For the sheer reason of being a true skill-based game, the Dream League Soccer (DLS) franchise is considered a leader among football titles in the mobile gaming universe. Their newest edition, Dream League Soccer 2023 (DLS 2023), is a clear testament that they are here to stay, eager to keep both veterans and newcomers on the pitch and in command of the very football stars they admire.
DLS is known for being unique in its class. Fans believe it is the best football title playable on mobile devices because of the feel of realism, especially with how it puts players in the driver’s seat with full control of kicks, passes, and the rush of being forced to make decisions on-the-fly.
First Touch Games, the developer of Dream League Soccer 2023, came up with visual improvements, gameplay fine-tuning, and realignment of features meant to give the game a new feel while keeping the details that endeared it to players.
As is always true with skill-based games, it has quite a steep learning curve which is mostly about establishing familiarity with the controls. We’d dare say that it’s 90% of it and the remaining 10% is about economizing what you earn and maximizing your resource-gaining potential.
We brought our A game in making this Dream League Soccer 2023 beginner’s guide. Bravely, we are claiming that this is the only guide you need if you are new to Dream League Soccer.
To be sure of what works currently in the game at a beginner’s level, we started with a fresh account that helped us prepare for you 14 useful tips, tricks, and strategies that are guaranteed to get you in shape in dominating your first season and beyond!
1. Quick Basics of Dream League Soccer 2023
For those who have a save data game stored in their Google Play or iCloud profiles, you can resume with your old team seamlessly. No matter how long ago you played last time, you can see your old team rendered in the Dream League Soccer 2023 setting; your roster and facility upgrade levels will remain intact.
There’s just a tiny potential caveat: if you have players who have excelled in their career recently and have been given an increase in attributes to reflect it, the improvements will not take effect. In the same way, if some great players have declined, you get to keep the better versions of them.
If you are a newbie, you’d be pleased to know how Dream League Soccer 2023 has been arranged to be beginner-friendly (compared to DLS 2022, at least) because apart from the free Legendary (gold) player, you will receive resources in decent bunches as you finish your first five matches. We have dedicated a special chapter on how to start as smoothly as possible.
To set your mind on what the game is all about, Dream League Soccer is a fantasy league where nearly 100 clubs all around the world play in just one huge, international competitive umbrella. The teams in Copa Americana (South America), Copa del Rey (Spain), English Premiere League, English Football Association Cup, Ligue (France), and smaller leagues worldwide can be seen here.
Logically, based on their real-world levels, the teams are arranged in divisions, with the lesser-known ones clustered up in Academy, Amateur, Division 4, and Division 3. Meanwhile, those that are more popular are in Division 2, Division 1, Elite, and Legendary.
In a season, you can expect a maximum of 30 matches across three fixtures; 15 of which are against teams within your division, nine for the Global Challenge Cup, and five for a cup that scales based on your current division (Bronze/Silver/Gold/Diamond). At the end of every season is a match against your division’s all-stars.
If you get knocked out early from any of the three competitive paths, your season will naturally be shorter. Hopefully, with the help of the tips we will share here, you won’t get knocked out so you can maximize earnings from each season run.
Our primary recommendation is to just take it one step at a time. Due to the mechanical skills required to shine in the game, it’s fair to find it difficult if you’re a newbie. That is exactly why we made this guide as less confusing as possible by dividing it into several topics and tips rather than the usual discussion and breakdown of game features and how to take advantage of them.
2. Pick Your First Legendary Wisely
This is a huge decision that you should not make a mistake at. In fact, if you have picked the wrong player, we encourage you to start over (reset your account). But what exactly comprises a “wrong player” when they’re all Legendary after all?
The answer is simple: if you went for a player that cannot score goals for you, that’s already a sign. By this, we meant natural defenders or even a goalkeeper.
We’re not saying that they aren’t useful. However, for a fresh account, you simply got to trust us when we say that you’re better off selecting a natural scorer. You made a fine choice if you went for a Centerfield (CF), Right Winger (RW), Left Winger (LW), Shadow Striker (SS), or an Attacking Midfielder (AM).
Legendary players in those positions have the ideal “constants” that will make it easier for you to score. Specifically, they have green or at least yellow numbers for SPE, ACC, PAS, and SHO attributes. If the mix you were offered has someone with a blue number in SPE, ACC, or both; take him.
In multiple restarts, we can conclude that the selection of 9 will always have one CF, RW/LW/SS, AM, Central Midfielder (CM), Defensive Midfielder (DM), Right Back (RB), Left Back (LB), Center Back (CB), and a Goalkeeper (GK).
3. Know the Importance of Attributes
We cannot emphasize enough how player attributes are more important in Dream League Soccer 2023 (or DLS as a whole) compared to how it is with football games that focus on the management side (Soccer Manager Mobile, Football Manager Mobile, and Top Eleven). To put it simply, attributes dictate their effectiveness.
Beyond that, while the position tag of players reflects their natural/primary positions in the real world, assigning them to a different position is not a farfetched idea. Setting a natural defender as an attacker will not cause any form or performance penalties—the opposite of how it is in management-inclined games. The attributes of a player and how well you can control him can make such an “unorthodox” decision pay off.
To give you an example, if you have obtained a defender who has high green numbers for SPE and ACC, you can count that he can flourish as a striker due to his sheer ability to outrun opponents. If they lack SHO to be a deadly finisher, their ability to score relies on how good you can aim and control the amount of power in their kicks.
Dream League Soccer 2023 added a certain level of “forgiveness” when using the A-kick when near the goal, making it the go-to button now for finishes–as opposed to how things are in the early phase of DLS 2022 where a C-kick offers a better scoring guarantee.
