Accessibility
Home
Players
Evolutions
Squad Builder
SBCs
Draft
Squads
Market
News
Packs
Objectives
Token Tracker
More
Language
Platform
Theme
EA Tax Calculator

ICON Moments Sócrates Review

 

Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira … A name almost as smooth as the player that I was fortunate enough to get my hands on and review this past weekend; And let me say, the Doctor was truly operating throughout the Weekend League and dismantled my opponents with surgical precision.  For some reason, my opinion of Sócrates in FUT was a negative one heading into this review.  Many moons ago in FIFA 20 I used Base Socrates for a short stint and was incredibly disappointed, and perhaps from there my opinion of the card has been jaded to the point of avoidance.  However, as I was searching for a good option for this review I stumbled across Prime ICON Moments Sócrates and was truly blown away.  The statistics for this card are undeniably cracked and I was interested to see if this would translate across 20 matches on the virtual pitch.  While I could see a lot of FUT Managers deploying Sócrates as the CAM in their various formations… in the 4-2-2-2 I wanted him to be more involved and placed Sócrates as the Target Man striker.  The application of the ENGINE chemistry style works about perfect with the wide variety of statistics at Sócrates’ disposal, although 5 matches with a HUNTER after the review completed has me questioning if that isn’t the right play instead.  In the end, Sócrates brought the Samba power all weekend long in the following squad: 


Starting Formation:


 
In-game Formation:
 


 

Overall

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

I would call this rating the almost perfect 10/10 rating.  There is zero chance that Sócrates belongs with the 9.5/10 cards that I have reviewed in the past… but at the same time to say he is perfect is not quite accurate either.  Yet, I can’t deny that it took some serious nitpicking to really find a chink in this warrior's armor.. and even then I am just reaching overall.  The best compliment I can ultimately pay this card is to say he is the ultra attacking version of 90 Gullit and I honestly believe every word of that.  If 90 Gullit was a CAM and his more defensive instincts and statistics were stripped away, you would be left with Prime Icon Moments Sócrates… yes, he is “that” good.  

 

Main Attribute – 5 STAR WEAK FOOT

Shooting Rating: 10/10
Weak Foot: *****

One of the reasons why I tried the HUNTER chemistry style to end this review was just to see if the card could get that little bit quicker without jeopardizing the dribbling.  In the end, it did a bit of both; the card was noticeably quicker in the uptake, but at the same time slightly more clunky in the dribble.  So it is an ENGINE for me and realistically the Shooting didn’t feel much different with a HUNTER anyway.  The 93 POSITIONING, 93 FINISHING, 93 SHOT POWER, 92 LONG SHOTS & 92 VOLLEYS as base statistics is bordering on ridiculous, but then you add the 5 STAR WEAK FOOT and it is complete mayhem.  It wasn’t just the clinical nature with both feet or the fact that Sócrates tries to decapitate keepers with his power… it was the little things as even some of the finishing animations felt so clean.  If you watch the video,  the first match hat trick starts it, followed by the 4th clip showing what appears to be a normal chip... but if you watch closely the angle that he scoops the ball is different than any chip I have witnessed in FUT; either that or I am looking into it too much and losing it… but regardless of my sanity, it is abundantly clear, this card scores goals … 37 in 20 matches to be exact.

 

Main Attribute –Height

Height: 192cm | 6’4
Pace Rating: 10/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10 
Physical Rating: 10/10
Trait: Power Header

Just being tall is not really an asset in FUT, and honestly is more a detriment 95% of the time.  However, when a player is both tall & can move about the pitch… that is the making of a completely different animal.  The likes of Gullit and Sócrates are both massive operators on the pitch… but both can still sprint while utilizing their height and running style to obliterate gaps and create space on the ball… both can still dribble and use their large frame to protect the ball from any would-be defender… And both can dominate in the air, but also on the ground in tackles and physical situations.  Then you add in the fact that Sócrates has the POWER HEADER trait and his aerial ability translates into more potential goals.  Sócrates literally stands out on the pitch and his size and presence were key to my first return to Elite 3 in some time, and boy does it feel good to be back.  

 

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

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

1.6 million is a huge amount of coins, and I hear some of you with smaller budgets asking for cheaper options.  That is why I have started a series on my YouTube channel: MaeNine … where I will be looking at and comparing two potential cheap beasts each week moving forward.  But for now, I have to find a way to say that 1.6 million for this card is cheap…, so so cheap.  This card performs on a completely different level than the majority of cards I have used in any FIFA, let alone FIFA 21.  The production in terms of goals and assists was just the tip of the iceberg as Sócrates contributed headers (offensive & defensive), hold up play, and intelligent positioning the entire review.

I am not sure that 8 assists in 20 matches truly do this card justice.  With 99 SHORT PASSING & 97 LONG PASSING, the options are endless in the way you use Sócrates to link up play.  As a CAM in the 4-3-1-2 that I implemented later in the weekend… Sócrates was in his element and brought players into the mix with his 99 VISION & the ability to back it up with quality.  Overall, I can’t find much wrong with this card beyond two small factors.  One, this card is undoubtedly an attacking option and playing him in the CM or further back will not result in quality value.  This lack of flexibility for a 1.6+ million coin card is a bit alarming and might deter some FUT Managers looking for a jack of all trades.  Two, in the worst of the worst gameplay this card becomes borderline unusable.  While I only had two of these matches throughout the weekend, it was insane how the sluggish gameplay transformed this card into a shell of the player I had been previously using.  True, smaller players are affected in these situations, but not like this, and definitely something to note if you are planning on meeting this lads transfer fee before next weekend.
 

 

Closing Words

It goes without saying that Sócrates is a loaded weapon that would increase the quality of just about any squad interested. If you follow me on Twitter: @MaeNine_ you would know that his goal contributions continued throughout the remaining 10 matches and were a catalyst to a long awaited return to Elite.  Sócrates was a big part of this success and maybe even more impressive… I enjoyed playing FIFA this weekend, and Sócrates was a huge part of this amusement.  If that doesn’t make you consider buying him, I don’t know what will.  Hoping you are safe and all is well. Cheers for reading. 
 

 

Game Stats:
 

 

 

Game Highlights:

 

Latest Articles on FUTBIN
Top Rated
New
Controversial
Show comments