NumbersUp Jota Review

I think it is safe to say that the NumbersUp promo has been a bit of a stinker… a look at the cards available and the length of time you will have to wait to realize those Pace, Passing or Dribbling upgrades seems like cards that will be too behind the power curve come January and certainly in April to make much of a difference.  Of course, there were still a few options that caught the eye … João Félix looks a real menace … Eder Militao is, well, Eder Militao… and the focus of this weekend's review… Diogo Jota.  Of course, in time Jota will become a 99 Pace force to be reckoned with, but I don’t think it is worth even considering the upgrades due to the time it will take to get them… instead I solely looked at this review here and now comparing Jota’s current card to what is currently available.  For the time being it felt like the HAWK chemistry style was the one as Jota co-led the line as I returned to my 4-2-2-2 formation this weekend.  Jota was the slotter all weekend long in the following squad:

Starting Formation:

Overall

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

What a performance this lad put on throughout this weekend.. the chemistry with IF Mane was electric and the problems they caused defenders were endless.  A return to Rank I felt ever sweeter after last weekend's debacle and Jota played a massive part in that success.  While there is a lot to like about this card I would have to say that the return to attackers with a more than capable weak foot was key to my enjoyment with Jota throughout the weekend.  He pings them from anywhere on either foot and was a huge part of the 20 goals in 15 matches (side note: at least three of those 15 ended before half time and the other two were gifted hence the 17 in the picture).     

Main Statistic - Shooting

Shooting Rating: 10/10
Weak Foot: ★★★★★

While I am not sure Jota will be still in the mix come January… I will say that the +5 Pace boost will mean that the HAWK is less favorable and this category could get even better.  Even with the smaller HAWK boost the 93 FINISHING was deadly accurate… the 98 SHOT POWER was cannon-like… the 89 LONG SHOTS lethal from range… and even 82 VOLLEYS didn’t disappoint.  The key of course is that the 5 STAR WEAK FOOT meant that these were on display from either foot and without a hint of difference.  In fact, as I look back on it I actually think I had more success on Jota’s left foot throughout the weekend, which is more a result of circumstance than anything, but still a nice feeling to know that regardless of the opportunity you have a fantastic chance of finding the back of the net.  Clinical doesn’t really begin to describe it and in a game where goals feel harder and harder to come by, Jota simply found ways to add to his totals.  I should note, that in the final 5 matches after the review Jota had a nice return of 8 more despite some stiff competition and certainly rose to those challenges as well.

Main Attribute - 4 STAR SKILLS

Skills: ★★★★
Dribbling Rating: 9/10
Physical Rating: 9/10
Height: 178cm | 5’10

Truthfully the main attribute of this card is the 5 STAR WEAK FOOT but after already ranting and raving about Jota’s quality finding the back of goal, I thought I would spend some time discussing how he gets there.  While I am not a big Skiller in FIFA I have noticed that many higher star skilled players seem to feel more fluent on the ball.  This may be in my mind… or a connection between high star skills and good dribbling statistics in the first place… but regardless, if I can make this lad dance on the ball, some of you will make him mesmerize opponents.  91 AGILITY, 90 BALANCE and near the 90s in all of the remaining dribbling stats tell the tale of why this card feels phenomenal on the ball.  Last year I started to find a sweet spot of height where cards could still feel agile but strong on the ball at the same time and I am starting to think that around 178cm | 5’10 might be it in FIFA 22.  While Jota was crazy smooth on the turn and quick and agile in acceleration and movement… he still felt very solid and gave many defenders an issue with his 80 STRENGTH when shielding the ball.  If you can’t tell by now, Jota certainly checks a lot of the boxes when building that perfect blend of a striker.    

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

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

445k seems fair… but you can bet your bottom dollar that it just continues on a downhill spiral as so many cards have in the past this year.  While this is certainly not market advice and I would never suggest anyone listen to a word I have to say about market movement… I will just say that anything below 450k is a bargain.. below 400k is a steal.. and below 350k is just criminal.  The card has it all when it comes to scoring and feels like you are getting every coin worth of quality even at 500k when I bought it.  In fact, we are over half way done this review and I haven’t even mentioned the 99 ACCELERATION & 93 SPRINT SPEED which simply shows the endless quality packed in this upgrade.

Yet, I was very clear to say that Jota is quality “when it comes to scoring” because if there was one issue I had this weekend it would come in the form of passing.  2 Assists despite playing up top with a very lively and potent IF Mane highlights the difficulty Jota had in finding that killer pass throughout the weekend.  This is why I mention January though… if Jota can hang on to the power curve just long enough to see the Pace boost… a DEADEYE just might turn this card into an unplayable nightmare.  Time will tell and perhaps by then Jota is simply a distant memory… but I will certainly be keeping an eye on what is available when we get closer to their “numbers moving up”.

Closing Words

I said I was looking at this card without considering the upgrade in my review and so let's take a quick look.  If you search up attackers with the minimum Base Statistics that Jota has in Pace, Shooting, Physical and Dribbling you get a list of 11 cards… 6 of which are unreleased Prime Icons.  Of the 4 remaining that are not Jota, only R9 has a 5 STAR WEAK FOOT and the closest to Jota in price is 90 Stoichkov at 670k.  It is true that they all boast 90 Shooting and better Passing so I am not trying to say Jota is undervalued by 200k… but I am showing that this card in it’s current state has some serious quality and would be an improvement on most options currently available in the cycle.  Jota gets a must try from me… use him up top… get him the ball in space… and watch the goals fly in.  Hoping you are safe and well.  Cheers for reading. 

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