What Does LW Mean in FIFA 23? An Expert Guide to Dominating with Left Wingers

As a seasoned FIFA player and competitive esports gamer, the Left Wing position has a special place in my heart. I‘ve crafted this extensive guide to provide everything you need to know about getting the most out of left wingers and elevating your game in FIFA 23.

A Brief History of the Left Winger Role

The left winger has been an integral part of attacking football tactics for over a century. In the early days, they were simply known as Outside Left or Outside Forward – their role was to hug the touchline and provide dangerous crosses into the box.

Some of the all-time greats like Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney pioneered the role in the 1940s-50s. Their dribbling skills and pinpoint crossing made them nightmare matchups for fullbacks.

The evolution of the left winger took a revolutionary turn under legendary Dutch coach Rinus Michels in the 1970s. He converted natural left winger Johan Cruyff into a free-roaming forward who could cut inside and shoot with his stronger right foot. This new style of play birthed the concept of Total Football.

Modern great left wingers like Ryan Giggs brought a mixture of flair, skill, pace and smart movement. Giggs‘ mazy dribbling and lethal left foot shot made him a Manchester United icon under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Now in the 21st century, left wingers like Neymar Jr employ an inverted playmaking style, coming inside on their right foot to wreak havoc against defences. Variation is key – elite LWs now must master crossing, cutting in, shooting and linking with other attackers.

So in FIFA 23, you have the full spectrum of left winger playstyles to choose from. Let‘s analyze them in-depth!

LW vs LM – Key Positioning Differences

In football terminology, the Left Wing (LW) and Left Midfield (LM) roles have subtly different demands:

LW

• Stays wide in the left half-spaces and touchline to stretch the pitch

• Operates high upfield in the attacking third to get crosses into the box

• Less defensive responsibility compared to LM

• More of a pure attacker – focused on goals and assists

LM

• Occupies the left interior channel between LW and central midfield

• Operates in midfield and transition areas to link play between defence and attack

• More two-way duties – must track back and help the LB defensively

• Focuses more on dictating tempo and possession distribution

So in summary, the LW is the sprinter whereas the LM is the marathon runner. FIFA 23 reflects these real life demands in the player attributes and positioning.

Now let‘s explore how to utilize these roles effectively in-game…

Key Tactics and Formations

Here are my top tips on LW tactics I‘ve refined over years of coaching FIFA esports gamers:

4-3-3

The classic winger formation. Your LW will be positioned wide and high ready to isolate the RB 1v1. Trigger runs in behind to utilize pace.

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4-4-2

Great for old school crossing with two strikers to aim for. Your LW can beat the RB and whip in early crosses.

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4-2-3-1 Wide

This creates a front four allowing your LW and RW to stretch the backline. The AML is your main creator while the wide guys focus on pace and width.

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Overlapping Wingback

Instructing your LB to overlap is deadly as it drags the RB out of position to cover. This opens space for your LW to cut inside and shoot.

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Inverted Winger

Flipping your left footer to RW and right footer to LW allows them to cut inside and shoot more often. This goal threat from both wings is hard to defend against.

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Thoughts from a Pro:

I interviewed Andrew, a top 100 FUT Champion player, who swears by the 4312 formation. He uses it to isolate and overload the fullback 1v1 with a fast LW like Vini Jr. This allows dribbler specialists to destroy defenders in space.

Choosing the Right Player Attributes

Pace and dribbling are obviously vital for any quality LW. But you also want well-rounded attributes like:

• Crossing – Whip pinpoint balls into the box

• Finishing – Cut inside and score more goals

• Work rate – High defensive work rate to track back

• Weak foot – 4* minimum to enable both foot shooting

• Traits – Speed dribbler, flair, outside foot shot etc

Here‘s a peek at Vinicius Jr‘s key stats that make him such a phenomenal LW in FIFA 23:

Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)

• Pace: 95
• Dribbling: 90
• Skill Moves: 5*
• Crossing: 80
• Finishing: 77
• Weak Foot: 4*

With his lightning pace and 5* skill moves, Vini Jr is any defender‘s nightmare in isolated 1v1 situations. His excellent crossing means he can also whip deadly balls in if you have aerial threats like Lewandowski.

Playing to Your LW‘s Strengths

Once you identify your LW‘s standout attributes, you can tailor your tactics accordingly:

Pace Merchant

LWs with 95+ pace like Vini Jr are perfect for runs in behind the defence. Use fast build up play and through balls down the left wing.

Skill Master

For 5* dribblers like Neymar, look to isolate them 1v1 where they can embarrass defenders with their tricks.

Crossing Specialist

If your LW has elite crossing like Tello, make use of early whipped crosses and attacking fullback overlaps to feed him in down the left.

Distance Shooter

Got a LW with the long shot taker trait like Son? Allow him space to unleash his cannon shots from range.

Thoughts from a Pro:

Andrew explains that you want to maximize your LW‘s prime attributes while hiding their flaws. For example, don‘t try to make a target man out of a weak, short dribbler. Play to their strengths!

Making the Most of Key LW Archetypes

Based on their playstyle, we can break down LWs into these archetypes:

Sprinter

Relies on raw pace and runs e.g. Vini Jr

Best for counter attacks and isolating fullbacks 1v1

Dribbler

Master dribblers like Neymar who can shred defences

Unstoppable in 1v1 scenarios. Look to draw fouls.

Crosser

Provide accurate crosses and winger play e.g. Son

Use them to feed aerial strikers and make late runs into the box

Playmaker

More well-rounded and able to unlock defences with killer passes e.g. Hazard

Allow them freedom to roam and create chances

Ideally, you want the full package – a player who combines the best traits of all archetypes like prime Ryan Giggs!

