IF Casemiro - a world-class midfielder

Today, we’ll be looking at IF Casemiro. The young Brazilian and Real Madrid midfielder has grown into a world-class defensive-minded midfielders, and one of the best young prospects in world football. Solid both defensively and offensively, he’s capable of shutting down entire teams on his own, as well as scoring goals when he’s called up (just take a look at his goal against Napoli). Plus he’s got an even more OP Man of the Match card out now.

I’ve used Casemiro’s first special card for ~250 games in my main team, where he plays as the RCM in the 41212(2) formation (I switch to that in game).

Casemiro has some solid in-game stats - in addition to extraordinary tackling and interception stats, as well as impressive physical ones, he also has 82 long shots and 94 shot power, making him a threat from distance:

I used him with the Shadow chemistry style, boosting his pace and defending.

With these chemistry styles, he has incredible defending stats, and the pace boost he receives is enough to make him a viable box-to-box midfielder.

Here are my stats with IF Casemiro:

Price: First Owner

Games: 247

Goals: 60

Assists: 89

Chemistry Style: Shadow

As you can see, Casemiro is a creative force in my team, with more than a contribution every two games.

Let’s get into the review.

Pace: 7/10

He’s not the fastest, but with the Shadow chemistry style, he’s fast enough. He definitely feels a lot faster than the card stats suggest - he’s always racing up and down the field, and catches up with most opposition midfielders. That being said, he can get caught out by fast wing-backs or wingers, so don’t draw him too far out of position.

Shooting: 10/10

This is the stat that blew me away. He has one of the best long shots I’ve seen this year - get him within 30 yards, on the right hand side of the goal, use three bars of power and aim across the face of goal, and he’ll really surprise you. His shot power is incredible, so he always threatens the keeper if he gets it on target, and his long shots are good enough to ensure that he does indeed hit the target. His finesse shots and positioning aren’t too great, but he can score if he gets the chance.

Passing: 9/10

He’s one of the most consistent passers I’ve used this year. He hasn’t got the best free kicks, curve or crossing, but he’s got sensational vision, short and long passing. He can make almost any pass he needs to - perfect through balls, pin-point long passes, and consistent short passing. He’s one of the main play-makers of my team, and creates a large number of Ronaldo’s goals with his passing.

Dribbling: 8/10

Very, very good for a defensive midfielder. He has decent agility, balance and dribbling, but his 85 reactions and ball-control make him feel very capable on the ball. He’s not going to dribble past entire teams, but he’s composed and elegant on the ball, and rarely puts a foot wrong. He can also contribute going forward, with his dribbling allowing him to wrong-foot defenders in order to give him the space needed to take a shot.

Defending: 10/10

Perfection. His tackling is sublime, and he always wins the ball. In the ~250 games I’ve used him in, he’s only received two yellow cards, and no reds, and he rarely gives away fouls. He’s the main tackler of my team, along with SIF N’Zonzi and Maldini, and he does a damn good job of cleaning up the midfield. His interceptions and marking are almost perfect, allowing him to stop attacks with ease, and cut out a lot of passes. All-in-all, he’s one of the best defenders I’ve used this year.

Physical: 10/10

He’s very strong, and can bully most players off the ball. If he encounters a player stronger than him, his high aggression means he will always put up a fight, and will often come away with the ball. His good jumping means he can win a lot of aerial duels, and win a lot of clearances. Finally, his decent stamina means he can run all game long, and can do the job until the last second of the game.

Summary:

This is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the game. I’ve thought about upgrading him numerous times, but he’s just too good. He honestly plays like a 90 rated player, and is an incredible defensive and offensive force. At just 20-30K, you are getting a truly world-class player, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. If you can afford his MOTM, all the better.