Free Kicks

There is a built in feature in the arena mode that allows you to work on your free kicks, and it is strongly recommended that you take advantage of it to hone your skills. Simply move your chosen arena player anywhere on the pitch and hit the D-pad in any direction, and you will immediately be set up to take the free kick from that spot. If you are anywhere in the penalty box, you will immediately be set up to hit a penalty kick. When aiming, use the exact screen center as your aiming point and target. Play with various types of power on the meter to judge distances.

Also, the Left Thumbstick can be used to put spin on the ball while the mater is powering up. Holding the Thumbstick left/right will create maximum curl on the ball. Holding the Thumbstick to the Upper/Left or Upper/Right will create a shot shaped with topspin. You can hold down on the Thumbstick to create backspin.

Play with how long to hold the stick over to hit that sweet spot on the goal. Hold the stick all the way over until the player strikes the ball; you can put a seriously nasty arc on the ball, catching the keeper completely unaware it will even be on goal and usually catching him flatfooted. Other types of free kicks are mentioned below.

Short Pass

This is a simple touch pass restart which allows your team to maintain possession and continue on to the attack. Keep an eye on the positioning of the opposition’s players to determine where best to hit the short pass.

Lob Pass

The lob pass is used to hit target players to continue the attack a little further down field. Use the radar to notice which of your players has the best position and is under the least threat by the defending team.

Shot