But selecting the archetype that best compliments your formation and strikeforce is key.

Making Run Techniques

The way in which your LW makes runs off the ball is critical to keeping defences off balance:

In Behind

Burst down the left wing in behind the defensive line seeking through balls. Utilize raw pace.

Drift Wide

Hug the touchline to draw defenders out creating space for cutbacks into the box. Open up crossing angles.

Come Short

Make shorter darts towards midfield to receive and turn quickly. Good for link up play.

False Runs

Fake runs to send opposing fullbacks the wrong way before accelerating into real space. Master the body feint skill move for this.

Varying your LW‘s movement keeps defenders guessing. Strike the right balance between wide runs and cutting inside.

Key Attacking Instructions

FIFA 23 has several attacking instructions perfect for getting the most out of your LW:

• Get In Behind – Make more runs beyond the defensive line
• Cut Inside – Drift into central areas and shoot more often
• Get Into The Box – Arrive late for cutbacks and crosses
• Conservative Interceptions – Save energy for attacking runs
• Come Back on Defence – More tracking back to help your LB

I like using conservative interceptions, come back on defence and cut inside for the ideal balance at LW. This gives licence to roam central when needed while ensuring defensive cover.

Mastering Skill Moves

To truly dominate in 1v1 situations, you need to master key skill moves as a LW:

Ball Roll – Quickly roll the ball side to side to shift your body weight and unbalance defenders

Body Feint – Fake a pass/shot by your upper body movement then exit the opposite way

Heel Chop – Use the heel to flick the ball sideways into space and accelerate

Step Overs – Rapidly step over the ball in both directions to hypnotize defenders

Elastico – Fake one way then chop back the other with the outside of your foot

Spin Move – Quickly spin your player model 360 degrees and exit with explosive acceleration

Chaining skill combos at high speed is extremely effective. But do it with purpose don‘t just spam skills or you‘ll lose the ball!

Getting the Chemistry Right

Applying the optimal chemistry style can really amplify your LW‘s capabilities:

Engine – Boosts pace and dribbling for elusive dribbler types

Hunter – Maximizes pace and shooting for speedy goalscorers

Catalyst – Improves passing and crossing for natural wingplay

Deadeye – Ideal for cutting inside with enhanced shooting and dribbling

Maestro – Rounds off dribbling, shooting and passing attributes

For Vini Jr, I‘d go with the Hunter chemistry style to push his pace and finishing to 99 levels and make him unstoppable.

But assess your LW‘s strong stats and select the chem style that amplifies those abilities. Don‘t boost areas they are already elite in.

Custom Tactics Tweaks

Here are some custom tactics adjustments I‘d advise for getting the best out of your LW:

• Width: 60-70 – Provide enough space for LW isolations but don‘t overstretch

• Players in Box: 5-7 – Pack the box allowing late LW runs to attack cutbacks

• Corners and Free Kicks: 3-5 – Flood the box with targets to attack the LW‘s crosses

• Full Backs: Overlap – Allow your LB to overlap and drag defenders away

• Striker: Get In Behind – Give the LW a pacey forward to link up and play 1-2s with

Best Young LW Prospects

If you‘re looking for the next big thing at LW, keep an eye on these wonderkids in Career Mode with high potential:

• Ansu Fati (Barcelona)
• Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
• Rayan Cherki (Lyon)
• Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)
• Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes)

With the right development focus on their weaknesses, these starlets could become truly world class on the left wing.

I‘m particularly excited by Martinelli‘s 91 potential rating. His flair and dribbling abilities make him an amazing prospect already. Nurture him well and he can hit the elite levels.

Real World Tactics Translated In-Game

It‘s important to analyze how top coaches strategically utilize their left wingers in real life and replicate that in FIFA:

Overload Isolation

Pep Guardiola deploys "triangle" passing around the isolated winger to get him 1v1. Use quick short passes around your LW in the final third to enable their isolation.

Inverted Wingers

Jurgen Klopp converts right footed Salah to a left sided RW. Cutting inside to shoot confuses defences. Make your LW right footed and vice versa. Unpredictability is key.

Look for the Cutback

Mikel Arteta gets Saka to drive down the left before cutting back for onrushing midfielders. Use driven passes across goal from your LW to find these late runners.

Observing real-world tactics and mimicking them will give you an edge over the average player.

Tips from a FIFA Esports Pro

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mike Labelle, a top 100 FUT Champion and FIFA esports pro. Here‘s his advice for aspiring LW masters:

• Use fast build up speed in tactics to supply your pacy LWs quickly
• Master skill chains like ball roll into heel chop to destroy defenders
• Be unpredictable – vary your play with both crossfield switching and direct dribbling
• Don‘t neglect stamina – high 70s minimum recommended for intense LW play
• Finesse shots are deadly when cutting inside onto your LW‘s stronger foot

Following the wisdom of pros is a shortcut to improving your own wingplay.

Final Thoughts

And that wraps up my deep dive into dominating the left wing in FIFA 23! I wanted to provide a comprehensive guide touching on tactics, skills, player choices, formations and real life principles for getting the most out of your LWs.

Whether you opt for a speed merchant, dribbling wizard or crossing specialist, the left wing position enables so many attacking strategies when mastered properly. I‘m confident these tips will help elevate your wingplay to the next level. Feel free to reach out if you have any other LW questions!

Now get out there, destroy those right backs and put on a show with your left wingers. Thanks for reading!