Attributes are divided into three categories: Fitness, Technical, and Goalkeeping. If you aren’t sure of what each means and their importance; we got you!
3.1 Fitness Attributes
SPE / Speed – this dictates a player’s maximum movement speed. It requires no further introduction as it is, arguably, the most important attribute in the entire DLS universe. A player with green SPE can beat most defenders and will shine as an asset. Having a high SPE is a must for a CF, LW, RW, RB, and LB.
ACC / Acceleration – this implies the time (and movement space) needed for a player to achieve his maximum speed. In essence, this serves as an assurance that your fast players can be potent in capitalizing on their SPE attributes. Ideally, ACC should be equal to or within five points above or below a player’s SPE. Attackers need it more than anyone else and that would be your CF, LW, RW, SS, and AM.
STA / Stamina – this determines the burn rate of the reverse teardrop markers each player has. Those markers eventually degrade, starting fresh as green (80% to 100%) > yellow (60% to 79%) > orange (30% to 59%) > red (1% to 29%) > empty.
The length of play time and the actions performed by the players dictate Stamina consumption; those who run a lot will empty out theirs faster. Players with lower Stamina numbers will tire quicker and this means their performance and the effect of their other attributes will dwindle sooner. You will also notice that they seem disinterested to chase a free ball and react less to passes. STA is vital to RW, LW, DM, RB, and LB.
STR / Strength – this tells how physically effective a player is, making it the second most important attribute in Dream League Soccer 2023. Players with high STR can kick harder, muscle against defenders (arm pushing to maintain gaps), and tackle with much more force.
A persistent tackling attempt by consistently pressing B or holding it has a chance to end up as fouls or free kicks, so this can be a double-edged sword. Then again, the lesser effort to dismantle an attacker, the better. High STR is a defining factor for a CB, CF, DM, LB, and RB for one to be considered an elite.
3.2 Technical Attributes
CON / Control – this presupposes how well a player can keep the ball when he comes in contact with a defender as it triggers a natural evasion move when a tackle attempt comes in. In DLS 2022, this is merged with a sub-trait called Constitution (resistance against injuries). Fortunately, it got tweaked and became a purely technical attribute.
The higher you go through the divisions, the more you can feel its importance because tackle attempts will be more persistent and hard tackles (A-button dives) will become increasingly frequent. Ball control is vital to a CM, DM, AM, and to a degree, strikers too (CF/LW/RW).
PASS / Passing – this tells how accurately a player can pass and the time needed to “charge” or hold a pass button to send the ball to a precise direction or area. Players with orange or red PAS will need to stop for a bit to perform a clean B-pass. In the same way, they have slightly slower charge times when compared to those with better numbers.
Although treated as an auxiliary attribute, PAS is mainly crucial for an AM and CM. Should you discover the wonders of the Wing Play tactic, you’ll see that a good PAS number is also ideal for attacking wingers (RW and LW) as it helps with cleaner, lateral cross-passing.
TAC / Tackling – mainly suggests how much or less of an effort is needed to tackle or dispossess a ball handler. Players with a good TAC rating need lesser contact time (holding the B button) to kick the ball off an attacker; well-timed B-button tackles are also more potent.
While everyone can tackle, those with higher numbers (yellow or better) have more control when tackling. You will notice that players have a tendency to go past the tackled opponent upon knocking the ball off, thus unable to intercept at will; the ones actually good at tackling can remain in contact with the ball regardless of STR discrepancy against the opponent they collide with,
As a defense-inclined tactic, it is important for a CB, DM, LB, and RB to at least have a yellow number here.
SHO / Shooting – this influences the effective shooting range of a player. While everyone can aim for the goal, those with better SHO ratings have a higher chance to finish at farther distances and at awkward side-inclined angles. Obviously, this is golden for a CF, RW, LW, and SS.
3.3 Goalkeeping Attributes
Goalkeeper Handling – this implies how skilled a goalkeeper is when catching the ball with his hands and the accuracy of his throws. We’d like to note that Goalkeeper Distribution is purely manual in Dream League Soccer 2023 and whether a goalie would throw or kick the ball upfield to a teammate all depends on what pass is used and the circumstance.
Goalkeeper Reflexes – this signals how well can a goalkeeper preempt shots and react to them. This, however, does not dictate a goalie’s tendency to go out of the box to sweep the ball. Still, a higher number generally serves better in 1v1 situations.
4. Find a ‘Comfort’ Formation
Formations help dictate how your players move in offense and defense, so we suggest exploring beyond the default 4-4-2. Some formations can support real-world playstyles and they’re a delight to execute!
To give you a better idea about how formations can impact your performance and overall enjoyment, check out our Dream League Soccer 2023 Formations and Tactics Guide. In that guide, we have curated the 28 available formations and chose the 12 that we believe are the best in the mix.
5. Master The Passes
The tutorial phase of the game will introduce you to the different types of kicks. In case you simply skimmed through that part, the controls for each kick are as follows:
An A-button kick will send the ball flying fast and reach the farthest. It is the primary kick of choice when shooting. A quick, soft tap can be enough to shoot within the penalty box or from the arc above it.
A B-button kick will keep the ball close to the ground and travel with less speed than the other kicks when not fully powered. It is the safest option when passing the ball around. Aiming for an open area up-field makes cross-passing possible with this button.
A C-button kick lobs the ball above ground the most. It is the tactical choice for long balls and for sending the ball to an open ground or player upfield. This was the primary finishing kick in DLS 2022 when goalies still charge forward in 1v1s because a well-calculated C-kick can make the ball jump high enough to hurdle a defending player.
