ICON Moments Puskás Review

Puskás is a card I have been meaning to look at for some time now.  But with the constant promo options continuing to have more and more insane statistics while falling to ridiculously low prices it was becoming an ever-increasing challenge to fit the Hungarian in.  However, if you read the Coman review then you will know that this impromptu midweek review would have suited a card like this perfectly.  There were not as many options released and with a continuous train of cards becoming fodder the options for SBCs have become endless.  Upon release, the difference between the market and SBC version of Puskás was minimal and offered the opportunity to grind as opposed to buy.  Since then, the market has plummeted even further creating a near 400k difference for any interested parties to consider.  For me, this review was about two things.  Report back on the price tag, providing my thoughts on whether or not the price is right… And to finally get a chance to use this legend of the game, determining whether EA has done him the justice he deserves.  With all of this in mind, it was 15 matches as the striker in my 4-2-2-2 formation that faced Puskás, while the ENGINE chemistry style seemed the only logical selection to propel him forward through the review.  Ferenc Puskás provided the legendary flair all review long in the following squad:     

Starting Formation:

Overall

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

While Coman killed my opponents with pace, this card killed them with quality.  Immediately it is clear on screen that Puskás has a stocky body type and I would be lying if I didn’t say I was nervous.  The game is generally not friendly to these cards and will create a clunky response to left stick dribbling.  However, within minutes it was also clear that Puskás was an exception to this rule and that the review was going to have some surprises in store throughout.              

Main Statistics - Dribbling

Pace Rating: 9/10
Dribbling Rating: 10/10
Skills: ★★★★★
Traits: Flair

If there was one area that the body type affected Puskás in performance, it would be the pace.  The 99 ACCELERATION & 98 SPRINT SPEED are literally not up to speed and it couldn’t have been more obvious than alongside Coman.  While the Frenchman was blistering opponents for pace, I found Puskás was often hindered by his lack of top end speed specifically. Similar to cards I have reviewed in the past, once you have figured out the formula, you can make corrections and anticipate defenders catching you in sprinting situations… But you still wish you didn’t have to.  However, in situations where defenders did catch the Hungarian it was nice to know that I could twist and turn back into dangerous attacking positions using his ridiculous dribbling.  The body type was a non-existent factor as the near perfect dribbling statistics let you dance on the ball.  98 BALL CONTROL & 98 COMPOSURE are the only outliers from perfect and they may as well have been given the results.  This card is brilliant on the ball.

Main Attribute - 4 STAR WEAK FOOT

Shooting Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 10/10
Weak Foot: ★★★★
Traits: Outside Foot Shot

17 goals and 10 assists in 15 matches against the competition I was up against was a true striker's performance.  I had Puskás dropping back into deeper roles and connecting my build up play, which turned out to be a key to my team's performance.  The previously mentioned dribbling was vital to turning away from challenges as my opponents tried to pressure my possession… And then the incredible passing took over from there.  This card has some of the best passing I have used in a long time… It was noticeable, accurate, and devastating to my opponents.  While the 10 assists are a great return, they barely scratch the surface of how good the 99 VISION, 99 SHORT PASSING & 96 LONG PASSING functioned in game.  It was a similar result for the 17 goals that Puskás amassed in 15 matches.  Near perfect on the left, Puskás was lethal and at one point I had to double check that he did not have the finesse shot trait.  But despite the 99 FINISHING, 97 SHOT POWER & 96 LONG SHOTS it still wasn’t enough to overcome the 4 STAR WEAK FOOT, which was less than perfect on his right, 

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

Value/Coins Rating: 4/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

If you are like me then high rated fodder is a non-issue.  The constant recycling into 85 x 10 SBCs has resulted in a lot of high tier additions and fodder accumulation.  There is something to be said for putting that fodder into a card like Puskás that you know will perform.  In fact, if I was completing a 93+ PIM ICON and got Puskás I would be well pleased.  Yet, there are still just so many cards that are currently at or around this level for ridiculously cheap prices.  Even the quality that this card operates at cannot overcome some of the cards currently available.   

There is not much else to say about this card.  I did find issues with the 80 STRENGTH and it was a good thing that the dribbling helped avoid a lot of shoulder to shoulder contests.  I was hoping that the body type would help bolster the 172cm | 5’8 size, but it didn’t do much at all.  Given how fantastic the dribbling was there are options to avoid tackles, but once they happen it is game over.  

Closing Words

Fun card with tons of nostalgia.  Immaculate left foot and wizardry on the ball.  Slight lack of pace and noticeable weakness. All in all, it comes down to price and the fact that for 800k you can build an entire squad that would hold its own in Weekend League.  If you are wanting a guaranteed return for your fodder then this is certainly a quality option, but other than that it might just be a card to avoid despite the high quality performance I witnessed during the review.  Hoping you are safe and well.  Cheers for reading.
 

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