That second match was class.
I went Brazil this time; my opponent France. Did the usual and set Tight-Marking on Greaseman, followed by a Man-Marking job on Lucozade.
Now, I do think my opponent was a FIFA player as he ballooned over from distance and it was obvious he hit circle to shoot. Thing is, and I can obviously only speak from experience at this very early stage, it was still quite challenging due to the pace of the game and the absolutely obvious pass "error" at play. I was trying to play PES2017; he was playing FIFA, but was starting to get his head round the basics and it was awful tight all around the park. Just seemed like a better awareness all round. Good signs.
I end up beating him 2-1 (I went 2-0 up in that first half of two folk trying to get a handle on things, or just trying some stuff out) with him proving dangerous on the break. It was during these moments when without the ball did I really start to appreciate what was available to me, be it by design or accident.
That wee "next player" icon over the player whom you will swith to if you press L1: It has the potential to change the defensive game massively. It can be used, in my early experience, as means to out-do any previous defensive system in any football game ever created. It's simple. It's cool. It just works, or can work, to your benefit when defending. That feels really new, maybe revolutionary, and it is so weird saying that. it felt like I was allowed to marshall my defence in a way I never felt like I could in any football game that has come before this. And I think it is what is making matches feel like anything could happen and that you are only one well executed and placed pass away from an opponent's being straight through on the keeper, but I feel like I have more tools at my disposal in order to try prevent that and that wee icon helps hugely.
I'm pressing with X, maybe secondary pressing with square, but for whatever reason I feel like the right stick player change mechanic is a little more useful as a result, thus I can feel a bit more comfortable using that and trying to yes, marshall my defence. I can look away from the ball carrier, knowing I can manage the press, but meanwhile I have a better idea who will switch to if I use the right-stick player switch. The next player icon often goes over the player second nearest man to the ball, so I know If I use right-stick it won't be that dude for absolute certain. A few times in that match where I felt like I was doing more than two things at once in defence but felt like I had greater control over it all.
Elsewhere, the passing is lovely. I was trying lots of different things with passes but another thing that has improved vastly are things like Super-Cancel, Manual Modifier Passing, and Advanced 1-2's. It is thanks to (in my opinion etc.) just that greater sense of "movement management" when the ball is loose, or simply moving from player to player. Did a really cool wee move and it was just using Super-Cancel, and I'm not talking about the player letting hit roll through his legs and him turning, or him letting the ball go through his legs to another player. Nah, I pressed Super-Cancel early before my player received the ball and instead of a near-glitchy looking transition between movements (it was due to the limited animation variables/lack of sensation of player weight in SUper-Cancel movement in PES2017) I moved my player so as he turned away from the ball and arced smoothly and it totally caught my opponent off-guard. So simple, so natural, but so cool looking.
Thinking back about it all, I think it is a combination of those observations that could, potentially, make the game a very good, challenging online experience (so long as things are smooth) but one in which will demand skill not only one the ball, but off it absolutely. I feel, after that match, that there might be art and reward to defending, and it might be the case that they haven't coded out cheap goals, just made it possible to do a great deal more to prevent them.
Suddenly, a lot of the end-to-end stuff in videos I had watched make a bit of sense. Yes, the game can open right up and teams defensive positioning or sleepiness be ruthlessly exploited: easy to pick up, difficult to master. In that match I played, my opponent clearly wasn't up to speed, but the playing field felt level and more my experience of some slightly deeper mechanics, or even just a good knowledge and understanding of the basic ones, allowed me to dominate, or feel like I was... both on and off the ball. I could slow that game right down, be in control but I could get caught out, and did with his equaliser and couple of other one on one situations, which brings me to...
My keeper came out to close down Lucozade well before I wanted to... and I really wanted to. It was a rather nice surprise.
I'll happily caveat all the above by admitting I am only two matches in, but considering a vast majority offered comment based on zero gameplay before today (me included) then I'm like the most experienced dude in the world when compared to us all a few weeks ago.
I loved that match. Loved it.
