HT Games
Advancing the Ball
As you move the ball up the field, you may need to use dribbling maneuvers to keep the ball out of the defender's reach. The key to making a defender miss is to get his momentum going in the opposite direction of yours. The easiest way to do this is to dribble full speed with one of your fastest and most agile players, then push the analog stick in a different direction as soon as you are about to come into contact with a defender. While the defender is recovering his balance, you will have an open chance to shoot or pass the ball to a teammate. Trapping the ball is another good way to send a defender flying past you. Hold down R2 while dribbling, and your player will stop and hold the ball, allowing you to reposition your player and take a quick shot before the defender can regain his footing.
Passing to Teammates
Short passes can be used to advance the ball instead of dribbling. This is often the safer choice if the ball is held by a player with poor dribbling stats. Long passes require more touch to complete them correctly. Spend some time experimenting in training mode to figure out how long you need to press the pass button in order to pass the ball the distance you want. Crossing passes work well to get the ball to the other side of the field ahead of the defense. You have to check the radar to find your teammate and make sure he is open to receive the pass.
Getting a Scoring Chance
To get an opening to shoot, you have to get the ball ahead of the defense or create a mismatch between a talented player and a less-skilled opponent. Check the lineup of your team against the opponent's lineup to look for positions where you have an advantage in the stats and try to get the ball to these players as much as possible during the game. On the field, you can use crossing passes or lobs over the defensive line to get the ball into a good scoring position.