My FUT 22 Adventure – Episode 1
By Jim James
Ah, FUT. The centerpiece of FIFA’s wide array of game modes. My personal fave is Career Mode, but I delve into most of the others (Sorry Volta). This includes FUT, where last year, after all the in-game SBCs, I got a 95-rated team that featured players like 96 Sancho, 96 de Bruyne, 97 Chilwell, 96 de Ligt, and 95 Objectives Pinamonti, and an 89-0-41 record. However, this year I have dropped the ball. April, already halfway through the game cycle, and while I do have some pretty good players, like base Kimmich, Haaland, Syarez, Mahrez, Chiellini, and Future Stars Foden, and a 7-0-2 record. Over the next few months I plan to change this, and I’ll share my adventure with you. Let’s commence!
I start by doing a SBC for a Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, the “Responsibility” SBC. It features a hybrid EPL, Ligue 1, and Bundesliga squad featuring Pulisic, Chris Wood, Timothy Castagne, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Dedrick Boyata. I also do the 80+ Player Pick SBC where I don’t submit anyone of note besides Amine Gouiri. I also complete the 20 SBCs objective and get a 2 75-83 rated players pack. From the Player Pick I get EDINSON CAVANI, a crazy good start to this series. I then open my 2 75-83 rated players pack, and get Gedson Fernandes and Gudelj. My Jumbo Premium Gold Pack gets me Jordan Pickford, Richarlson, Ikone, Jaume Costa, Stuart Armstrong, Levi Garcia, and a Duplicate Reece James, the latter 3 I put on the transfer list. We do some final mods to the Premier League team, and buy Eriksen for 850 and Kovacic for 1300 to strengthen the midfield. They will be absolute weapons along with future stars Foden. I think it’s time. Let’s play our first Squad Battles game.
We’ll play World Class, as this is a pretty easy team we’re facing. Let me tell you the team we’re using to start Post 1.
GK: Mendy
RB: James
CB: Milivojevic
CB: Ake
LB: Chilwell
CM: Eriksen
CM: Kovacic
CM: Foden
RW: Mahrez
ST: Cavani
LW: Sterling
We Commence!
11’ Foden played in beautifully from Cavani, but the shot is saved.
12’ Sterling’s cross from the corner finds the head of Cavani, but it’s comfortable for the keeper.
21’ A great run by Eriksen finds Sterling open, but the overhead kick goes wide.
29’ Mendy dives the wrong way for a Ward-Prowse penalty but it goes wide. Phew.
31’ A sweet counter attack finds Sterling with a clear look in on goal, but the shot is saved.
33’ Cavani rips the ball off a defender from a goal kick and has a 1 on 1. He blasts it home. 0-1 us.
36’ A cynical challenge sees Nathan Ake being given his marching orders.
Half Time A goal up but a man down. It could go either way in the second. To combat being a man down I put Chiellini in for Kovacic.
49’ A cross from Mahrez finds a trailing leg of Sterling who blams it home. 0-2.
53’ Eriksen runs into the box, brings the keeper out, then crosses it to Cavani who heads it into the open net. 0-3. We also bring on Kimmich for the yellow carded Reece James.
68’ Mahrez runs it into the box but sees an open Sterling and puts it to him and he scores. 0-4.
72’ Sterling is the crosser this time, and Cavani’s overhead kick makes it 5. 0-5.
82’ It’s a great run by Sterling, and Mahrez looks sure to make it 6, but it’s a phenomenal save by the keeper on the line.
86’ A super late challenge by Chiellini sees him get sent off and concede a penalty. This one is saved. Haaland comes on for Cavani.
88’ Instant impact as Haaland runs the full length of the pitch on the counter to make it 6. 0-6.
Full Time. 6-0, It’s amazing. We go up to Silver 3 after one game.
I get a few stadium development II objectives from it, and I choose the “Does not Compute” tifo from Season 5. I also do the 80+ Player Pick again but I only get Soyuncu. I put him in the starting XI along with Eric Bailly, who was suspended for the first game today.
Game 2 I also do on WC difficulty, this team is harder but still easy. Let’s begin.
8’ Mendy makes a great save from the counter.
28’ Eriksen finds himself with a great opportunity from the edge of the area, but the shot is saved.
30’ James brings down the attacker and it’s a penalty, but it’s a bad shot from Icardi and is saved easily by Mendy.
39’ Mahrez is completely open on the counter, and he runs to the edge of the box, where his cross finds Cavani, 1-0.
45’+2’ It’s another penalty conceded, and Mendy dives the wrong way but the ball hits the bar.
Half-Time, we’re up, but have conceded the most shots, and 2 penalties which fortunately both didn’t go in. We switch to a 4-2-4 and put Haaland on for Kovacic, and Kimmich on for the yellow-carded Reece James.
53’ After a free kick is saved by Mendy, Mahrez has a 1-on-1 on the counter, but his shot is saved.
63’ Haaland recieves the ball from a header and lobs it to Cavani. Cavani lobs it back to him seconds later and he scores. 2-0.
67’ Another counter and Mahrez is through on goal. This time, instead of passing it he chooses to play it square to Haaland who scores from 6 yards out. 3-0.
79’ Eriksen is presented with a clean opportunity but the shot is saved. Luckily Sterling is there to pick up the pieces and score. 4-0.
Full-Time, 4-0. It was a breezy second half but a very rocky first. I’m happy we got away with the victory. We move up to Silver 1 with that win.
We earn a 1 82+ rated rare player pack from the objectives after that, as well as Two 2 75-83 rated players packs. We also earn a Jumbo Gold 26 Pack. We start with the Jumbo Gold 26 Pack. We get Karl Toko-Ekambi as the animation player, but the real highlight is 81 rated Kurt Zouma who we’ll use at Center Back, however reluctantly. I don’t condone what he did to his cat, and I’ll never use him again when I have a proper replacement. We open the first of our 75-83 rated players pack. We get Hamsik and Bastoni. From the second one we get Hector Herrera and Aranguiz. Lastly, the One 82+ rated player. Neto. Good SBC fodder from that, but no actually useful players. We sell duplicate Reece James for 850.
That’s all for Episode 1. I’ll try to get #2 out today. I’m Jim James, until next time.