TOTW 20 Predictions

Potentially the hardest TOTW I will ever have to predict with none of the top five leagues in action while only a select few international matches took place. Despite that we have salvaged a side with the likes of Mane, Suarez and ADM headlining.
 

Goalkeeper

Guillermo Ochoa– GK - OVR 80>>83
Both keepers which I have ended up opting for this week made only three saves, which if anything shows how difficult my life was made. The draw was far more important to Mexico than it was for Costa Rica with Mexico maintaining their five-point gap in their quest for qualification. Ochoa was named MOTM for his performance and thus should be gaining entry to TOTW 20.

Defenders

Brandon Mechele – CB - OVR 76>>81
When it came to defenders this week in truth, I have zero nailed on golds and all three I have selected can be classed as complete punts. The first comes from Belgium with Mechele putting in a strong display for Brugge as they recorded a 1-0 win away to Kortrijk. Mechele made a total of three tackles and won six aerial battles to help maintain the clean sheet.

Piero Hincapie – CB - OVR 70>>82
I fully expect there to be an IF from the Brazil v Ecuador match but who that will be is unclear and thus under unusual circumstances, I have taken two punts on the player, mainly because I literally couldn’t find another gold defender. Hincapie was solid at the back for Ecuador during the controversial 1-1 draw with Brazil, managing three tackles, two interceptions and a block to help deny Brazil from taking all three points.

James Tavernier – RB - OVR 77>>86
Tavernier is somewhat of a fan favourite when it comes to FIFA with the Englishman offering a very strong RB option the past few years. After already receiving featured TOTW earlier in the game he could be on for an 86 rated card on Wednesday. Playing twice this week and picking up MOTM on both occasions Tavernier has always been one of Ranger’s biggest threats. Although the league leaders will be very disappointed with their 3-3 draw against Ross County on Saturday their lead at the top is still very unlikely to be caught.

Midfielders

Sadio Mane – RW - OVR 89>>91
A Mane for just a single goal is a push but with it coming during a major competition in which Senegal managed to progress within I can see EA making an exception, especially as there are very few alternatives available to them, especially on the upper end of the scale. Mane did play RW and thus offers an alternative to his central option currently available.

Angel Di Maria – RW - OVR 87>>88
At this point the side is as simple as selecting golds who scored in major completions, ADM falls into that category after scoring the opener during Argentina’s narrow 2-1 win over Chile. A win which puts them just four points behind qualification leaders Brazil.

Casemiro – CDM - OVR 89>>90
Continuing the theme of a strong midfield we move onto Casemiro. Although Brazil will be somewhat disappointed with their 1-1 draw against Ecuador as although they have already qualified, they will want to ensure they finish in 1st. Casemiro scored in the 6th minute before a chaotic match followed, with Alisson getting sent off twice and being removed on both occasions via VAR alongside several high-profile incidents and two red cards.

Otavio – RM - OVR 81>>84
Although Portugal could have easily been in line for a few IF’s this week it is just the one that I have ended up selecting. Otavio provided the assist on both Porto goals during their 2-1 home win over Maritimo as they moved nine points clear at the top of the table.

Karlo Toko Ekambi – RM - OVR 78>>82
Ekambi is one of the few players that would have made the cut on normal circumstances. That is after he found the back of the net twice to help secure Cameroon progression to the next round via a 2-0-win over Gambia. His card will be lower that the RTTF card that he already obtains however so I wouldn’t get too excited here.

Forwards

Luis Suarez – ST - OVR 88>>90
It was a must win match for Uruguay who currently linger on the edge of World Cup qualification and thus their narrow 1-0 win over Paraguay was vital to say the least. Suarez grabbed the goal and as a result is likely to pick up his second IF of the year.

Youssef En-Nesyri – ST - OVR 82>>84
Continuing the theme of one goal striker additions we move onto En-Nesyri. Normally an Hakimi addition would have been a straightforward one but with the Moroccan featuring in the TOTY promotion we have to look elsewhere. En-Nesyri is the only option and thus should end up with the IF with Morrocco progressing thanks to a 2-1-win over Malawi.