To develop familiarity with each kick type, we suggest that you run practice sessions. It will allow you to see the maximum range, speed, and how generally tricky or easy it is for each kick to send the ball in the direction you intend.
Learning what particular kicks apply the most in certain situations will take a while, but in a bid to cut that learning time for you, we are sharing specific scenarios and pointers for execution.
4.1 Recommended Use Of Each Kick Type When Passing
An A-button pass is most suitable when your intention is to send the ball up-field as soon as possible, making it the go-to option for:
Defending against corner kicks – Charge the A-button then point up-field as soon as the corner kicker hits the ball. This will make your player nearest to the opposition’s receiver to contest with a header. A successful connection will give your team the space and time to reset your defense—a beneficial scenario even if the ball goes out of play. Meanwhile, if you get to direct it to an open player upfield, it could paint a counterattacking opportunity.
Distributing the ball as the goalkeeper – When kicking from the baseline and aiming for short distribution, a quick A tap does it faster than a directed and well-charged B-kick. Lessening the time that the ball stays on your own half is a plus in most playstyles, so dispatching it off with the quickest option available gets you into play sooner.
Counterattacking with a Route One approach – As the most powerful kick, a long A-pass delivery makes counterattacking faster. While it presents a higher risk to be swept by the opposing goalkeeper (since the ball may reach farther compared to a C-kick), a properly controlled A-kick can become a through pass which–if a fast striker picks up—may be converted to a shot. Just make sure to aim it diagonally toward the opposite wing.
When using the A button to move the ball around, imagine splitting the field into 4 equal rectangles. If an A-pass is given at least 25% power, the ball can cover a distance equal to the height of a ‘rectangle; (rolling distance included). This is why, when you’re higher than your own final third, you should limit the pass strength to a tap or up to 20% charge only because anything stronger than that will likely make the ball enter the opposing goalie’s sweeping range.
Once you’re comfortable controlling and aiming your B-passes, you can switch to using A-passes for faster ball movement. However, we advise that you hold off the use of A-passes when near the centerline or higher until you have a full set of high-SPE attackers. That is because speed is key to maintaining possession after dishing a through-pass.
Check the image above, a quick tap of A has enough power to send the ball to anyone within the yellow square even without it rolling. An up-field pass that’s too strong is in danger to be swept; a poorly-controlled cross-field pass might send the ball out of play.
B-button passes are ideal when drawing a finer playstyle because of the short range and the “delay” for the time required to properly charge them. Basically, it is the safest pass option, which is why beginners are recommended to get a good feel of it first.
Precision passing is the B button’s main purpose, so it is best used for the following situations:
Framing a shot from a close free kick – Directly scoring from a free kick is perhaps the most difficult feat to consistently pull off in DLS. Your shooting angle is limited and the opposing goalkeeper is all braced up to read your shot. As such, instead of sending the ball to the net directly with the free kicker, a targeted B-pass to a waiting teammate(who can then hit an A-kick to shoot) would offer a better scoring chance.
Inbounding from throw-ins – During a throw-in, the animation usually cuts out and your opponents will all be suddenly deployed with the best defensive spread possible. It will be hard to surprise them with a risky far pass, so it is always best to distribute short with a B-pass.
Targeting long cross-passes – There are plenty of situations where crossing with a full-powered B-pass can be your entry point into the opposition’s final third; one of which is in every reset/kick-off. When you kick the ball out to any defender, they will be at a perfect distance to do a full-powered B-kick upfield. As long as the ball does not collide with an opponent or a teammate mid-way, it can enter your strikers’ zoneand they will be just a few yards away from reaching a safe shooting distance.
Dishing fresh off an interception – If one of your strikers or wingers managed to intercept the ball while still at the upper half, a sharp, diagonal, or horizontal B-pass (with around 75% to 100% power) will let you stir a counterattack quickly. You just have to direct it to the general area where the AM/CM or the other striker stands at. If the passing lane is clear, an A-kick could be an alternative, but dishing with B offers less risk and better control.
Making the ball jump over defenders is the point of passing with the C button, especially when you are:
Initiating a prepared Route One – Since nearly all playstyles can be set up right at your final third, a sudden C-pass up-field could be your offensive entry point. When doing so, load the kick with 80% to 100% power but aim it diagonally to curb its distance.
This should make the ball land around the player assigned at the AM slot or one of the CFs. From there, another short C-pass up-field will let you reach the higher CF who can then attempt to finish. If you have a designated Target Forward (a tall CF with high STR), aim it at his side as his chances of sending the ball to your Finisher/Poacher will always be better.
Redirecting the ball with a header – There will be plenty of times in a match that you’ll be engaged in aerial battles. When you’re on the defensive, contest any incoming C-passes with a C-pass of your own. Usually, this duty lies on your defenders. For this defensive header, power the C-button up to around 40% to 60% upfield so it can reach any of your attackers.
Reaching a player behind a free kick wall – free kicks set at the general front area of the goal will often have a wall of 3 to 4 players. Try to aim a weak but well-controlled pass behind the wall and make sure to direct it to one of your waiting players. Since the defenders making the wall up will have to turn around to actually contest, you will have a tiny window of time to position your receiver and shoot.
Taking corner kicks – It’s fairly easy to finish from corner kicks but not just in one stroke. While it is possible to score with a “banana kick” from the corner, simply passing it to a player on top of the goal is way easier and more feasible.
