The beginning | The Journey FIFA 17 Guide

Last update: 17 October 2016

"The Journey" is a story-based campaign in which we step into the shoes of a 17-year-old teenager from England - Alex Hunter. In this mode the player does not simply play numerous matches, but also makes a lot of decisions outside of the pitch, such as: choosing the club he plays for, participating in coaching sessions and answering questions in various interviews.

In this chapter you will find several tips, which will help you on your career path. However, it is important that you remember: the easiest route is not always the most rewarding one. Sometimes, it is better, and more rewarding, to challenge yourself by making the more difficult choice.

Penalty kick

Scoring a penalty is the first thing you will need to accomplish when beginning your adventure in this mode. Suffice to say, that is not a very demanding task. All you need to do is aim at one of the sides of the goal and hold the appropriate button to charge up the shot's power to two bars. You should not be afraid of failing to score the penalty kick. There are no actual consequences and the plot will remain unchanged.

Personality

During talks and interviews the player always has a choice of three statements, each of a different nature: fiery, balanced and cool. What Hunter says while interacting with his colleagues, or in private conversations, does not influence his fate in any fashion. Your answers in the interviews are what is truly crucial.

Being fiery will help you with gaining fans, which will increase your popularity but also worsen your relations with the manager. You should grant fiery answers if you are certain of your position in the team.

Answering in a balanced fashion will have different consequences depending on the context. These answers are highly neutral. Alex's relations with his supporters and coach will then mostly be influenced by his performance on the pitch.

Demonstrating a cool and relaxed approach will appeal to the manager, but attract fewer fans. You should answer questions in this fashion if your position on the team is on shaky ground.

Choosing your position

The first important decision you need to make is choosing your position on the pitch. It is not certain that each club will grant you your preferred position, as it depends mainly on the coach and the situation of the team. There are four possible positions: right/left winger, centre attacking midfielder and striker.

It is hard to play on the wings, because very few clubs in England play with typical wingers. Most use a formation with midfielders on the wings, who play a long way from the goal. It is difficult to score when our player does not have the chance to enter the enemy's penalty area. However, if you do decide on a career as a winger, remember that Alex Hunter is a right-footed player.

As a centre attacking midfielder you will be in the thick of it for the entire length of the game. In tougher matches you can improve your post-match assessment by exchanging pointless passes with your team-mates. In addition, while executing a patterned offence as a CAM you will often enter the penalty box and play next to the strikers.

Playing as a striker is definitely the easiest. There is no need to worry about not having the opportunity to score or being far away from the ball. You simply have to score goals and you have the perfect conditions for it.

Training exercises

To get a good score in the first training exercise you have to hit the targets in the corners of the goal. To this end, approach the goal, hold down the finesse shot button and load the power bar to a bit less than 3 units, aiming for the corner of the goal. Aim for the target on the right if possible. Shoot at the target to the left with the same force, only without the finesse shot modifier. When you will have to hit a ground shot, shoot very faintly, aiming for the water bottle.

In the second exercise, start with a sprint. Stop using your sprint while you are passing the posts. Then again, run with the ball towards the goal. While shooting, aim for the side-netting, as in this challenge points are also awarded for the shot. You'll get more points if you do the exercise quickly.

The third exercise game is the 2 on 1 attack.  Use the perpendicular pass at first, and then return the ball to the first player with a regular pass or a cross. As a result, he will have a clear position for his shot. Do not get too close to the goalkeeper, as he will reduce the angle and make it more difficult for you to score.

The last exercise is by far the most difficult one to perform. It is the 2 on 2 attack. In this situation, you must exchange passes between your players several times. At some point you will notice a gap in the defence. Play a perpendicular ball into the gap and finish the play off with a powerful shot.