VersusFire Adama Traoré Review

I always remain impartial when I complete these reviews… It is easy to write positive reviews of players from clubs I dislike in real life because I want to do well, get rewards, and in the end, the card is just a virtual representation of the player. Similarly, I would never oversell a player I love or from a club I support because the numbers will never lie.  However, I would be lying if I didn’t say that there are reviews that I hope go that little bit better when I jump into them based on my admiration for the players they are focused on.  Adama Traoré certainly fits this criteria, I simply can’t get enough of the big man and watching him play brings me serious joy.  The excitement in the crowd that grows with each time he touches the ball is palpable and certainly brings an entertainment factor to the match.  In FUT, it is kind of similar isn’t it… in past FIFAs I have been a huge Traoré user and always felt he performs well beyond statistics and expectations.  With the release of VersusFire Traoré, I was hoping that trend would continue as the added Passing boost transformed the look of the card into something you could get behind as a wideman in your squad.  With that, it was an easy choice to drop Traoré as the RAM into my 4-2-3-1 formation as I prefer the stronger foot on the outside of the pitch for crossing and cross-goal shots.  I applied the FINISHER chemistry style and it was off to the races… or at least it should have been… but Traoré didn’t feel fit to be racing at all in the early stages of this review.  In fact, it got so bad that I went to the DEADEYE chemistry with the idea that, “if he can’t move like he should, at least he should be able to pass to people who can.”  Then the strangest thing happened… this card felt more freed up, quicker, pacier, more agile, and just generally better with the DEADEYE applied.  I assume this is related to rating?  But I am only speculating.  What was certain, was that Adama Traoré now brought the outside threat for the rest of the weekend in the following squad:  

Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 7/10
Pace Rating: 8.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 7.5/10
Shooting Rating: 7/10
Passing Rating: 8/10
Physical Rating: 7/10
Defending Rating: N/A

I had two different people message me about this review asking very similar questions… “did you find Adama slightly underwhelming in the end?” And the answer for those fine folks and yourselves is, most definitely yes.  It pains me to say that this card is nowhere near what I expected and certainly wasn’t going to be the savior of my weekend league.  The card is certainly usable, but it doesn’t dominate, and when I think of Adama Traoré in FUT… that just feels wrong.

Main Statistic - Pace

Pace Rating: 8.5/10
Height: 178cm | 5’10

The ongoing theme with this review and ultimately what led to a poorer rating for Adama was, “this is good, but x player does it better.”  Sure, Adama is fast and quick, especially for his body type which will come with other perks … but truthfully I often found my squad performing better when 84 Sarr brought his own version of pace into the squad.  Of course, the 99 ACCELERATION & 98 SPRINT SPEED isn’t slow and similar to my Rashford review as long as you are moving in a single direction you can cause problems with Adama out on the wing in space.  Unfortunately, against the likes of Davies and Mendy who you play against in 90% of matches they will eventually catch you up… and then the direction shifts start to matter and for me, Adama wasn’t up to those tests from a quickness standpoint.     

Main Attribute - 2★ Weak Foot

Weak Foot: ★★
Shooting Rating: 7/10
Passing Rating: 8/10

This was always going to be a problem, we all know this and there is no denying the fact that Adama has a seriously poor left foot.  Out on the right flank for a player who doesn’t cut in as much, it wasn’t the biggest issue for me… until it was… missed chances late in matches found me opting for a substitute earlier and earlier in matches, while the odd cut back and missed cross was a sporadic disappointment.   In the early stages of the Weekend League, I found myself able to use Adama’s left foot as bait and cut back to his very impressive right foot, which allowed the 85 FINISHING & 99 SHOT POWER shine… but against stronger opponents they knew and took their chances showing Adama left which never ever seemed to end well for me.  

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

Value/Coins Rating: 3.5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 3.5/5

It is clear in terms of quality and price that the VersusIce is probably the direction to go if you are looking at Adama.  But for the sake of this review and the price tag currently sitting at 164k, I think that Adama is simply too expensive.  I say this without hesitation if I had to play a match for money and had to choose between VersusFire Adama and 84 SIF Sarr I would have to go the route of the Senagalese.  If you have never used the Watford man it might be difficult to believe, but I am serious in saying his impact on matches outweighs what I experienced from Traoré this weekend.

5 goals and 7 assists in 15 matches as a wide man is not enough to say “he has to go and never return.”  But after watching Chiesa score 14 in a similar situation it is also nothing to celebrate.  Maybe the main issue is the body type, which in past FIFAs always felt like a cheat code to me as you could benefit from the pace and agility of a smaller card… but have that “Adama strength” as well.  This year it just feels like the unique body type is working against the Wolves highlight machine and could be seriously felt in the lack of 90 AGILITY & 93 BALANCE (which as a reminder felt just as poor, if not worse, with a FINISHER applied). 

Closing Words

So it is a no from me.  I spent a lot of words describing the bubble that Traoré sits on in terms of a usable card, but not special in any notable areas.  To me, it feels like the 164k price tag is more of a nostalgia tax than a genuine indicator of how Adama will perform in your squad.  Once again, I wouldn’t be surprised to see praise for Traoré in some of the comments, but I am 100% not expecting to see this card more than once this weekend if that.  The card is simply too unreliable.  If you are using this card with any level of success, I would love to hear what formation and chemistry style are getting it done.  But for me, he simply wasn’t it.  Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.

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Game Highlights: