FUT Freeze Marquinhos

Back again this week with a look at two of the new FUT Freeze players; starting off with whether or not it is worth completing the 87 rated, CDM Marquinhos SBC.  I can’t lie, I needed this card to be good… or at least not completely terrible, as Marquinhos finally solved a long time issue for me in FIFA 21; how am I going to link Neymar consistently in my squad?  Granted, I have found a variety of ways.  However, none of them have been overly successful or sustainable. Finally! Marquinhos offered the chance to get Neymar into my squad at a price that is not the break the bank equivalent of Mbappé.  For about a month Kante has been my set and forget holding CM in the 4-4-2 formation, and it was about time for a change.  The dream was a replacement that did not fall far behind the standard set by the French workhorse (and I will compare to him a few times just to show the difference)… and thankfully Marquinhos was up to the task and ultimately answered the call.  All weekend Marquinhos patrolled the center of the park, providing cover for my backline in that 4-4-2. Given the job, it was a simple decision to apply the SHADOW chemistry style, and the results were just about perfect.  In the end, Marquinhos was the key link all weekend in the following squad: 


Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 9/10
Pace Rating: 8.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 8/10
Shooting Rating: N/A
Passing Rating: 9.5/10
Physical Rating: 9.5/10
Defending Rating: 9.5/10

If you want to add the shooting into this review then you are getting a card closer to an 8.5/10 overall, but for me, it is a non-issue and certainly not why I brought the Brazilian into my squad this weekend.  However, I will reiterate that the shooting is not ideal with this card and Marquinhos is certainly a nailed on defensive option.  Marquinhos did manage himself a few goals throughout the weekend, five to be exact, and the one was actually a classy touch from a Neymar cross (in fact it broke the game and I received a d/c as the video shows), but overall Marquinhos was not made for goal scoring.  In saying all of that, when it comes to the defensive side of things Marquinhos is a warrior and was a key part of the push to Elite again this weekend.  The tenacity and talent on display this Weekend League were admirable and for a card under 150k I don’t know that I could have ever expected better.  
      

Main Statistic - Defending

Pace Rating: 9.5/10

For a CB turned CDM I don’t know that this should come as any shock… but I will go ahead and say that Marquinhos is a brick wall when defending.  After application of the SHADOW chemistry style, the statistics don’t lie; 98 STANDING TACKLE, 99 SLIDING TACKLE & 97 INTERCEPTIONS all combine into an attack destroyer and matched the best of any CDMs I have used in FIFA 21.  One thing that really stood out was how often Marquinhos was simply in the right place to break up my opponent’s counter-attacks, thus starting my own opportunity to press the issue. The only statistics really keeping me from a 10/10 Defending rating is the 80 AGILITY & 77 BALANCE, which slightly slowed the movement when jockeying opponents.  If Marquinhos could glide around like Kante he truly would be the perfect defensive midfielder… but I can live with a 9.5/10 for sure. 

Main Attribute - Size

Height: 183cm | 6’0
Physical Rating: 9.5/10

The biggest advantage Marquinhos has in comparison to Kante and other smaller midfielders is the sheer size of the lad.  Marquinhos simply looks like a dominating figure on the pitch and he has the statistics to back it up.  The Brazilian is already a formidable force in the air and on top of that boasts 91 JUMPING & 90 HEADING ACCURACY to round off his aerial dominance.  Additionally, the 77 STRENGTH on a card this size is incredibly effective and there are not many players capable of getting through this unit.  Yet, there is always a catch with these things and in this case, it cannot be overlooked that Marquinhos is slightly hindered by his size, which certainly affects the agility and balance issues… and also has an influence on the overall Pace that I will address in the Good vs Bad section.
 

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 4.5/5

150k. Serious, serious value right there.  Obviously from my ratings, this card could use some additional dribbling and certainly shooting to be placed in the elite tier of midfielders.  But just looking at the price tag alone, the attributes Marquinhos does have are unparalleled for that price value.  As long as I can afford to hold onto Neymar, Marquinhos can certainly keep his place in that defensive CM position.

Beyond actually winning headers for once, there was another area I felt Marquinhos truly blew Kante away and that was in the passing department. With 94 SHORT & LONG PASSING, it is no wonder that Marquinhos was pulling the strings as a deep lying midfielder all weekend.  It was incredible how many times my opponent would attempt to apply the press, only to be undone by Marquinhos in one pass into the feet of my attackers.  It is the pace that he hits passes that truly sets him apart from a lot of the midfielders I have tried, he simply zips the ball right into the area you want and immediately cuts apart opponents who are not switched on.  But, Kante is still Kante and there are some areas where he certainly has the edge.  While the size of Marquinhos is a vital asset in the defensive third… every strength can become a weakness at times and in this case the build of the Brazilian causes issues with his pace.  In my mind 88 ACCELERATION & 91 SPRINT SPEED should have felt quicker and at times Marquinhos felt a little on the sluggish side… especially noticeable in poor gameplay. While you can get around the lack of pace with positioning and predicting where your opponent wants to play, it does cause issues when you get it wrong as Marquinhos can be slow in recovery.

Closing Words

If you were waiting for someone to say “complete it” to pull the trigger… I will gladly stand out on a limb and be the one to say it.  This card is a steal for the price tag and I felt Marquinhos deputized for Kante admirably.  The links into Neymar are also a huge bonus and the fact that they can essentially stand alone as a hyperlink without any additional links is fantastic and really opens the door to potential hybrids.  Even better, you don’t feel like you are giving anything up by using him and I believe that is the key.  Obviously, if you are in the realm of endless coins then there are certainly other options, but if you are on a budget… or even looking to free up some coins as I did with Kante… I stand by my 9/10 and truly believe Marquinhos represents a top tier option in the defensive midfield position.  Hope you are staying safe… Cheers for reading.
 

Game Stats:
 

Game Highlights: