SBC Emre Can - was he worth it?

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be looking back at some of the FUTmas SBC cards, and seeing if they were worth it or not.

Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at SBC Emre Can. The young German international and Liverpool #23 received a sizable upgrade from his base card, turning him into a creative and defensive powerhouse, armed with decent attacking abilities (check out his stats below, courtesy of FUTBIN):

FUTBIN

Can’s SBC was a little challenging to complete - you had to exchange an 85-rated, 75 chemistry team. Overall, the challenge would have set you back around 50,000 coins (I completed it for 24K, thanks to a couple of untradeable players).

His card has incredible passing, physical and defensive stats, making him a perfect defensive midfielder. These stats can be boosted further by using the Shadow chemistry style, which is what I did.

In the past few weeks, this card has become a vital part of my club. He’s a regular starter, and has been an important player in my team. His card is strikingly similar to legends such as Emmanuel Petit or Patrick Vieira, and plays like a much higher rated player.

Here are my stats with him:

Price: SBC cost me 25K

Chem Style: Shadow

Games: 50

Goals: 11

Assists: 18

Let’s move onto his in-game performance:

Pace: 10/10

With the Shadow chemistry style, he feels incredibly fast in-game. He can catch up with any opponent, and is fast enough to out-run a lot of players when he is attacking. His pace allows him to close down very quickly - he can see a pass and move fast enough to intercept it, or quickly recover from a mistake or from a bad position. His pace also allows him to cover ground very quickly - he can move from attack to defense in an instant, charging up and down the field incredibly quickly.

Shooting: 7/10

Suprisingly good - he has a cracker of a shot on him. At least five of his goals were long shots, often pinged from more than 25 yards out. His shots have a lot of power, and a surprising amount of curve and dip. His finishing inside the box is also pretty good - he’s no Ruud van Nistelrooy, but he can finish his opportunities. The low driven shot is ridiculously overpowered his year, and he is more than capable of finishing when he shoots like this. His finesse shots aren’t too great, but they can get the job done from close range. His positioning stat is pretty poor, but he always seems to pop up in the right position.

Passing: 9/10

Fantastic - he has great vision, as well as exceptional short and long passing. He almost never misplaces a short pass, and that makes him instrumental in quick build-up play. His long passing is vital to the card - he can ping a long pass with ease, switching the play or starting an attack. His vision allows him to consistently thread through balls through defensive lines, providing for my strikers. His crossing isn’t too great, and neither are his free-kick stats, but I rarely rely on those abilities. Overall, he is a creative powerhouse in the midfield.

Dribbling: 9/10

Can feels fantastic on the ball - his great ball control makes his first-touch always reliable, and his high dribbling stat means the ball is firmly glued to his feet. His good reactions mean that he can recover quickly from a tackle or a shove, making him hard to dispossess. His good agility and balance means that he doesn’t feel clunky - most players with his height and physicality feel a little stiff on the ball, but Emre Can doesn’t. He can turn quickly, rarely loses his balance, and seems to glide up and down the field.

Defending: 10/10

Perfection. His interceptions are incredible - he’s constantly buzzing around the field, blocking opposition passes, breaking up any attacking threats. In this department, he feels as good as Kante. He has great marking, and rarely lets his man get away from him. His tackling is easily his best stat - his standing tackles are perfect. No matter where he is positioned, he can easily dispossess the opponent, and take the ball away without giving away a foul. His sliding tackles are also incredible - his crunching tackles have saved me so many times, and he rarely gives away a foul. He is an incredible aerial asset - he wins so many headers in the midfield, and has produced numerous clearances from corners.

Physical: 10/10

Unbeatable. In all the games I have used him, he has only gotten bullied on the ball twice - once by SIF Lukaku (he may have lost that particular battle, but he nullified Lukaku otherwise), and then by POTM Zlatan. He is tank - his 87 strength is enough to bully any player, and combined with his large frame, he feels much stronger. His aggression allows him to win a lot of 50-50 challenges, and makes him very hard to shrug off the ball. His 90 stamina is key - he can run all game long, and never disappears by the end of the game.

Summary

This card is incredible - he’s the complete midfielder. His defensive abilities are second to none, his passing is superb, and his physicality allows him to dominate any midfield - even his shooting is decent. I would have happily paid 200K for a card like this, so I’m really happy I completed his SBC.

Verdict: If anyone can, Emre Can - he’s 100% worth it.