FC 24 Team of The Year Sophia Smith Player Review

Round 2 of the more affordable TOTY striker options and this time we find ourselves in the NWSL with Portland Thorns sharpshooter Sophia Smith.  If you didn’t get a chance to check out the Sam Kerr review I would strongly suggest taking a look as the TOTY review certainly started off with a bang this weekend.  Going into this review I was hoping to see more of the same as Smith led my Weekend League squad into battle. 

Similar to Kerr it was a massive upgrade on Sophia Smith’s previous special card as her 89 Trailblazer has been absolutely dwarfed by the increased statistics on her 95 TOTY upgrade.  The 4 STAR 5 STAR remains the same as even her non-inform, but the move from zero PlayStyle Plus additions to the non-inform, into the RELENTLESS Plus on the Trailblazer, and finally to the QUICK STEP & TECHNICAL Plus options on the TOTY is perhaps the most significant improvement of them all.  

Smith settled into the striker position of my 4-3-2-1 formation perfectly and it was a much easier decision on Chemistry Style than with Kerr, with the HAWK Chemistry Style standing out as the clear option.  While the FINISHER does make the Shooting and Dribbling look phenomenal, it was too enticing to max out the Pace and take the increased Long Shot of the HAWK.

Smith attempted to keep the TOTY magic flowing all Weekend League long in the following squad:

Overall 

Certainly one of those where the statistics don’t fully paint the entire picture and while Smith did not deliver the same feel and performance as TOTY Kerr overall, there are a ton of weapons to utilize.  So what went wrong from a strictly goals and assists perspective?  1. The majority of players I faced where Smith could have added to her goals tally were not interested in sticking out the match and quit.  2.  In general Smith was let down by teammates in the assist department as the likes of Morgan and co. simply didn’t convert on the quality chances created.  Yet there were enough issues overall for me to consider this card as a long term option, at least in my squad.

Main Statistics – Dribbling

Dribbling Rating: 10/10

Pace Rating: 9/10

Skills: ★★★★

PlayStyles: Quick Step Plus, Technical Plus, Flair, Trickster, Relentless

One area that both Kerr and Smith deliver consistent quality is on the ball dribbling.  Yet it was interesting to see how the two cards get there in completely different ways.  While Kerr is incredibly responsive and a left stick dribbling dream.  Smith was reliant on the PlayStyles, TECHNICAL Plus specifically, to manufacture the same feel on the ball. 

The 99 ACCELERATION and QUICK STEP Plus combination is scary good and creates space in the tightest space.  Yet the absence of the RAPID PlayStyle and CONTROLLED AcceleRATE did seem to hinder the 99 SPRINT SPEED.  It is crazy to say but I constantly felt that Smith was simply not fast enough in a dead sprint and the majority of top tier defenders caught up to the American with relative ease.

But in the end the small let down in Pace was generally compensated for in some fantastic dribbling aided by the 91 AGILITY, 93 BALANCE & 95 DRIBBLING combining perfectly with the FLAIR and FIRST TOUCH PlayStyles amplifying the performance of those numbers further.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 4/5

Probably going to get slaughtered with this one but it is what it is… My experience simply felt like Kerr is the superior of the two cards and that alone hurts the overall value for coins of Smith.  The 300k you can save by grabbing Kerr feels like a steal overall, yet still makes the value of Smith seem slightly high.  One thing is clear, the market is mudded and the fact that these cards are both so cheap speaks to that fact.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

Despite the fact that the price seems high, you are still getting a fantastic card with plenty of weapons required to lead the line.

+ The Shooting was once again a strength for this review and while not quite as potent of a 5 STAR WEAK FOOT as Kerr, it was still a strength that resulted in a handful of goals.  Most notably the high sought after TRIVELLA PlayStyle was a nice addition, and worked just as cleanly on the left foot to my surprise.  The HAWK does create a 99 FINISHING & SHOT POWER combination that certainly created some potent finishes across the review.

+ The assist column doesn’t say it, but Smith is actually a solid passer in game and the 97 SHORT PASSING performed perfectly in almost all instances.  It might be the 83 VISION but there were some cases where a pass I thought was on simply did not turn into success and hence the slightly lower rating… But in general it was easy to link the play through Smith throughout the review.

Similar to Kerr it was a nightmare trying to protect the ball against the likes of Van Dijk and Blanc hunting in packs throughout the weekend.

- The 94 STRENGTH just wasn’t enough to overcome the 164cm | 5’5 frame as Smith is clearly losing those types of shoulder to shoulder battles.  But I will say that I was pleasantly surprised that 99 JUMPING did result in a handful of won headers.

Closing Words

This card is still fantastic and if you are looking to roll the NWSL route then Smith will certainly perform in your squad.  I would certainly suggest a wider role on the pitch and providing more opportunity to create space down the wing with the QUICK STEP power, while avoiding the physicality of the games best defenders. Additionally, while my experience with Morgan wasn’t ideal, the rumor of a Flashback version could just bring a link further in line with the power curve depending on the statistics given.  In that case Smith does become more enticing in my mind, but overall if you are looking to choose, it is Kerr all day for me.

Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading