Cross may be effective or ineffective, depending on the year that you are playing PES. In some years, crosses will be highly accurate. In the following year, the development team will dial it back a little, and it becomes inaccurate. And the cycle repeats.
Despite this, playing crosses into the box will still yield you some goal. The following tips will help you get the best out of your crossing game, regardless of the version of PES you are playing.
Every team has their strengths and weaknesses. If you have a tall Centre Forward, play to your strengths and pump in crosses for him to try headers and volleys. Even without a tall Centre Forward, low crosses work well to confuse the opponents in PES and cause panic in the box.
Crosser Position
The position of your player affects your cross. When you want to put in a cross near the goal-line, your crossing range is very limited, which affects your attacking options. A better place to cross will be around the edge of the penalty box. The winger will have more players to cross to, and accuracy will improve. Although variety is important in PES, always try to cross at the edge of the penalty box for better results.
Crosser’s Direction
Face the direction you are crossing to improve accuracy. Try to shake off the defenders before you put in a cross. When the defender is following you closely, you run down flank, turn back towards the edge of the box, and cross in with your other foot. This usually works for me in evading the defender in PES.
Use Side Backs
When there are more than one defenders closing you down, do a back pass to your Side Back, who should not be too far away from your winger. The Side Back will most likely be unmarked in PES and he can put in an accurate diagonal cross.
Refer to the Radar
Using the radar, aim for players at the near post, far post, or outside the box, adjusting your power and direction. In addition, wait till there are players running into the box before you cross in, or it will be a wasted ball.
Look for Open Space
Always aim for an open space for an attacker to run towards. The momentum of his run will be transferred into his header or volley shot. He will also be able to evade his marker to shoot. If you cross directly to a standing striker, he will have a hard time outmuscling his defender to get a header on goal.
High Cross
High-arc crosses are efficient in evading a sea of defenders. Press the special control button while holding the cross button to whip in a high-arc crosses. You will notice the difference in PES. The ball will go high into the sky before coming down.
Low Cross
Low cross will surprise opponents and is especially useful if you do not have a strong target man.
Along the Goal Line
Here is an interesting PES trick. When crossing near the goal-line, attempt a low cross ( Hold L + [Cross x 3] ). The speed of the ball will cause the goalkeeper or defender to panic and might push it out for a corner, push it to your onrushing striker, or even fumble it into goal!
Control the Ideal Attacker
Ensure you are controlling the player who is in the best position to score. When you play in a cross, the player you are in control of may be obstructed. Tap the PES Cursor Change button (L1) while the ball is still in the air, to control another player to attack the ball.
This 9 formulas will help you improve your accuracy from crosses in PES. I hope you find it useful and improves your game. If you like this post, please drop me a comment. Thank you.
Main image credit: Konami