Player Review
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All games played in division 1 and weekend league. Been using Andriy with a get in behind instruction in a 2 striker formation alongside Talisca who drops deep in a 4-4-2. On past FIFA's first instinct would be to put an engine on him but with how the game feels this year, I believed a hunter is whats best for him to maximize pace and shooting as much as possible.
To put it simply, Shevchenko is the ShevchenGOAT. The first thing that is noticeable is his offensive AI, 94 positioning is one of the reasons that this card excels where regular gold cards do not. He always pops up in the box where you need him and the he makes cutting runs through the defense. With a hunter he has 99 sprint speed so can beat most CBs in a foot race, as well as being no slouch off the mark with 86 acceleration, but once he beats the last man is when he really shows his potential. He finishes everything: cross goal shots, finessess, headers - if they don't manual keep, it'll go in. Speaking of finesses, Shevchenko has finesse shot trait as well as 88 long shots and it shows. With this being the most efficient way to score on this iteration, all of your attackers should be proficient in them and Shevchenko has the best of any player I have used. His 4* weak foot is cap: having such high shooting stats it does not matter what foot it ends up on, his shots always hit its target. Having used many players with elite shooting post chem style, I can honestly say Shevchenko is a cut above the rest. He is the only player where 99 finishing feels like 99 finishing should. His aerial prowess is not to be sniffed at either, his combination of height and jumping make him a nuisance for defenders and he has beaten many CBs to crosses that seemingly always rocket into the net. 74 stamina leaves one asuming he will be gasping come the 60th, especially with him on get in behind, but it was never that big of an issue that it was evident.
This does not mean he is a perfect player however: his dribbling, while very good when moving forward with the ball in transition, left something to be desired. His turning circle was not the tightest, although his strength would ensure he kept hold of the ball most of the time, so it was not usually a big problem. He also had a hint of Lukaku with his first touch when played into feet occasionally, although his first touch off of through balls would always give you the right animation to rocket towards the goal. His passing was more then adequate for combining with the near side winger and with Talisca - although anything that would require a long passing stat would usually go amiss.
In conclusion, Shevchenko is not far from a perfect get in behind striker and will be in my team for the foreseeable future. Every team needs a goalscorer and that is not only what Shevchenko is, but what he is the best at. I would not recommend playing him alongisde another striker of the same ilk, nor do I think he would suit a single striker formation. Until EA release some new amazing cards, or the biggest market crash of all time occurs (which at the moment doesn't seem all too unlikely, given how this FIFAs market has gone), you will struggle to find a better goalscorer than Shevchenko for half a million coins.
- Shooting
- Pace
- Aerial Ability
- Offensive AI
- Close Dribbling
- Very Long Passing