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Summer Heat Bernardo Silva

 

Lockdown restarted.  While the French flags keep waving in the Summer Heat, we decided to take a look at the latest installment of the Portuguese playmaker, Bernardo Silva.  If you were like me, you completed the Player Moments Silva after hearing all of the hype about his agility, quickness and goal-scoring ability; then you realized that the rumors were true and Silva was an insane option.  PM Bernardo was a staple in my Rivals grind throughout this year and often lost his WL place to the constant bombardment of new and shiny RW options.  Now… we have yet another new and shiny option in a bolstered 4 STAR WEAK FOOT Summer Heat Bernardo Silva himself.  When I decided to review Bernardo I realized that my normal 4-4-2 would not suffice.  Playing Bernardo as a RM would not provide enough information to really assess his quality… while a ST review would not be a realistic position to use this card in the end.  So without further ado, I give you the return to the 4-2-3-1 as I deployed Summer Heat Silva as the CAM, using a HAWK chemistry style in an attempt to improve his attacking ability.  Bernardo Silva was the sprinkle of stardust all weekend in the following squad:
 

 

 

 

Overall

Rating: 9.4/10  
Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.9/10
Shooting Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 9.5/10
Physical Rating: 7.5/10
Defending Rating: N/A

It is important to remember that this is strictly a CAM review… and the rating is 100% reliant on that positioning.  After the 20 matches, I was not 100% comfortable going into the final 10 with a formation I have seldom used.  In order to go back to the 4-4-2 I had to play Bernardo as a CM, which changed to ST, and finally as a RM…why?  Because he was simply not suited for any of these other rolls and I had to continuously try something different to get him in the squad.  Don’t get me wrong, he can certainly do a job in these areas, but there are just so many better options even at 240k.  However, at CAM… There are not many which are better.  The two keys for Silva in the middle of the pitch are quickness and agility… and he has an abundance of both to turn defenders inside out and find the space required to make the killer pass or test the keeper on his magic left foot.  This should all come as no surprise given the 99 ACCELERATION, 95 SPRINT SPEED, 99 AGILITY, 99 BALANCE, 99 BALL CONTROL & 99 DRIBBLING.  I guess I am just clarifying that the stats don’t lie, they feel good, and you can produce magic moments on the ball with only the left stick and the trust that he will get the job done.  I should add that even the drag backs with this card felt extra smooth and some of my opponent's defenders are still looking for the ball.    


Linkability 

Linkability Rating: 4/5

While the Summer Heat has continued to provide more and more Premier League options, I would say that the Portuguese and Man City options remain a bit lacking.  Additionally, Bernardo does offer a fantastic link to all of you Bruno Fernandes completers, but I would suggest they would be jostling for the same position as well.  There are certainly options to get Silva into any squad, just not as many as I would like.

 

End Game Strength

End Game Strength Rating: 5/5

Again, let’s not lose sight of the premise behind this review.  As a CAM I really don’t think there can be too many better yet to come, and there certainly are not many better at the moment… at least not anywhere near this price tag.  One area that really drove my appreciation for Bernardo was in his shooting ability.  With 98 FINISHING, 98 SHOT POWER, and a 4 STAR WEAK FOOT we of course expect some results.  However, I was not expecting the level of potency I received in this card and I would be lying if I did not say his 24 goal return is WAY above what I expected.  On his left Bernardo is incredibly reliable and solid… while his right foot varies from feeling like a 5 STAR one second, to a 3 STAR the next.  Impressive when you get the 5 STAR results… maddening when the next match he fluffs everything and is the reason for a slightly lower shooting rating.

 

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

Value/Coins Rating: 4/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 4/5

240k for a card of this level and quality seems more than fair to me and if you complete Silva I do not think it will be a regret later.  One quality I have not covered is the passing range and quality with Silva.  Due to the nature of the 4-2-3-1 it would have been impossible to get anything going and flowing without the quickness and passing accuracy that Bernardo brings to the table.  He zips the ball into space and feet with relative ease and then his high/high work rates have him immediately on the move to get into yet another quality position to do it all over again.  I really did expect that the goals and assists Bernardo produced would have been flipped, but he just kept scoring and scoring which ultimately took away from the number of assists he definitely would have normally racked up.  The shots kept falling to him, and he kept pulling the trigger with devastating effect.  So, the only reason I go with a 4/5, in this case, is the fact you are only paying 240k, but then it is for only one position.  I find the lack of versatility really hinders what I would have liked to pay for this card, and it might affect you too.

No matter where you play Silva the physical stats are going to be a letdown.  Really, the only true negatives I found with Silva where his 67 STRENGTH, the mixture of height and 69 JUMPING, and his 99 STAMINA.  Yes, his stamina.  I don’t think it is a hidden mistake or anything, but as a CAM with the high/high work rates I found the drop off in Silva’s quality shocking around minute 70.  I honestly think it comes down to as I said before, how reliant this card is on quickness and agility.  As these assets started to drain I started to get a more and more watered down version of this Silva’s talents.  Not a huge deal after I realized the issue and had a sub prepared each match, but just another small niggle against this card overall. 

 

Closing Words

It is no doubt that as a CAM Summer Heat B. Silva impressively pulls the strings and makes the team dance to the puppet masters tune.  However, playing him in any other area felt like I was the dummy and playing a man down compared to the super squads I was facing.  So my recommendation is as simple as that.  If you like formations with one or two CAMs then you will not find many better… Silva connects midfield to attacking beautifully and then carries his own offensive threat that was a treat to use.  On the other hand, at literally anywhere else on the pitch I would steer clear.  Cheers for reading.
 

 

 

Game Stats:
 

 

 

 

Game Highlights:

 

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