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FIFA 23 World Cup Stories Dani Alves Player Review

The World Cup promo continues to deliver a plethora of cards and this weekend proved no different as the World Cup Stories “subpromo” arrived.  The wide range of cards and statistics looked enticing and we turned to our weekly Twitter poll to whittle down the options… World Cup Stories Dani Alves just barely edging out his WCS teammate Marcus Rashford.

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I will point out that while the team certainly offered some interesting options, the idea behind this promo was largely lost on the majority of FUT Managers, myself included. If the cards came with an interesting story attached which affected certain statistics… that would have been unique and interesting. In the end this felt more like simple inform boosts to randomly selected cards.

With that mini-rant out of the way the cards themselves look fantastic, but once again there was a surprise waiting in game. If you have played with Darwin Nunez recently you will note that he has a “unique” hair cut in game and a generic face… which seems to be copied onto Dani Alves.

 

 

I realize Alves is bald himself, but the cards seemed like carbon copies of each other outside of the boots and was an off putting experience, especially for those that are into the aesthetic features of the game. For a card that kind of feels like it is taking the place of a possible End of an Era option, it was quite disappointing.

Mini-rant number two over, let's actually talk about the cards performance. With the considerable boosts to the attacking statistics we strayed away from our normal 4-2-2-2 formation this weekend and tried to unleash the beast within the 5-2-1-2 formation. The POWERHOUSE chemistry style looked like a perfect boost to the defending and passing and this proved true. However, there were some pace issues against the more speedy wingers and a shift to the SHADOW was eventually needed.

Dani Alves was supposed to be the samba flair all weekend long in the following squad:

 

Overall 

Rating: 7.5/10

Pace Rating: 8.5/10

Dribbling Rating: 8.5/10

Shooting Rating: 6/10

Passing Rating: 9/10

Physical Rating: 8/10

Defending Rating: 8.5/10

I should start off by saying that as an out-and-out RB I would place Dani Alves closer to an 8.5/10.  He defends well and generally provides decent coverage.  But as a RWB with both responsibilities, it was a disappointing debut.

If you are buying this card, at this price, then you are expecting a bit more… and I did not experience anything outside of the ordinary.  In fact, even after the SHADOW application I found this card a bit sluggish defensively.

Having used the likes of 86 Roberto Carlos, WCH Capdevila, Moments Cuadrado & WCS Davies of late, I can say with absolute certainty that there are cards out there that are premium wingbacks who excel and are separating themselves from the pack… but sadly, Alves does not join this list.

 

Main Statistics – Passing

Passing Rating: 9/10

Passing is the key area in Alves’ game that can be praised and will certainly be highlighted in the video.  Alves is one of the more reliable wingbacks I have used when working combinations down the wing… Quality passing offers the key ingredient. 

I would not recommend the POWERHOUSE chemistry style given the pace issues that I experienced early on, but I must say that the passing was sublime.  The change to a SHADOW had a minimal negative effect on his passing and is needed for Alves to carry out his primary job in defence.

The 93 SHORT PASSING is crucial in playing the defense-splitting killer passes, while the 86 VISION and 88 LONG PASSING offer the ability to switch out of pressure and troubling situations.  I will point out that I was disappointed with the 87 CROSSING which again adds to the woes Alves experienced at RWB.

 

 

 

Value/Coins

Value/Coins Rating: 3/5

One of the more expensive wingbacks in the game and just didn’t get that performance out of this card.  Again, he is not an awful RB… but there are cheaper options that defend better.  The potential for an attacking threat is what you should be paying for... It just didn’t materialize in game.

Which brings me to the bigger point that what you end up essentially paying for with this card is nostalgia.  Alves is a FUT legend, a largely celebrated footballer and was always going to be a popular option… But the performances didn’t warrant the price for me.

The final nail in the value coffin comes in the form of the links.  If you look at the squad you will note that it is largely created to get Alves on chem.  The difficulty snagging a Brazilian manager is not helping things either. In the end it is simply not a card that offers many options moving forward beyond the promo.  

 

Good vs. Bad

Good vs Bad Rating: 4/5

The biggest issue that I have with Alves comes from the fact that his positives did not reach the heights of other options I have used. Moments Cuadrado offers a prime example of a similarly priced option that excels beyond what Alves can deliver. But it is worth pointing out the Brazilian's strengths nonetheless.

+ With the SHADOW applied the 99 ACCELERATION & 96 SPRINT SPEED are enough to keep most wingers from outstripping the Brazilian. I say most, because despite the ridiculous statistics on paper, there were some sluggish moments from Alves during this review. Overall, the pace is plenty when defending.

+ The 94 INTERCEPTIONS statistic was definitely my favourite with Alves who seemed to sniff out a lot of opponents' attempts to play through my lines. The 94 STANDING TACKLE was less consistent but 9/10 times I was able to stroll away with possession.

+ While the experiment at RWB was a disappointing dumpster fire… the one area that Alves could not be faulted in was work rate. The 91 STAMINA is plenty to work the sidelines for an entire match and allowed Alves' involvement at both ends of the pitch.

The negatives focus more on the failed RWB test run… But he was not flawless as an RB either and here is why.

- While you do not buy defenders expecting them to shoot the lights out… the number of chances falling to Alves in the 5-2-1-2 was actually staggering. The zero goal contributions “during this review” (due to the failure, I had to play additional matches in DIV Rivals after for clips) was down to the 70 FINISHING more than playing RWB. Chance after chance fell to this man and while the shooting statistics look decent, they performed woefully.

- The 172cm | 5’8 frame of Alves is sometimes part of the package when you buy more attacking fullbacks… but along with the 70 STRENGTH, some wingers were just too powerful to manage.

- The 4 STAR SKILLS and FLAIR trait should have had the Samba Star dancing on the ball, but again at times, there were hiccups in the dribbling similar to the pace. I am not sure what is holding Alves back exactly, but it was frustration across the review.

 

Closing Words

It is the price tag that ultimately sinks this card for me in the end. That and the difficulty finding ways to get Alves into my squad on decent chemistry.

I am not dead set on needing 33 chemistry at all times (and I know some are), but it was a struggle to get him in at all. Making choices on squad selections out of needing to accommodate one card rather than on quality is a massive issue.

I won’t lie that the nostalgia of having Alves back in one of my squads was fantastic… and the card design /dynamic is fire no doubt. But the cookie cutter player (in performance and overall looks) on the pitch dashed a lot of that away as well.

If you are looking at this card from a squad improvement position then it is a massive no from me. There are better options defensively for cheaper and as an attacker I found little returns. If you are looking at this card from a nostalgia point of view… You might find the same disappointment I did with how far this digital version strays from the legend himself.

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