Load the C button 75% to 100%; do not change the default, target direction of the pass—do not touch the movement pad. The likely receiver would be your tallest player on the field if not either CB. Once you hear the sound of the kick, aim-drag the movement pad toward the goal and fully charge the B-button. This will result in a header that presents a high conversion chance (about 60% once you get to master it).
6. Think One Step Ahead
True to the nature of being a skill-based game, 50% of being a “pro” in DLS player would be the ability to read and react to situations. Although every match is meant to be fast-paced and unique, you will realize that things have a pattern, which makes every single offensive and defensive sequence readable. To make it easier, below are our tips and the keys to executing them:
6.1 Always Contest Passes
Successfully contesting a pass gives you a chance to win back possession—something that will always be valuable. When attempting such, you simply need to remember that a pass always has two points—the passer and the receiver. Observe whoever has the ball. Is he stationary? Is he advancing? Is he facing upfield or downfield?
When the ball handler is just standing still (like what happens during throw-ins and missed Shots on Target) it is easy to predict who will likely receive the ball. Try your best to direct the player you are controlling to close the gap with one of the apparent receivers as soon as possible.
At times, you may be able to intercept the ball, especially when the one who inbounds only has one nearby teammate within range. Contesting stationary passes is a must, especially if you have the lead; even if you fail to intercept, knocking the ball out of play will help burn the clock.
If the ball handler is moving, contesting a pass lies on how you can challenge the passer in terms of offering a pressuring chase and anticipating the pass itself. Basically, you have to manually use the movement control pad and try to be “on top” while holding the B button; simply holding B will force your player to pressure-tackle upon contact and, if he connects from the rear, it can often cause fouls.
Apart from that pressuring method, you should be ready to switch control over to your next player when the one on chase failed to touch the ball. This commonly occurs when your opponent chooses to deliver the ball through their wingers.
Another defensive trick is what we like to call a “kick-off trap.” It can be done by simply making the CF you’re in control to move up a bit. Believe it or not, this gives you a 25% chance to intercept the ball right from the second pass in every kick-off reset.
Formations influence the spread of players right from the kick-off and most of them set just four receivers. The other striker you have will mirror the initial movement of the one you’re controlling, so even if the pass is sent to the other side, the kickoff trap would still snag.
If your CF who gets to intercept the ball has a high SPE, he can breakaway up-field and attempt to finish. From Academy to Division 4, the chance to outrun defenders with this tactic is fairly high and it can enable you to rack up goals quickly.
6.2. Time Your Tackles
The hard tackle maneuver (A-button) is a powerful tool if you will use it correctly. Its stopping power is incredibly high, that even players with good CON ratings are not guaranteed to jump over every single one thrown their way.
It is, however, balanced out by the fact that, if it makes contact with a player first rather than the ball, a foul can be expected. Naturally, if an A-dive connects just with the player, it will mean an instant booking and surely, you wouldn’t like for any of your players to be given yellow or red cards.
The correct way to use it is always from the front. Press A right on time once the ball handler is about to make contact with your defending player. Doing it this way will help ensure that you will hit the ball (since the ball is always on the front) and the tackled player won’t be able to hop through it.
6.3 Do not pull your Center Backs away
In relation to the previous tip, your CBs will be the likely ones to perform timed tackles because of their natural in-field designation. Once you have switched to a CB, limit the distance you will pull him up-field; making him go out of position creates a gap in your defender line which can be exploited by fast strikers.
The rule of thumb that we’ll share about this is that, if the ball handler has not crossed your final third yet and the switch to a CB happened too early, simply keep on tapping C until another player is selected. Let your CBs play as No-Nonsense Defenders and only pull them up to meet a ball handler when they are just a few yards away from contact.
6.4 Pre-empt defensive coverage
This tip is fundamental. Remember that it doesn’t take much effort for a defender to knock the ball away from your player—even the ones with high CON and STR. As such, you should always respect the tackling potential of every opponent.
When dribbling forward or passing the ball, consider the position of your opponents and the direction they will take to try and corner your player. Slower opponents are easier to deal with since you can estimate how much time you have to bring the ball up-field without making another pass or swerving. Only attempt to shoot when you’re within the high percentage zone (within the penalty area), especially if the contact is likely to happen there.
If you think that your striker will meet defensive contact before gaining a comfortable finishing angle, target a pass to the general area above the nearest teammate. This, however, is only mostly possible if you are running a two-striker formation.
6.5 Conserve Your Strikers’ Stamina
Applying defensive pressure high up is ideal since a successful interception would mean a prime opportunity to counterattack. But in doing so, you need to exercise self-control when chasing ball handlers.
If the cursor is on a CF, stop pursuing when you are unable to intercept (or at least knock the ball away) if the ball carrier makes it past the centerline. You should let your wing-laying players (ideally an LM/LW or RM/RW) or even the CM/DM continue the chase.
As we stated in the section for attributes, the effects of stats will decrease when a player gets fatigued and you would not want your CFs to lose their precious speed advantage. Keeping them fresh will serve you best as it will let them outrun and outmuscle defenders when you kick the ball to them during counterattacks.
7. Pay Attention to the Markers
Every time you’re on defense, you will notice that there are two teardrop markers—the main one with the colored stamina indicator and another that looks like a faint shadow. The latter simply tells you which player will be selected next should you tap the C-button.
Being able to select the right defender on time will let you maintain defensive pressure and time your tackles well. If the next player who you wish to take over a chase does have the shadow marker, you can conserve the stamina of the current pursuer especially if the ball handler is several yards away or simply faster.
