Rare Talents in FIFA12 Part 2: Winter Roster Update

With the Winter Roster Update coming in, there have been changes to the ratings of many players in the database. For those who may not know, players can update their squads by going to "Customise FIFA -> Edit teams -> Change squads/rosters -> Download updates". Once it’s done you’ll have the latest squads! :)

Meanwhile, we shall focus on some brilliant young players that can be found in this new patch, and also revisit the players that have been previously recommended to see whether their stock has rose and fallen.

1. Gabriel (Juventus) 66 -> 88

Juventus was quick to sign 17 year old Gabriel Appelt Pires before many other big clubs could do so, and The Old Lady had reason to be. This talented central defensive midfielder, signed along with his older brother Guilherme, was described as a "champion" by top European transfer guru Ernesto Bronzetti.

In FIFA 12, the Brazilian has a good passing range, with both his Long Passing and Short Passing stats above 70. Furthermore, his Ball Control and Vision stats are a whopping 72, pretty promising for a young midfielder who can dictate play in the heart of midfield and switch from defense to offense with his incisive passes. He can also shut down opponents pretty quickly with his decent tackling and intercepting abilities, so he's a definite must-have for FIFA 12 career mode players.

Before I forget, check out how he pressured Ronaldinho off the ball in a match against Flamengo (at around 0:35)


2. Nicola Leali (Brescia) 67-> 88

Prior to the Winter Roster update, the 18 year old Italian goalkeeper has an overall rating of 61 and a potential of 79. After the patch, he has grown to an overall rating of 67. Why is there such a big change over just half a season?

With clubs such as Sporting CP and Juventus (again!)tracking his progress, the Under-19 Italian custodian possesses great agility, a great sense of positioning and catlike reflexes, reminiscent of a young Buffon. With the club initally struggling, Leali has brought great assuredness between the sticks, and has helped steer the club to 7th place with his strong performances in goal.

In FIFA 12, what stood out for him was his Jumping and Reflexes stats, which are at 73 and 72 respectively. Other essential goalkeeping stats such as Handling, are all above 65 (with the exception of Kicking, which is a poor 55). Not bad for a 18-year-old.

3.  Mattia Destro (Siena) 72-> 87

Need a goalscorer? This Siena striker is the answer for you. On loan from Genoa, the 20 year old started his career in Ascoli. He moved to Inter in 2010, where he flourished under their youth system. He then moved to Genoa as a make-weight for Andrea Ranocchia's transfer to the Nerazzurri. The Italian was also capped at every level from U-16 to U-21.

In the game, Destro is perhaps one of the most promising goalscorers in the game. With both Positioning and Finishing stats at 78, expect this hotshot to score many goals for your team. He is also pretty quick (his Acceleration and Sprint Speed are at 79) and has pretty good Heading Accuracy.  His lethal finishing, combined with his quick feet, definitely makes him one of the most exciting attacking talents in the game. His only weakness is his Long Shots, but expect that to improve.

After discussing about the footballing talents that emerged after the patch, let's take a look at my previous recommendations after the winter update:

Roderick Miranda (65 -> 78) (Overall =, Potential -11) By far the most disappointing change, but oh well...
Federik Sørensen (73 -> 83) (Overall -1, Potential -4)
Cristian Pasquato (73 -> 86) (Overall -1, Potential +2)
Fernando Lucas Marins (71 -> 83) (Overall +1, Potential -4)
Daniel Johnson ( 60 -> 77) (Overall & Potential =)