So yesterday I was getting absolutely wrecked in FIFA 24 Ultimate Team. Like, seriously. My defense was Swiss cheese and my attacks kept fizzling out faster than a cheap firework. Felt like my thumbs had forgotten how to work. Needed to step up my game, pronto. Started digging around for some advanced tricks, not the basic crap everyone knows.
Getting My Ass Kicked
Jumped straight into a Rivals match after work. Opponent scored two quick goals doing some fancy passing move I couldn’t defend. Tried to ping a cross into my striker – keeper caught it like it was nothing. Got absolutely demolished 5-0. Felt proper rubbish. Decided right then I needed better tools than just sprinting and hoping.
Grinding Those Quick Tricks
Hopped into the Arena to actually practice stuff properly this time, instead of just jumping into another match like a numpty. Found seven tricks people swore by:
- Driven Lob Passes: Hold L1/LB + R1/RB while using Lob pass (Triangle/Y). Took ages to get the timing right. First few attempts sailed into the stands. Kept trying until I could actually land it near a teammate.
- Controlled Sprint: Hold R1/RB while sprinting (R2/RT). Sounds simple. Felt weird. My thumb kept cramping. Did laps around the practice pitch for ten minutes just holding both triggers, getting the feel.
- Precision Shooting: Tap L1/LB before shooting when close. Man, this changed everything. Stopped blazing every shot over the bar. Practiced finesse shots from the edge of the box for ages – aiming for the corners.
- Ball Roll Exit Skill: Ball roll (Flick right stick sideways) then exit sprint. Looks smooth. I looked like a drunk trying it. Kept losing the ball. Practiced against a still defender dummy until my fingers hurt.
- Jockey Cancel: Press L2/LT and R2/RT together while defending. This helps change direction quick to cut passing lanes. Took a few games to stop mistiming it and leaving giant gaps.
- Fake Shot Stops: Fake shot (Circle/B then X/A quickly) while standing still. Sounds pointless. Actually brilliant for shifting direction fast without losing control. Practiced turning 90 degrees sharply without the ball running away.
- Trigger Pressures: R1/RB to call a second defender + manual tackling. Absolute chaos learning this. Called defenders out of position constantly in friendlies against the AI. Felt like herding cats. Gradually figured out when NOT to use it.
Throwing Myself Back In
Tried Rivals again after grinding those tricks. Still lost, obviously. 3-2 this time. But I scored a proper goal with a precision finesse shot! And intercepted a pass using jockey cancel. Actually felt like I knew what I was doing sometimes. Didn’t feel completely helpless. Still conceded some absolute bangers where my defender just stood there, mind. It’s FIFA after all. But progress!
My takeaway? Seven tricks at once was too damn many. Learned maybe three properly yesterday. Getting consistently good with the rest? That’s this week’s mission, for real. Still feel like trash sometimes, especially against that sweaty kid with Mbappe up front who did elasticos like it was nothing. But hey, small steps.
Why am I telling you this? Boss promised a raise if I can beat him in Pro Clubs next week. His team’s full of lads who’ve played since FIFA 98. I need every damn trick I can learn.