Switching on time lets you conserve the stamina of your players upfield, so they can stay relatively fresh and not too fatigued to counterattack. In times that your attacking and defending wingers are out of position, those you put in the midfield slots (CM/DM) would often be the “candidates” for the marker; it’s okay to use them as soon as you will make them commit to the chase.
8. Grab Every Opportunity to Earn Extra Resources
There are two currencies in DLS, coins and diamonds. Coins can be used to upgrade your Stadium, buy uniform and logo designs, hire Physios and Scouts, pay for mid-match Team Boosts, and–most importantly–acquire new players from the Live Transfer.
Diamonds, meanwhile, can be used to upgrade all the other club facilities, buy better uniform and logo designs, pay for Agents, purchase player-dedicated Form Boosts, and hire Coaches. Players who have just received an attribute upgrade from a Coach can be re-trained for a premium amount of diamonds.
8.1 Farming 101
The rate at which you can earn resources is slow, but you can definitely grind and farm your way to afford anything in the game (well, except for Season Passes). Moving up divisions involves spending a lot of coins and the quality of players you need to thrive in higher divisions (or to stay dominant where you’re at) requires the same.
The message is clear: you need a truckload of coins and diamonds. Below are our tips to get your pockets deep as you develop your club in Dream League Soccer 2023.
Ace Your Matches
Winning matches is the main source of income in Dream League Soccer 2023. The better you perform; the more coins you will get in total. There is a set amount of coins for a win and a bonus if you are the home team (regardless of the actual venue). The amount depends on your current division and your home stadium’s seating capacity, respectively.
You can further earn more by playing effective offense and defense. Each goal is a guaranteed +2 coins (in the Academy and Amateur Divisions) while a Clean Sheet is worth +5. Since the better players in Live Transfer cost by the thousands, every little bit helps so you should always do your best to score and defend. We will cover scoring tricks later in this section.
Beat the Daily Challenges
Clearing the four Daily Challenges is not too complicated. The usually hard ones are those that require a win or a set amount of goals in a Dream Live match. What makes them particularly difficult to do would be the usual latency issues (translation: lag) and the incredibly high chance to be matched against a super farmed-up team.
Fortunately, a shuffle option may be offered every now and then in exchange for watching an ad. Just keep on using the ad viewing opportunity until you’re given a task that is doable in single-player.
The total coin rewards from Daily Challenges may range from 75 to 100—that is equivalent to winning a match in Division 1!
Secure Career Objectives
If the Daily Challenges promise coins; Career Objectives offer diamonds. Take full advantage of this feature because meeting these objectives guarantees you 40 diamonds every season.
From Academy Division to Division 4, the conditions are reasonably easy. They often simply require you to finish at a certain place in fixtures. The tasks will gradually become more demanding as you move up, with items that would demand you to score a certain number of goals or assists with just one player.
Unlike the Daily Challenges, there is no ad-viewing option that lets you reshuffle a task away. The set of tasks stays as is until you finish the current season you’re on. In approaching each objective, take things one step at a time; try your best to win every match and you’ll just be surprised when a bonus of 10 diamonds appears in the post-match reward screens down the season.
Flow With The Ads
Normally, it’s hard to appreciate how ads appear in most mobile games. They tend to pop up too often; sometimes, even randomly. Quite fortunately, the ads in DLS are not disruptive. In fact, the only force-viewing ads would be the ones that occur during halftime breaks.
The presence of halftime ads may even be a welcomed matter because when one shows up, there is about a 75% chance that when the match is over, you will be offered the x2 coin multiplier. This multiplier is truly helpful in farming.
To give you an idea, even if you’re yet in the Academy Division, securing at least 20 wins with a 3-0 scorecard will net you somewhere from 1,100 to 1,300 coins per season–if you will always use the post-match ad viewing bonus. That amount will allow you to get one Rare or three Common players.
Outside of a match, you can manually view ads from the main screen every time the indicator on the upper left corner is present. This Free Coins option will always give you 30 coins and has an indefinite cool-down period.
We have observed that ads are much more abundant in Dream League Soccer 2023 compared to last year’s version; back then, there is an implicit skip on the next ad-viewing opportunity each time you watch one. This means that you can now seize the Free Coins every time it pops up, without fear of losing the x2 bonus multiplier at the end of your next match.
The only ad-viewing opportunity that will conflict with the x2 multiplier is the post-match Team Recovery. That is because it is the screen that directly comes before it. If you will faithfully follow the tips we are sharing in this guide, you will likely find no reason to use that Team Recovery as early as your second season.
Don’t Miss Out on Diamonds
It takes 1 to 2 seasons before you can earn enough diamonds to afford something. To make sure your diamond rush won’t be a drag, try your best to consistently achieve the following:
– Complete all four Daily Challenges; grants 8
– Meet the condition of a Career Objective (seasonal); gives 10 each for a max. potential total of 40
– Post a 1st to 3rd place finish in a division; champion gets 15 (Academy Division)
– Secure the Global Challenge Cup; the champion gets 22
– Finish as the 1st or 2nd place in the scaling cups; champion gets 10 (Bronze Cup)
– Win against your division’s all-stars; gives 5
8.2 Scoring 101
Winning solves everything and to win in matches, you need to outscore whoever your opponent is. Scoring on a DLS match depends on how well you can finish your plays and convert from set pieces.
The instruction to score is clear but far too general and that’s not exactly how we help our community here at Level Winner. To get your goal machines running, here are the specific tricks that we always do to shoot better and make the most out of every scoring opportunity.
