Player Moments Boateng Review

Player Moments and Flashbacks are two of my absolute favorite types of cards in FIFA.  The speculations of “who will come next” and “who deserves an upgraded card” fuel the timelines of Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.  The hype around the expectation of past superstars getting a much needed FUT facelift is exactly the vibe that keeps bringing me back to this sometimes (or maybe more often than not) infuriating game.  Honestly, I didn’t think Jérôme Boateng was making the list this year and that was quite the disappointing acknowledgment.  If you have followed my reviews since last year or have been one of the OG followers on Twitter: @IVIaeNine then you might remember how much I gassed this card in FIFA 20. This card revitalized my defence and brought a sense of stability and calm from the fact that when he went into tackles… he won tackles… I know right, it seems unbelievable but it is true.  When this card dropped my only hope was that he would harness even half of the quality that his card did in FIFA 20… so let’s get down to what I found.  First off I went with the SHADOW chemistry style to enhance the Pace… bringing the Defence statistics to a borderline foolish level.  Next, struggled with linking Boateng in an otherwise EPL and Ligue 1 heavily focused squad.  Then, deployed this juggernaut as the CB in my 4-2-3-1 formation… from there Boateng organized the troops for battle all weekend in the following squad:


Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 10/10
Pace Rating: 10/10
Dribbling Rating: 7/10
Shooting Rating: N/A
Passing Rating: 9.5/10
Physical Rating: 10/10
Defending Rating: 10/10

I had to.  I had the 9.5/10 locked and loaded with a small quip about “a card has to be extremely special to be ‘perfect’” but then I sat down to write this review and I couldn’t help myself. This past week Joe Gomez celebrated 500 matches in my squad (which seems insane) and alongside Untradeable Varane they have patrolled my backline like madmen for weekends on end.  We all know that the two of them are about as OP as it gets and why you see their faces constantly throughout a weekend.  However, as of late my results haven’t been great.  Missing out on Elite or just squeezing over the line in the last match has become commonplace.  But as of this writing, I am 14-1 and it is in large part down to the dominance of this card. Boateng feels like Gomez and Varane did weeks ago and just simply shuts down opponents with devastating effect.

Main Statistic – Defending, Pace, Physical

Pace Rating: 10/10
Physical Rating: 10/10
Defending Rating: 10/10

I have not really combined statistics like this all year but for this review, it seemed both appropriate and necessary to paint the picture of what this masterpiece can produce on the pitch.  First is the pace and with 83 ACCELERATION & 96 SPRINT SPEED, I was originally concerned that Boateng just might fall short of the dominating player of FIFA 20.  Within 2 matches my fears were erased as I watched both TOTY CR7 and then IF Neymar fall victim to the belief that they could merely sprint by Boateng and get away with it.  In truth I don’t like the fact that they couldn’t… because it says a lot about the state of the game when two of the quickest and highest-rated players in the game cannot outsprint Boateng given the pace differences… but they couldn’t, nor could anyone else.  My opponents think that they have the clear space ahead to take a heavy touch and leave Boateng in their wake… but it often ends up the opposite as Boateng’s sprint speed feels unmatched with the boost that defenders get in FIFA 21. 

The Physical was always going to be a 10/10 wasn’t it… 97 STRENGTH is a Herculean statistic and it translates perfectly in-game.  One of my biggest complaints with both Varane and IF Gomez is how often I get between my opponent and the ball when they are sprinting… only to have them standing tackle me from behind, causing a stumble, and then they are through on goal.  So far in the 15 matches with Boateng, I have yet to experience this as he simply holds strong and keeps possession through the challenge.  Shoulder to shoulder challenges are borderline unfair and overall he is just a bully on the pitch.

With the Pace and Physicality both operating perfectly the defending was always going to be good… but I didn’t expect it to be THIS good.  99 STANDING TACKLE and 99 SLIDING TACKLE actually work… 95 INTERCEPTIONS has BOATENG stepping into passing lanes and completely demolishing attacking moves… 75 AGILITY & 70 BALANCE allow for responsive jockeying and quick recoveries if your opponent ever does get the better of you… while 90 JUMPING on a 192cm | 6’4 card wins everything in the air (maybe one small complaint is only the 1 goal from corners but that is really it) Boateng is back baby, and he is better than ever.

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

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

225k.  The price of the SBCs in the TOTY promo have been incredibly fair and more of this in the future would be a welcome change from EA.  This is a million coin card… and I call on 91 Record Breaker VVD as my comparison.  Having used both they are almost perfectly matched and Boateng edges VVD in every major defender based category… with the AGILITY and BALANCE differences the most noticeable in-game.   

The 10/10 rating for Boateng is of course based on his contributions as a CB… I am not saying at all that Boateng will be anywhere near as effective as a LB/RB or CDM etc.  On the other hand, there are numerous high-level midfielders in FUT that would be jealous of the 87 SHORT PASSING & 95 LONG PASSING that Boateng has.  In the end, it is the Dribbling that will always keep Boateng shackled to the CB position as on the ball his mobility is immediately cut in half.  Off of the ball, Boateng glides around the pitch and is a key reason why he is ever-present in the defensive third… but on the ball, Boateng immediately feels like he is moving in quicksand and while it does not make much sense… it was certainly my experience.   

Closing Words

With time running out on this SBC I can only implore you to find the coins or space in your squad to make this mad man work.  For me, I ran out of coins with the purchase of Mane and therefore had to use NIF Davies and NIF Neuer for links. Honestly, Davies has not felt like any downgrade on Mendy this weekend… and as for Neuer what keeper in FIFA 21 really is saving the day for you? Seriously I would love to know as my keepers in general have been woeful.  Back on track, what I am saying is that getting Boateng in any squad can be a relatively cheap fix with the two players I mentioned… and of course, if you have the coins the Bundesliga continues to look more and more like it could be the OP league moving forward.  No matter how you make it work, I strongly suggest that you do, I truly think this is one of those cards that if you pass over for any variety of reasons… you might find yourself staring back at this SBC as one filled with regret when Boateng is still bossing the backline.  Hoping you are safe and well.  Cheers for reading. 
 

Game Stats: