The latest iteration of the EA Sports’ FIFA video game officially hits shelves on October 1st. While you will still have to wait a few days to take control of your favorite Boys in Gold and spend an inordinate amount of time building your FIFA Ultimate Team squad, you can already take a look at this year’s player ratings.
Here are the five mistakes EA Sports made in handing out its ratings to the Nashville SC squad.
1) Walker Zimmerman not receiving a gold-level FUT card
All Zimmerman needed was a 75 Overall to get a gold FUT card. He came up one point short.
My beef is not necessarily with Zimmerman’s place within MLS. Afterall, FIFA 22 ranks Zimmerman as the third best MLS center back, behind Seattle’s Yeimar and Red Bulls’ Aaron Long. Both are deserving candidates. Yeimar is a favorite to take home the 2021 Defender of the Year award and Long sat above Zimmerman on the US Men’s National Team depth chart before Long tore his Achilles tendon.
But could EA Sports not give Zimmerman a gold card? He is the reigning MLS Defender of the Year, the league’s most dominant aerial weapon, and possesses the most luscious locks of hair in American soccer since Frankie Hejduk.
It would take just one more overall point to give Zimmerman the gold card he deserves. Nashville’s Thor deserves a gold card. MAKE IT HAPPEN EA SPORTS!
2) AnÃbal Godoy’s turtle-like pace
FIFA 22 did Godoy dirty. A 32-Pace rating should be reserved for Peter Crouch, offensive lineman in Madden NFL Football, and Blaise Matuidi tracking back on defense in the playoffs.
I feel terrible for Godoy. You just know that his FUT card’s Pace rating is the source of constant teasing from teammates….and probably his own children.
I get it. Godoy is not a burner. But he is certainly faster than his FIFA 22 rating. Here is a live look at EA Sport’s opinion of Godoy.
3) Hany Mukhtar as only the 57th best MLS midfielder
Are you kidding me? EA Sports must not have been paying attention to Andrew Wiebe’s Twitter account the past week.
Mukhtar has emerged from me trumpeting him as a dark horse MVP all summer to a legitimate, nationally discussed MVP candidate. The German-born playmaker is one assist away from a coveted 10 goal / 10 assist season. He has the second-most combined goals and assists in MLS, and has been named Player of the Week four times in roughly a season and a half’s worth of games.
Yet, EA Sports believes Mukhtar is an equivalent level player with bona fide stars like Jürgen Damm, Atlanta’s third best attacking option off the bench.
Nashville is not the only team that can hold a grudge regarding an MVP-level attacker’s rating. FIFA 22 rates New England’s Carles Gil as only a 77-Overall. But I am sure that Revs supporters will take this calmly. They have never been known to get worked up about random internet ratings.
4) Taylor Washington given Eric Miller’s speed
As mad as Godoy should be about his slow-as-molasses Pace rating, Taylor Washington must feel like his feet are stuck in mud when playing with the virtual version of himself.
Washington is arguably the club’s fastest player. We all saw his recovery ability earlier this year saving Nashville from a certain goal.
Despite Washington’s burst, EA Sports gave him only a 73-Pace rating, tied for 9th best on the squad and equal to the less fleet-of-foot Eric Miller.
But that is not the worst of it. FIFA 22 refuses to update their photograph for Washington. I can only assume that this picture was either plucked from Washington’s high school yearbook or is an old fake ID for Landon Donovan.
5) Daniel RÃos as only Nashville’s 5th best shooter
We will keep this last one short and sweet. RÃos is routinely singled out by Gary Smith as Nashville’s best finisher. I would like to see him receive such recognition in FIFA 22.
EA Sports distributed better Shooting ratings to Loba, CadÃz, Mukhtar, and Sapong. No issue with two of those given current scoring records.
It is not just that FIFA 22 under rates RÃos’ Shooting ability. The breakdown of the component parts is what bothers me.
RÃos is not just a superb finisher because he strikes the ball well. He is a good striker because he routinely finds himself in good positions. RÃos has always reminded me of Chris Wondolowski. Neither player will impress you with athleticism. But they routinely find pockets of space and bury their chances when they arise. Given that ability, I would expect to see a higher Positioning rating for RÃos.
RÃos finished as Nashville’s joint-top scorer in his first MLS season last year. He has six goals in just under 1200 minutes, averaging a goal every other game. Yet his 59 overall rating is unchanged from FIFA 21.
While Nashville’s star players received no luck on their annual FIFA ratings, I hope you readers have all the FUT pack luck this year in FIFA 22. I will see you on the digital pitch – until I throw my controller in disgust at my complete lack of ability to play defense even after two decades of playing.
Twitter