Choosing the right team and formation on the field | Tactics FIFA 14 Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

Choosing the team

You can set the basic team which will appear on the field at the start of the match and also the ones that will wait in line on the bench, ready to change the ones which don't fulfill your expectations on the field or fit your strategy during the marc. Of course the main factors deciding whether or not a given player is usable is whether he's suitable for a given position and his stats. You can't forget about other factors that decide who is best for a given role - stoppers should have good strength and jumping, with wingers sprint speed and agility are important, while a good attacker should have great acceleration and reactions.

When choosing the reserve bench, remember about taking players of each type, including a spare goalkeeper - you need to ensure yourself a wide choice and flexibility. You should also consider taking young players to the game, even if their role eventually limits to the reserve bench. It gives them a chance of earning experience which will help in their development.

Formations

The choice of a formation depends on multiple factors, but mostly on your staff, strength of the enemy and the score which you plan on achieving in a given game.

Focusing on defence is not only about setting as many defenders as possible, but also - or even mostly - effectively using defensive midfielders which will help you in controlling the middle of the field and at the same time strengthen the line of defence when needed. The best options here would be 3-5-2, 4-5-1, 5-4-1 and 4-2-3-1.

Focusing on offence is mostly about using the flanks and good cooperation between midfielders and attackers. Above all, you should adjust your offensive tactic to the defensive potential of the enemy and the number of attackers ready to play at your disposal. The best offensive formations would be 4-4-2 (diamond), 3-4-3, 4-2-4 and 4-2-1-3.