FIFA 14: FUT MLS Players Guide
The midfield is where things really open up. You can adjust the positions of each player to better fit the formation you’re playing, so players that qualify for the same general position (ex. right midfielders, right wingers, and right forwards can all be interchanged with one another) are all considered part of the same group.
September 17, 2013; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Marvin Chavez (81) chases after the ball against the Montreal Impact during the second half at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Earthquakes defeated the Impact 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Right Midfielders/Right Wingers/Right Forwards
- Marvin Chavez (San Jose Earthquakes/Colorado Rapids)
- Erik Hurtado (Vancouver Whitecaps)
In my mind, there’s only one choice for gold and silver squads, and that’s Chavez. 5-star weak foot, good crossing, and good pace make him incredibly usable. But if you want more speed at the cost of almost everything else, or if you’re making a bronze squad, Hurtado is your best bet, as he has lots of pace, and has good jumping and strength.
My Pick: Marvin Chavez
Oct 30, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey (2) passes the ball to Seattle Sounders forward Eddie Johnson (7) during the 2nd half against the Colorado Rapids at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Colorado 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Center Midfielders/Center Attacking Midfielders/Center Defending Midfielders
- Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders)
- Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)
- Michael Bradley (Toronto FC)
- Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls)
- Graham Zusi (IF) (Sporting Kansas City)
- Vicente Sanchez (Colorado Rapids)
- Kleberson (Philadelphia Union)
- Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Look at all those big names. This is where you have a lot of variety to choose from, so I’m going to break the players down into offensive-minded and defensive-minded midfielders.
Attacking midfielders: Dempsey is king here, and is perfect in a CAM role. Passing, shooting, and dribbling are all requirements for formations that use only one CAM (such as the popular 4-2-3-1(2) and 4-1-2-1-2), and great heading gives him an extra weapon if he finds himself in the box. Kleberson is basically a watered-down version of Dempsey and makes the case for being one of the best MLS silvers. Tim Cahill trades in speed for better defensive stats, and has one of the top heading ratings in MLS. This makes him ideal not only as a CAM, but also as a CM in formations that put the CM higher up field (like the 4-3-3(2)). Zusi is more of a playmaker/sniper, who can’t defend overly well or speed down the field, but he more than makes up for his shortcomings in his other offensive stats. Sanchez is for players who love to dribble around defenders instead of making long passes and shots.
My Picks: Clint Dempsey, Tim Cahill, Graham Zusi (IF)
Defending midfielders: Only two players really fit into here, but they’re amongst the best in the game at the CDM position. Bradley is the better all-around option, while Alonso is speedy and defensive. Choosing just one, again, comes to player preference, but if you use them together in a formation that requires 2 CDMs, you will have the perfect shutdown pair for your squad. However, I personally prefer the all-around stats of Bradley.
My Pick: Michael Bradley
Apr 13, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders FC forward Steve Zakuani (11) dribbles upfield against the New England Revolution during the second half of a 0-0 tie at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Left Midfielders/Left Wingers/Left Forwards
- Steve Zakuani (Seattle Sounders/Portland Timbers)
- Lamar Neagle (Seattle Sounders)
To choose between these two, you basically need to decide if you’re going to be shooting from distance often. If you are, than Neagle is your guy, but for anything else, Zakuani is the better of the two.
My Pick: Steve Zakuani