FC 25 96 Clara Mateo Team of The Season Player Review

The TOTS season is officially upon us and just like the weather, this promo has started to heat up early on.  This year's edition promises more cards and more leagues, a consistent pack grind, and additional cards such as TOTS Moments.  Some of these cards already boast some ridiculous statistics and PlayStyles… Make sure to get those before TOTS squads pics as this is about to get out of hand.     

There have been a few reviews this year where the selection process proved more difficult than others and this weekend was certainly one of the most challenging.  There were more than a handful of intriguing cards that caught the eye and could potentially be the game changer in my squad this weekend… Not to mention the price tags falling to ridiculously good value within hours of TOTS kickoff.  In the end the popularity, crazy statistics, and ridiculous PlayStyle combination was enough to put Clara Mateo as the front and center option for this weekend's review.

With the continuation of the 4-2-1-3 (I know, I feel the shame), I wanted to at least try Mateo in two of those positions and opted for three matches as a striker and three more at CAM.   In both cases the ENGINE Chemistry Style stood out as the best option to maximize statistics with the hope of creating a menace for defenders to contain.  The early hope being that the CONTROLLED EXPLOSIVE AcceleRATE & 99 ACCELERATION would be enough to make up for a lack of any QUICK STEP PlayStyle on the card.  With that, Mateo was set to kick start the TOTS shenanigans, offering the offensive threat all weekend long in the following squad:

Rating: 9/10

Really glad that I decided to test Mateo in both positions this weekend as I would have otherwise missed out on a fantastic CAM performance.  As a striker Mateo has all of the qualities to deliver solid returns and is reliable in front of goal outside of the odd left foot blunder, but as a CAM this card can take over matches and deliver an even more impressive offensive threat.  The 18 goal contributions in 6 matches highlights just how potent that threat can be, while the 50/50 split between goals and assists is a great visual for how well-rounded this card feels and performs.

Main Statistic - Speed & Agility

Pace Rating: 10/10

Dribbling: 10/10

Skills: ★★★★★

PlayStyles: Rapid Plus, First Touch Plus, Press Proven Plus, Technical, Flair, Trickster, Relentless

I am not sure what this card would be like with QUICK STEP?  I honestly do not know if you can accelerate any faster in the game… The FIRST TOUCH Plus is such a key to success with this card as it transitions receiving a pass into the RAPID Plus sprinting immediately.  I felt throughout the review that my opponents either guessed the direction I was turning, or were going to be in trouble.  As a CAM this kickstarted so many of my attacks and created the space to make the correct pass or opened spaces for a shot.

Responsive is an understatement here and everything Mateo does just feels like there is a crispness to the movements that you get from only a few cards.  The 168cm | 5’6 body type is a huge advantage to the movements and combined perfectly with the 94 AGILITY & 98 BALANCE.  There are so many subtle qualities about this card that add up throughout a match, case in point the PRESS PROVEN Plus offering a buffer for turning away from heavy pressure before the FIRST TOUCH & RAPID take you into hyperdrive.

Once again I am left lamenting my lack of using a ton of skills and basically wasting the 5 STAR SKILLS with Mateo.  I am sure the TRICKSTER & FLAIR combination will have many causing defenders even more challenges when flying towards goal.  Even in my hands there is a magic about the movement with Mateo and the left-stick-shimy-shake had my opponents dancing trying to defend.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins: 5/5

This category is nearly impossible to judge at this point when you have a complete 90+ base statistics Bentaleb going for 50k… I realize he doesn’t have any defensive PlayStyles, but still…  I guess if a card is anything over 500k it had better be fantastic and in the case of Clara Mateo it was nothing short of brilliance.  While I have already mentioned the wide variety of statistics and PlayStyles combined with a wide variety of positions, it does speak to why this card is at an increased price and why its value feels more than fair. 

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

Just about as meta as they come…

+ The lack of a 5 STAR WEAK FOOT comes only second to the lack of QUICK STEP in terms of what could have taken this card to a meta overload.  It is also the reason why I would hesitate to make Mateo my permanent striker and would opt more for a CAM position.  Yet the 4 STAR WEAK FOOT felt more than fine given how open Mateo was in situations where it was called upon, it didn’t really stand out as a weakness.  The LOW DRIVEN shots are ridiculous and if the situation calls you still have the FINESSE & TRIVELA in your back pocket if needed… It really is an embarrassment of riches here.

+ The ENGINE added some additional quality to the Passing and brings the VISION & SHORT PASSING to a nice maxed out 99.  The INCISIVE PASS PlayStyle was another factor in the 9 assists that Mateo contributed and again shows the versatility that you can have with this card.  As a RW/RM I could see the 96 LONG PASSING & 98 CROSSING offering yet another weapon if you wanted to use the RAPID to create space down the line as well.

I said just about as meta…

- It is impossible to deny that Mateo is going to struggle in any physical battles on the pitch.  The 97 JUMPING does not matter when you are only jumping up to the head height of a defender who is still standing on the ground, has 90+ heading themselves, and probably AERIAL as well.  But I will say that the 83 STRENGTH was enough to allow the PRESS PROVEN to avoid more ball control while shielding than you would expect, only adding to the impressive display that I experienced this weekend. 

Closing Words

If this is what is in store for the rest of TOTS then there is going to be absolute mayhem with some of the cards that are yet to come.  Clara Mateo is an example of how the right combination of statistics and PlayStyles can overcome omissions that would have otherwise doomed cards in this meta.  The lack of QUICK STEP really was a none issue and even the 4 STAR WEAK FOOT was firing throughout the review.  All in all this card is fun, and that is what we are looking for at this stage in the game, I would definitely recommend trying her out and recommend her at CAM, despite some impressive returns as a striker. 

Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.