Ah, it’s that time of year again. Perhaps you’ve treated yourself to one of the soccer games on sale, or maybe a copy of it is waiting for you under the tree. Either way, it can be a little daunting (and maybe frustrating) getting the hang of the games, especially if you’re not too familiar with the sport. Here are some tips to help you get the most of each match.

Before the Match

Know the sport: Not in a condescending, “do you even play, bro?” sort of way, of course. Rather, if you happen to be a total newbie and want to have a fun time playing FIFA and PES, and do well to boot, you do have to know a bit the teams and players, not to mention the general philosophies of how to win in soccer. This series of formation primers may help you get started.

Know yourself (and your team): What style of play do you prefer? Or from an even more micro perspective: are you good at the fancy dribbles or better at reading the game and picking out passes? It makes little sense if, say, you’re an admirer of gung-ho, score-one-more-than-them soccer and field a team full of scrappy ball winners.

The same applies with team selection. Assuming you’ve picked or assembled a squad that suits your tactical preferences already, the next step is to select the right personnel who can complement each other and maximize the team’s effectiveness. Just because your two best central midfielders are both defensive ball winners doesn’t mean you should start them both in a 4-4-2. Or alternatively, if you have a tall target man up front, ideally you should also have wingers who can consistently get open and deliver a cross in.

Once you know your preferences, set your tactics up to suit them. If you’ve read through the formations guide (or if you know already), you’ll find that each formation and tactical choice have certain inherent strengths and weaknesses. Think about the factors such as how wide and direct you want to play. For example, 4-4-2 is more suited for wing play and where you want to pressure the opponent. If your answer is “high up the pitch,” then heavy up your team up top through formation and tactical sliders. Keep in mind though that no system is perfect, so if you do decide to press high, you may win the ball back early and at a dangerous position, but it also means you’ll be much more exposed at the back if the opposition survives your initial barrage. It’s not so much about finding the perfect one, it’s about balancing risk and reward, while taking into account your team's own skillset.

Know your opponents: I know this sounds a bit contradictory to the previous point — that you set your team up base on where its strengths — but it doesn’t always have to be mutually exclusive. Yes, sometimes you have to choose between playing to your strengths and countering your opponent, but there are also scenarios where your opponent is weak at certain positions, and you can set your team up to exploit the weakness to the fullest extent. For example, the opponent’s left back is an aging slowpoke, if you happen to have a versatile winger who can play both flanks, which side will you field him? On the right, so you can torment the poor fellow to no end.

On the Pitch

Know what you’re doing...: Yeah, that would help, wouldn’t it? Or perhaps a better way to phrase it is to have a plan. Think back to why you set your team up the way that you did — if, for example, you’re planning to pack the midfield to snuff out the opposition’s creativity, then do that instead of dropping deeper and deeper.

The same applies when you’re on the attack. Know where you want to go — not just initially, but eventually. Just because you can’t get there with the first pass doesn’t mean you won’t be able to with the second or third, so think ahead. Why do you need to do this? Well, first, so you don’t tiki-taka for nothing, ping the ball around for a few minutes only to get hit on the counter. More importantly though, it’s so that you know which way to turn once you receive the ball. The time and space you gain by turning effectively can very possibly buy you a few goals.

…but don’t stick rigidly to your plan: More contradictions! It’s important to know where you want to go, but at the same time, be flexible. React to what’s going on on the pitch as opposed to sticking to a course come hell or high water. If your sequence of passing was aimed at getting the ball to your right-winger, and all of a sudden your left striker is in acres of space, then change courses and ping the ball over.

Many of you may be rolling your eyes and going “duh,” but to do this match-in and match-out, especially if you’ve just bought that shiny new player in career mode. It’s harder than it might seem.

Use the radar: Again, one of those things that we all go “duh”, but in the heat of the moment a lot of us ignore this, and just go back to our default passing sequences (don’t lie, we all have them.) Initially, it’s not the easiest thing to do, quickly glancing down at the tiny pitch when defenders are coming at you, but practice during the more low-pressure situations and eventually it can become a second habit. You’d be surprised at how much more open the pitch is, and how much more variety you can have in your passing, if you use the radar to your advantage.

Don’t play rashly: It can happen to the best of us, these spells, when the red mist descends and all semblances of rationality disappear. Sometimes we lose a quick goal or get dispossessed by what should’ve been a foul, get pissed, say “screw it,” and start mashing on the pressure and tackle buttons. There aren’t really any suggestions except, you know, don’t do it (though taking a deep breath may help).

Similarly, on offense, don’t just put your head down and run. Take what the defender is giving you. A lot of instances you have more time than you think — especially if you slow up just a little, what with both FIFA and PES making it harder for defenders to just dive in without consequences.

You can’t hold on to the ball at all times : Often, we can be too enamored with keeping the ball (or maybe we just hate playing defense). However, when you regain possession deep in your own end, consider the situation first before trying to play your way out. Sometimes your best play might be to just hoof it up the pitch and live to fight another day. Otherwise, it may just cost you dearly if you’re dribbling around in your own box as the opposition’s breathing down your neck, yet still stubbornly waiting for a teammate to present himself.

It’s OK to lose: A lot of us may go to lengths to avoid it, but yes, it’s quite all right to lose, especially if you’re just starting out. Take a few lumps, figure out why it is that you can’t score or defend, tweak the way you play, change teams, get better, and start upping the difficulty levels. Your copy of FIFA and PES will last much longer and give you better value for money if you endeavor yourself go through the process.

What's your tip to playing better a game in FIFA and PES?