We8 Where Is My Defense?

[wshin]

hi everyone!

defending against the computer in WE8 is quite simple enough. just do all the "right" things!

HOWEVER, when im playing against my friend, some of his movements are so unconventional and unpredicted that my defenders are so helpless, and specially near the box, they all just seem to have forgotten how to play defense.

i would say that i was a pretty darn good defense player in WE7... however, in WE8 it seems that i need to change my fundamentals...

so what i want to ask is,

do you guys play alot of 2 player matches?
if so, how are you able to effectively defend each other?
how are you able to not dish out needlessly dumb opportunities to your opponet by your dumb defense?

any strategies, word of advice, profound new outlook on defense play will be appreciated.

thanks

 

[Man.Utd Maniac]

Sorry haven't played a 2-player game yet...

 

[cheekee]

The defence is very dodgey in theis game. They seem to wander around and are never in position but i cant fix them

 

[bonk]

agree

the defense AI in WE8 is pretty low. they haven`t been better in WE7 either, but at least their response time was far shorter than in WE8. means, that if you knew the defender AI would idiotically dodge away from a ball instead of rationally intercepting it you could take control of him quickly and prevent the damage. in WE8 the defenders tend to have even more spastic movements for you to fight with. anyway...
i tried some stuff and so far the best thing that works for my defenders is that i assign my 4men defense line and the 2 (sometimes one) midfielders before them to covering (not zone pressing and not man marking). my defense system is line. additionally i have a look at my opponent`s best attacking players and in some cases assign 1 or 2 defenders with personal man marking. oh, and i work with offside traps a lot. else your defense line is just too stupid to arrange themselves. of course you`d better have defenders with man mark, defense line and sliding abillities (star). use the pressing (2on1, 3on1) situations good. that`s a tactic you really have to get used to. sounds like an improvement but actually its tempting use is pretty fatal. you summon you people like 3 on 1 and the comp very often finds the resulting free spaces. i`m also starting to use tactical fouls. like at counterattacks or when i see that my defense line is about to break apart with huge gaps for the strikers to run into. very often you don`t get booked and if so, then it`s most likely worth it (and like in a real match). another permanent function are the supercancels.

 

[wshin]

hmm ic, my problem is that i guess i have a big head...

what happends is, when im playing my friend, he actually lets the computer defend me... which works out ok, as in not giving away stupid chances that should never be allowed... however i always insist on controlling my defenders myself... and i do rather lousy... i think the beauty of WE is that it is alot of fun playing 2 player games, and it gets very competitive... but before that i think i need to seriously improve my defense....

 

[Cyrax]

hmm ic, my problem is that i guess i have a big head...

what happends is, when im playing my friend, he actually lets the computer defend me... which works out ok, as in not giving away stupid chances that should never be allowed... however i always insist on controlling my defenders myself... and i do rather lousy... i think the beauty of WE is that it is alot of fun playing 2 player games, and it gets very competitive... but before that i think i need to seriously improve my defense....

I know what you mean. In PES3 I almost never lost a match (maybe 5 matches total) to a mate. But in the beginning in WE8 I lost more matches than I ever did in PES3. And it was because I was playing the game as if it was PES3. I really had to dislearn most of the things I did in PES3 to get better in the game, especially against a mate. Changed formation, tactics and finally knew how to defend better. In PES3 I always used square if I was not in possesion of the ball to pressure my opponent. But it doesn't work as well anymore at least not everytime. It's dangerous now, because it is not as easy to catch-up the attacker when he has passed you. So using square makes the closest (not controlled by you) player go for the ball, but that also creates space for the opponent. It's pretty difficult.

 

[Nturtle]

LOL....yeah..way too many through passes make it through to the computer player these days on WE8. But then again..it is easier for ME to do that to them as well!!!

I think it just takes some time to sort out defensively..it'll be a good idea to assign some man marking...maybe it'll work better in WE8...I'll give that a go!!

 

[wshin]

yeah definitely i was almost a GOD in WE6 and WE7...

i took a pretty hard blow in WE8, because all my friends has just as a good chance at the game...

i really REALLY think that all the playing time from previous WE6 and WE7 just distracted me and left me with pretty bad habits for playing WE8...

but i guess we all have to move on... its a new challenge and i LOVE IT...

