps close the space quickly. Just don’t abuse it, because it’s risky and can leave you exposed if timed badly. When used correctly though, it can give you a huge advantage. It’s also very effective against kick-off goals, so definitely try it. 
2. Team Press is another strong one (D-pad up + left). The downside is that it drains stamina very quickly, so again, don’t overuse it.
3. Another defensive mechanic is double tapping and hold R1. This makes 3rd defender commit to pressing and covering runs. Timing is extremely important with this one though, because if you trigger it at the wrong moment, you can open massive spaces for your opponent to exploit.
4. And lastly, use X instead of Square to win the ball back (this year the football tackling has been massively nerfed or it's actually broken). Honestly, X tackling is by far the strongest tackling mechanic in the game right now. If your defenders also have the Bruiser playstyle, it becomes even more overpowered.

easy one this, you win when EA says and you lose when EA says. 👊 no problem.

Your first reply I went through your checklist and yes I experience all of those issues, I’m definitely going to apply some of these tips so thank you !

I wanted to ask, is it normal that when I hold X to press the attacker, my defender starts jockeying backwards as soon as he gets close enough to tackle, like he forgot he left his oven on the moment before challenging and tracks back?