Substitutes

Herve Koffi – GK - OVR 73>>79
As you can probably imagine the goalkeeper situation was almost impossible for this week's side. The IF’s could literally go anywhere but on an educated guess Koffi looks to be a good shout. Burkina Faso recorded a shock 1-0 win over Tunisia to progress to the next round in the AFCON, with Koffi making three vital saves to keep his clean sheet and help his side progress.

Antonee Robinson – RB - OVR 73>>79
There are simply not enough gold options to fill the side this week and thus several silvers should sneak onto the bench. One of those is likely to be American defender, Robinson. The Defender scored the only goal of the game as they recorded a 1-0 win at home to El Salvador on Friday.

Trezeguet – RM - OVR 75>>81
It’s difficult to say where Trezeguet actually played with Hegazy, a CB being the player he was subbed on for. Regardless of where he ended up playing, I am confident that he will feature on Wednesday seeing as though he scored the deciding goal for Egypt in extra time, helping them to progress to the Semi-Finals via a 2-1 win over Morrocco.

Roque Mesa – CM - OVR 76>>81
Valladolid are making a strong push to regain entry into the top division of Spain and continued their momentum this weekend via a 1-0 home win over Sporting Gijon, Mesa scored the only goal and like most other golds in his situation should find himself receiving an IF as a result.

Marko Livaja – ST - OVR 75>>84
The first of two strikers included from the top division of Croatia, something I felt I would never be saying, is Livaja. Although both his goals were from the spot, two goals is something that only one other gold option managed to replicate and thus he becomes incredibly difficult to go on and ignore. With it being his second IF of the game, it also creates another relatively high rated gold option for EA to include.

Mislav Orsic – ST - OVR 77>>84
Who better to receive a featured TOTW card than the nostalgic Croatian in Orsic. Although the Zagreb forward only scored once there are very limited options for the featured player and thus that could even help his addition to the side in the first place. Zagreb ended up winning 2-0 in a vital match in terms of the title race.

Salomon Rondon – ST - OVR 77>>82
Despite not playing domestic football for a while now Rondon showed he still has the ability to cause damage at the top end of the game. Venezuela are practically already confirmed as failing to qualify for the World Cup but that didn’t stop them recording a 4-1 win over Bolivia, from which Rondon scored three times.

Reserves

Wes Burns – RWB - OVR 66>>75
An Ipswich IF has been a rarity over the years for me but it looks as though we are in line for the second of FIFA 22 after Wes Burns scored twice from a RWB role during a 2-0 win. Since McKenna has taken the job the tractor boys look a completely different side operating a different system and looking a real threat in League 1.

Sam Adekugbe – LB - OVR 68>>77
Canada is still unbeaten during their CONCAF Worl Cup qualifying campaign and top the group as a result. Perhaps their most impressive result came this weekend though, beating USA 2-0. Adekugbe and David scored the goals but with the latter featuring in the current promotion Adekugbe looks set to receive the IF.

Cameron Brannagan – CDM - OVR 66>>75
It was a night to remember for both Oxford and Brannagan with a 7-2 away win over Gillingham seeing no less than four penalties awarded all of which went the way of Oxford and all four were also dispatched by Brannagan. Although penalty influenced performances are often ignored by EA this one definitely won't be.

Ruben Castro – ST - OVR 69>>77
Although there were no hat tricks to boast for reserve strikers this week there were still a couple of straightforward selections as those with two goals and an assist are likely to get the nod. The first is Spanish veteran, Ruben Castro. The 40-year-old striker is still scoring on the regular with his latest two taking him up to 13 for the season.

Dion Charles – ST - OVR 66>>75
As far as shock results go this is likely to be one of the biggest of the season. Sunderland were heavy favourites heading into their match with Bolton but the eventual outcome didn’t highlight that in the slightest with Bolton running away with a 6-0 win. Dion Charles was involved in three of those goals, scoring twice and assisting another.