Use the Goal-to-Goal View
There are multiple choices for perspective in DLS and the default one is Sideline. We’re all used to this view. After all, as football fans, that is how we exactly watch the sport on our TV screens.
But if you are keen to let go of tradition and make scoring goals easier, join us in using the Goal-to-Goal camera type. While it may not be as appealing as Sideline, TV, or Ball, the ability to aim your shots better and finish from wider angles makes it worth the trade-off. Try it and you will see.
Frame Your Finishes
Do your best to shoot just within the penalty box. Like what we have mentioned in the section for attributes, there is now a certain level of forgiveness when shooting with the A button.
In the image below, if you will charge the A button from 0% (a tap) up to 40% when you’re in the area we marked as green, it will home right into the goal as long as you are aiming toward it correctly. In the same way, if you double tap from within the zone, it will be a high-percentage shot as well, even if you attempt it with a player who has a red rating for SHO.
The same rules apply in the area we marked with yellow; it is considered a “safe” shooting distance if you are controlling a player who has at least a yellow SHO rating. If you will aim from this zone using a player who has red to orange SHO, you must control the power and the direction of the shot manually.
Once you become comfortable finishing within the marked areas, you will eventually be able to make the necessary strength and aiming adjustments for shots that you will attempt from beyond.
Flick Your Shots
As you advance through divisions, goalkeepers will become sharper and their reactions to shots will factor in the direction of your cursor during strikes. This reactiveness is something that you should not worry about yet when you are still either in the Academy or Amateur Division.
Still, it would serve you good if you develop the habit of flicking your shots early, so you won’t be clueless on how to fine-tune your finishes when you move up. You’re probably wondering what we mean by “flick” here.
Flicking is simply changing the direction of your aim as soon as your player shoots. For example, you are aiming at the left side half of the goal—once you hear the audio cue of the kick—flick your aim all the way to the right.
Since you will be relying on the sound of the kick, turning the volume up will help you determine when it’s time to flick. The sudden change of direction will not alter your shots; the ball will still be sent to the part of the goal you originally aimed for.
Turn your Set Pieces Into Goals
Ever wondered why Set Pieces are positively termed? If the defending team sent the ball out of play through their baseline, the other team “wins” a corner kick. If a player was fouled within the box, their team is “awarded” a penalty. If a foul is committed elsewhere, a free kick is “given.”
That is because Set Pieces are golden opportunities to score. To make sure that you can fully take advantage of them, here are our tips on how to approach every set piece.
Free Kick
The main consideration in Free Kicks is the location and distance. If it’s too far out, just resume play and distribute the ball. If it’s near the penalty box but too off-center (translation: limited shooting angle), do what we shared in the section about passes—use a B or C pass to reach a striker who is in position beside or behind the wall.
However, if you’re the kind who likes to gamble, scoring from a free kick is feasible. To increase your chance to convert, make sure that the one who takes the free kick is your player with the best SHO rating on the pitch. Take into account the actual distance so you can gauge how much you need to charge the A button; usually, somewhere around 20% to 40% is optimal.
Note that free kicks are always taken outside of the box and shooting from such distance and farther is considered an advanced skill. The wall and the goalkeeper’s anticipation further limit your shooting angle. That is exactly why we suggest simply passing the ball to an attacker as there should be a few microseconds’ worth of time window for him to strike.
After all, a normal goal and a goal from a Set Piece have the same value in coins. Yes, there are no bonus coins for scoring a direct free kick or corner kick.
Corner Kick
Like what we’ve shared in the section about passes, the best way to take a corner kick is to distribute with a C-pass and then header the ball toward the goal with a full-powered B-button strike.
Winning the aerial battle is not guaranteed because players move randomly within the penalty box. Sometimes, your receivers will be covered. Still, if one of your taller players manages to connect with a header, it all boils down to how you can micro-aim it away from the center of the goal to minimize the goalkeeper’s chance to catch the ball.
Penalty
When taking a penalty kick, the universal rule in shooting applies: always aim for the top or bottom corners. Being situated on top of the goal gives an illusion that you have a wide shooting angle; in reality, though, aiming slightly over what is “allowed” will be a wasted penalty.
To make it easier to visualize where to aim for top bins and bottom corner shots, refer to the images we prepared below. With the goalkeeper standing at the center, imagine that there are 2 other copies of him standing side-by-side; your shooting pointer should not go past the “outer” goalies.
When shooting with the B button, charge it to 100% for maximum power and speed. Aim for the outer foot of the imaginary goalkeeper at the side you’re shooting at. If you will limit aiming up to that point only, you are guaranteed to send the ball to the bottom corner, even if you’re shooting with a player who has a red SHO attribute.
The same concept applies when shooting with an A-kick, except that there are some key adjustments since it is more powerful. If your penalty kicker is someone with a low SHO, aim to the body of the imaginary goalie; if it’s a natural shooter, you can add a bit more variance to the side and shoot for the outer leg.
These penalty kick formulas we shared here are guaranteed to be 100% safe–the ball won’t hit the posts, go outside, or be over the goal. Beyond that, the shooting leg or SHO rating of the penalty taker would not matter. We even sometimes let our goalie take the penalty kick just because we are confident with our findings. Everyone wants to end a season with a goal, yeah?
Penalty kicks are special in DLS because of the AI’s total randomness. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the Academy or Legendary Division; the difficulty in scoring stays the same. Veteran players even sometimes complain that it gets too hard to score in penalties, let alone win a shootout. It seems as if the developers sometimes tweak the AI’s ability to read and predict shots.
If you’re on a shootout and you noticed that your opponent’s goalkeeper is actively diving to the sides and able to deflect even your well-aimed top bins, a full-powered B-kick without changing the target direction may often cut it. But don’t charge it right away; count for about 5 seconds before holding the B button.
The idea is to make the AI think that you are taking your time because you are precisely aiming for the sides. As such, the goalkeeper will likely dive sideways and your dead-center shot will be uncontested. Please note though, that is purely our observation from playing DLS for over a year now; we rarely lose in shootouts and we hope that you too will earn the same “luck.”
9. Be Smart with Your Diamonds
If you do not plan to spend on the game, know that you can still organically earn diamonds to improve your club in every single aspect. However, you must economize well and know where to put your first few hundreds of this prized resource.
– Your first 75 should go to improving your Accommodation to expand your roster capacity from 20 to 24 players.
– Your second 75 should go to the Training Centre to unlock new formations, giving you access to easier-to-use and more versatile ones like 4-1-2-1-2, 4-1-3-2, and 4-4-1-1.
– When you’re able to save up 150 diamonds, upgrade your Accommodation again so your roster will be able to hold 28 players.
– Keep saving your diamonds to collect 320 and get a Legendary player through an Agent.
If you will win the majority of your games up to this point, your roster would have at least four Rare Players and two Legendaries which is usually enough to get you consistently winning the Academy Division title. Those priced recruits would be a combination of what you can get directly from the Live Transfer, free Rare Agents, a Rare Scout, and then your first free Legendary player.
10. Save Your Coins
It will literally take you at least two seasons to buy a Legendary player or a Rare attacker (CF/LW/RW/SS). With a lot of possibilities and options for you to use your resources, the danger of loosely spending is always there. To save you from potentially misusing your funds, it is crucial that you avoid or at least minimize doing the following:
Using the second-half Team Boost – Shortly after a match resumes from the half-time break, the game will offer you a Team Boost for 30 coins. In the Academy Division, you cannot earn that many coins even in a 4-0 win (without the help of the x2 multiplier from ads).
Using Physios for the entire team – Priced by default at 50 (Common), 100 (Rare), and 200 (Legendary) coins, we recommend avoiding the Physio option for the entire team for the same reason with Team Boosts—the default coin rewards from winning a match cannot offset the amount.
Team Boosts and Team Physios have literally the same effect. They will both restore 10% stamina to your players–one is simply mid-game; the other is post-game. Stamina issues can be preemptively addressed by having a full roster and taking full advantage of substitutions.
It’s okay to pay for individual Physios if you must field the same players for consecutive matches, but do limit it just to a maximum of two players per match or cap the spend within 6 to 8 coins. To fully restore that stamina of all players, you would need a Rare Physio which will hurt your budget while you’re yet on the Academy or Amateur Divisions.
Getting the cheapest Rare players that you can afford – While Rares are fundamentally better than Commons, trying to fill your roster with the cheapest options you’ll see in the Live Transfer is not really a smart move. There’s no denying that it is tempting to get a colored 11 as soon as you can, but you need to check well who you’re recruiting.
Refer to the section we have for attributes in considering your prospects. If you really intend to get Rares, focus on getting those with better SPE and ACC—green for attackers; yellow for defenders and midfielders. Naturally fast players can stay viable even if you move up divisions.
Running a fresh club, you can simply settle with Commons as there are several of them blessed in the speed department. There is no need to rush for Blues; just fill your squad with qualified Whites and you’ll have the right tools to take every championship cup!
Investing in a goalkeeper – No offense to real-life goalies, but having a well-upgraded, top-tier goalkeeper is more of a luxury than a necessity in Dream League Soccer 2023. There is no doubt, though, that as the last line of defense, the GK’s role remains important.
However, if you are to rely on a goalkeeper for Clean Sheets or deny goals from your opponents, then you are doing it wrong. Simply put, if you cannot use your 10 players on the open pitch to intercept the ball or at least prevent their attackers from getting a finishing angle, then your defense has failed in general.
When you start with a new team, you will most likely have 3 goalkeepers; let the one with the best SPE and GKR stay, sell the other two and use the coaches from the proceeds to update the one that will remain. There is virtually no need to get a spare GK in DLS especially if you’re only playing against the AI.
11. Prioritize Filling Your Roster (Live Transfer, Agents, and Scouts)
Since salary and loss of morale (for being benched) are not a thing in DLS, filling every slot in your roster is something that you must do. Having a full roster can preemptively address a lot of issues.
The biggest benefit of having a full roster is that you will be able to play NON-STOP. If you’re the type who loves to grind or you simply wish to sharpen your skills by endlessly playing, having a full roster is all that you will need.
By the time you have upgraded your Accommodation to level 2, you’ll be able to support 24 players and that’s basically it. Your team is now deep enough to keep on playing.
If you have a lot of spare players, you will be able to field a fresh 10 for every match, you will worry less about suspensions, and injuries would only hurt if it happens to your best striker and there is no equally-capable substitute yet.
The random players who are available in the Live Transfer will change after every career match. Focus on getting Rares first in your first few seasons. A Rare striker costs a lot but you will reap the rewards of having two scoring options with solid attributes.
A certain way to get a player of a particular class is by paying for Agents. It is, however, an extravagant move because each option costs diamonds. Apart from the price issue, the recruits will be random, so we suggest availing an Agent only if you want to get a Legendary player because you will at least be sure that you are acquiring someone with an overall 80 rating.
Scouts would be the pure coins alternative for Agents. Every scout will bring two potential recruits fitted with a discount that corresponds to the level of your Recruitment Centre. We don’t really recommend using this feature unless you get Scout tokens for free. Using it synergizes with the aim to quickly fill your roster since the recruitment costs will be cheaper (versus the prices in Live Transfer).
