Network Issues

Doesn’t sound like a network issue—what you’re describing isn’t something that would be affected by latency. It’s more likely down to your settings, formation, playstyle, or possibly even a bug or logic flaw.

Personally, I stick to an attacking setup—players press harder and fight for the ball more, alternatively neutral (sometimes asking for a 2nd player). The "Defend" option has never worked for me. It just turns the team into a complacent and ineffective bus parking, and I used to concede more goals using it than without, so I dropped it entirely.