When we first purchase a new FIFA game, we generally tend to play with the teams we support first. Then, as we become bored with our team, we tend to play with various 5-star teams, such as the usual suspects: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Manchester United. After that, we try and unearth our ‘online team’ – the team you think you play best with to gain points online.
After a while though, it gets less enjoyable playing with the best teams game after game; and then we play with the lower-rated teams with average players – but with the odd player we base our team around.
Here, I show which teams rated less than five stars are always a joy to play with:
Belgium: 4 ½*
Belgium boast one of the best team of individual in the world. Rated at 4 ½ stars in FIFA, when you play online, you are often pipped against weaker teams – giving you a better chance of a high-scoring victory.
With a solid goalie keeping goal for the Belgians in Thibaur Courtois, and three of the best defenders in the game – even though they are not the highest rated – in Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen and Thomas Vermalen – they are one of the hardest teams to score against with their physical presence.
In midfield they boast the best defensive midfielder in the game with Marouane Fellaini and with him they have the skill and accuracy of Steven Defour and Alex Witsel – who is surely a contender for best young player in the game itself.
Upfront they possess three of the most deadly strikers in the game – who all acquire deadly speed. However, out of the three [Christian Benteke, Kevin Mirallas and Eden Hazard] Eden Hazard is their main man in the team – the player who you will always be aiming for upfront in most attacks.
It is a head-scratcher that Belgium is not a five-star rated team as their team can certainly put up a fight against the best. If you do choose to play with Belgium, you will play against weaker teams which can be easily exploited with Belgium’s solid defence, skilful midfield, and their trio of deadly strikers.
Tottenham Hotspur: 4 ½*
As I mentioned before, most FIFA players will play with their own ‘online team’ – which is usually not the team they actually support.
Well, I support Manchester United, and the team I play with online is Tottenham Hotspur.
With Spurs you get one of the best goalkeepers in the game, a physically powerful defence, a solid midfield, and two of the fastest wingers in the game in Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale.
Their two centre-backs are physically empowering in Younas Kaboul and Jan Vertonghen; but their real uniqueness comes with their two full-backs. Kyle Walker, the young, English right-back has the pace, power, and passing ability to scare any team in the game. Benoit Assou–Ekotto is similar to Walker as he possesses undeniable pace and a dazzling left foot.
Although they may lack a star striker, playing with the ‘false number 9’ formation with Tottenham almost makes them unbeatable. With Scott Parker breaking up the attacks, it gives Gareth Bale – who, in my opinion , is the best player in the game as he possesses astonishing pace, a powerful left foot, and he can defend – to run up the wings and get a chance on goal.
All in all, Spurs are the ultimate non-five-star team to play with in FIFA 13.
The Welsh wizard is a nightmare to play against in FIFA 13
Republic of Ireland: 4*
The Republic of Ireland may not be everybody’s first choice in the quest for online promotion, but nevertheless, they have an overall strong first eleven – with a solid bench to back them up.
They have two average centre-halves in their rank in Richard Dunne and John O’Shea in an otherwise weak defence. However, their midfield is solid, and extremely difficult to break down with the likes of Aiden McGeady, Glenn Whelan and Kevin Andrews – with James McClean adding pace to the team on the left.
Up front, the Irish have three strikers to choose from – who may lack the pace to scare five-star opposition – but have to ability to put away chances with their lethal finishing in Shane Long, Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle.
Ireland has an advantage in that they are a four-star international team: by being four-star, they are likely to be faced with 3-and-a-half-star teams or other four-star teams, which makes them favourites in most matches.
So, if you do choose to play with the Republic, it will be a hard-fought game no matter what the outcome of the game.
Honourable mentions:
Swansea City – a solid defence and their midfield has the passing accuracy to beat any team. Attack lets them down.
Sevilla – a frightening attack with the always-reliable Álvaro Negredo heading the strike force for the Spanish team. They are a team which also boasts Spanish speedster Jesus Navas and the crafty Jose Reyes. Only downfall is their ageing defence.
Borussia Dortmund – unlucky not to have made it into the top three with their star-studded line-up. Neven Subotic and Mat Hummels, arguably the two best defenders in the game, lead the defence whilst hugely-talented attacking midfielder Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski are the two main men in attack. Only downside for the German club is that they may be over-reliant on those four players.
Sunveer Sandhu
Images courtesy of:
PC Gamer – http://www.pcgamer.com/review/fifa-13-review/
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