12. Pay for Coaches to Improve Your Roster
It will take a while for you to max out the upgrades for your Accommodation, but once you’re done with it and you are satisfied with nearly all the players in your roster, know that there is no further need to upgrade the other facilities beyond level 2.
Save up your diamonds until you can afford a Legendary Coach. Since the prices for Technical Coaches and Fitness Coaches are just the same, we recommend that you get the latter.
The most definitive attributes are SPE, STR, and ACC and they far outweigh all technical attributes. You can offset any player’s lack of SHO, TAC, PAS, and CON as you get to understand the game better and become more effective in playing offense and defense.
Releasing players that you no longer need also gives you coaches—one Common coach for releasing a Common player, two Common coaches for releasing a Rare Player, and one Rare Coach for releasing a Legendary player.
13. Manage Your Team’s Stamina (Physios and Substitution Tips)
Physios are particularly useful when you do not have a full rotation yet. When you’re new to the game and do not yet have a full second squad, you will be forced to send the same players in consecutive games. Each time you finish a match your players will regenerate 30% of their maximum stamina. Sometimes this is enough; more often, it isn’t.
If a player starts in a match with less than 100% stamina, they will naturally become fatigued quicker. Remember, a tired player will lose his efficiency; he will be slower, less resistant to tackles, and can easily be pushed off when you’re the one applying defensive pressure.
Spending for Physios is something you should explore when addressing early-game stamina issues. However, as we said in the section about saving coins, we suggest using Physios for individual players instead.
Usually, you need them for your defensive wingers as they engage in chases and cover a lot of ground. Similarly, helping your main striker recover is a nice idea especially if you don’t have qualified substitutes yet.
Make it a habit to check the players’ stamina bars in the team preview screen before you go to your next match. Look if someone has a faint green or yellow bar—make sure to Physio them up. Doing so will cost about 2 to 4 coins each. Do not overspend, though; limit your Physio spending per match just to 8 coins.
Another way to buffer stamina issues is by using the ad-enabled Team Recovery. Yes, we dismissed this feature in the Save Your Coins chapter, but using it sparingly and at the right time can be beneficial.
The “correct” time to use it is after an away match because there will be fewer coins to multiply since there is no Home Stadium Bonus. Be advised, however, that you may need to log into your Google Play or iCloud account to enable the ads.
Speaking of correct timing, there is a “sweet spot” for when you should do a 5-man substitution. That is between the 60th to the 70th minute of every match. The candidates should be any player with an orange stamina bar/teardrop marker.
Even if the players that you will sub-in are still recovering from the previous match, if you field them within the sweet spot stretch, they will recover with 100% Stamina for the next match. The players you’ve subbed out will also be fully rested. The end result? Your entire team will be fresh, thus empowering you to grind and farm.
14. Upgrade Your Stadium’s Capacity Only When You’re Ready
We have to put as the section’s title because we mean it like that–only increase your stadium’s seating capacity when you’re ready. There are two premises behind this: the cost of upgrades and how competent you can be with your current roster and mechanical skills.
From the base form of the stadium, until you reach the capacity required for the next division (from Academy to Amateur), the cheapest option costs 446 coins to meet the 15,000 seating capacity. Farming those coins is no problem since you can gather that amount in just eight matches.
Our suggestion is to stay in the Academy division until you have four Rare and two Legendary players—a matter we have mentioned in an earlier part of this guide.
When you advance through divisions, everything becomes gradually harder—the AI will shoot with better accuracy, their tackles increase in effectiveness, you get denied of more space when receiving through-balls from long ball passes, and every opponent’s goalie will be more involved in defense.
The best way to offset those enhancements is to have at least 24 roster members with five to six of them being “colored” players. The Commons or practically anyone with multiple red attributes would eventually get swallowed by the opposition. Advance only when you’re confident that you can conquer the next division.
15. Bonus: A Quick Walkthrough for Beginners
Unlike in DLS 2022 and perhaps the older versions too, there is a “stimulus package” when you create a fresh account. After your second game, you will receive 1,500 coins and 75 diamonds.
Use some of the coins by acquiring at least two players from the Live Transfer. Get anyone who can play as RW, LW, or CF. If there is only one natural striker offered in the mix, let your second pick be someone with a decent SPE and ACC. If you’re lucky, you can acquire two players with those stats in yellow.
After your next match, you will have one Common Agent and one Rare Scout token for free. Use both to acquire at least two more players.
Once you have filled up all 20 slots, use the free diamonds to upgrade your Training Centre. This will bring your team’s total capacity to 24. Your topmost objective early on is to fill all your roster slots so you can continuously play games without having to wait for 2 hours—the amount of time needed for all players to be back to full stamina.
In your bid to recruit, try to avoid getting Common players with an orange or red SPE unless they’re playing as CB. If the shuffles you’re getting in the Live Transfer aren’t good, just keep on finishing career matches and then recheck afterward.
Follow our recommendations within the Scoring 101 subsection and you’ll eventually get your groove. Your first matches against teams with colored lineups will be rough, but it’s all part of the game. It’s okay to not win every single match, you’ll eventually get there.
And that wraps up our Dream League Soccer 2023 Beginner’s Guide! We hope you enjoyed reading our guide as much as we took pleasure in thoroughly preparing it for you.
If there is any part of this article that is quite unclear for you, feel free to let us know through the comment section and we would gladly give you additional pointers. After all, victory is a team effort and we are on the same team here at Level Winner!