WE8 definitely is now the BEST soccer game in the universe!

gotta work on my D... ...


please give me more pointers people!

 

[Han]

I am a pretty good defender, even in WE8. I think you can defend well without being forced to change your formation.
The two things I do to defend well are:
1. Make my players selection at semi-auto (so halfway to auto-select-off and auto-select-full).
2. Organizing my defense: As soon as my opponent crosses the middle-line I start selecting players who are out of position, moving tham back to their position (still not tackling the attacker). You should do this fast of course, and if more players are out of position, just take those who are close to the ball first. Now my defense is pretty tight from halfway my half until my goal. This is the time to tackle the attacker!
I never follow an attacker with one defender from left to right. He than will be out of position, leaving holes in defense. I switch from defender depending in which zone the attacker is.

This is my way of defending; is it close to yours?

 

[MattShez]

I sure hope PES4 comes online, coz id love 2 try and crack that defence! Sounds good, but i dont have the new games yet and PES3 is too easy to be messing about with anymore!

 

[wshin]

I am a pretty good defender, even in WE8. I think you can defend well without being forced to change your formation.
The two things I do to defend well are:
1. Make my players selection at semi-auto (so halfway to auto-select-off and auto-select-full).
2. Organizing my defense: As soon as my opponent crosses the middle-line I start selecting players who are out of position, moving tham back to their position (still not tackling the attacker). You should do this fast of course, and if more players are out of position, just take those who are close to the ball first. Now my defense is pretty tight from halfway my half until my goal. This is the time to tackle the attacker!
I never follow an attacker with one defender from left to right. He than will be out of position, leaving holes in defense. I switch from defender depending in which zone the attacker is.

This is my way of defending; is it close to yours?

that sounds pretty good...

but my problem comes in when opponet is close to the box... i mean not even a fast break away situation but a slow and simple attack and my defense is all here in our half...

maybe im crazy but, do you ever experience your defenders constantly being terribly out of position specially when the opponet is close to the box... for instance opponet's side MidFielders are passing on the group into the box? i have experienced over and over again playing my friend that my defenders were not only out of position and let the pass through, they dont even move towards the expected area of the ball when the pass is coming in!!! and sometime they even move AWAY from the ball!!!!

this was so utterly frustrating, it happended over and over again...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

o well....

im gonna go figure this out....

 

[cosmicbutthairs]

Get your finger off of :R1: :square: :x:
Seriously, use these buttons when necessary.

The :R1:+:x: isn't good because you're too slow. You should run into position first and then let go of the :R1: and hold down :R2: to strafe and defend the wings.

:square: should only be used when you're back in numbers and when you have a free midfielder or foward. If you're left with a CB then its a nono as their midfielders will join the attack and burn you alive.

lastly the :circle: get this timing right. Its not different from WE7 and will sometimes produce a lucky bounce springing a foward free.

Oh yeah, a good defence is a good offence. Keep the ball as long as possible. Use the map, and don't hesitate to pass back even on a counter attack.

 

[Old_Blk.]

***1. Make my players selection at semi-auto (so halfway to auto-select-off and auto-select-full).***

How do u do this?

 

[Han]

***1. Make my players selection at semi-auto (so halfway to auto-select-off and auto-select-full).***

How do u do this?

That is at the same page where you select yourself as player and if you play home or away. At that screen you can change this using the shoulder-buttons. Just look at the right top of that screen.

 

[Han]

maybe im crazy but, do you ever experience your defenders constantly being terribly out of position specially when the opponet is close to the box... for instance opponet's side MidFielders are passing on the group into the box? i have experienced over and over again playing my friend that my defenders were not only out of position and let the pass through, they dont even move towards the expected area of the ball when the pass is coming in!!! and sometime they even move AWAY from the ball!!!!
im gonna go figure this out....

Yes, try to figure this way of defending out, I think you can solve most of your defensive problems I think you need to get used to it and you may make wrong decisions moving players back in position. I too choosed the wrong players when I began with this method, but you will learn