Transfer Targets for Chicago Fire in FIFA 17
A few weeks ago I chronicled my adventures in manager mode signing Bastian Schweinsteiger and seeking MLS glory. As it shook out, signing Basti ended up being an albatross that nearly lost me my job as manger of the Fire. He ended up playing for Chicago for two seasons and led us to two deep playoff runs but no MLS Cup, Open Cup or Supporter’s Shield.
After two years of paying his salary, the team was dead broke and had to shed weight. I immediately started looking for good young prospects that would develop into top players in MLS over the next few years. The ideal age for any of these targets is around 19–20 and they should be expected to raise their ratings by at least 2–3 points per season until age 26–28, before they peak.
Here’s a list of targeted acquisitions that I made that likely saved my fictitious job as coach/GM for Chicago. In addition to these players, I developed a number of homegrown players via the training squad.
The typical cycle for any decent HG player in my model is to contribute to the club early, level up to somewhere between 77–81, then get sold for at least $20 million around age 18 or 19. This results in plenty of transfer money lying around to acquire “real” players. I personally find the game more fun when I use actual guys, not just computer generated superhumans. Maybe that’s just me.
Alright here’s the list:
Strikers:
Cedric Teuchert — The German wunderkid was a good replacement for Michael De Leeuw who inexplicably forced a transfer to Orlando City (guess he takes that “Lion” name quite literally) after Bastian left the team in 2019. Cedric’s a pretty big kid actually, 6'0" and scores a lot of goals up front along with his Swedish friend…
Alexander Isak — I only have good things to say about this dude. He never complains about his role (unlike so many others) often coming in off the bench and scoring goals. He’s also deployable as a winger given his pace, which has allowed for some flexibility when moving pieces around situationally.
Defenders:
Danihlo Doekhi — If you’re only going after one guy on this list, I suggest it be Doekhi. He’s a bit of a primadonna (insists on playing a lot) but he’s cheap, durable and can totally fill in at CDM or RB if necessary. The Dutch center back was rated 67 or 68 when I found him on the wire and is now rated 72 in fictitious 2021.
Mamadou Doucouré — Honestly, the Fire probably don’t have a realistic shot at the Senegalese-French left-footed center back. But this is FIFA so international slots are unlimited and the money is fake. It wasn’t a cheap transfer or salary to get him, but an aging Johan Kappelhof needed relief and this guy immediately slides in as a 75+ rated defender that is reliable and, like Doekhi, can also play fullback if needed.
Kasim Adams Nuhu — Although a bit older and not quite on the same level as the guys above, this dude is as cheap as they’ll come in the transfer market and is still a better centerback than you’ll typically find in MLS. Definitely a solid rotation guy that you can rely on to be a 70+ player by the time 2021 rolls around.
Giovanni Troupeé — As pure a right back as they come. Don’t let all these babyfaces fool you. By the time a few years in manager mode pass, these guys play like seasoned vets. Think about everything you’d change in Michael Harrington’s game and now apply that alongside the speed and technical skill of one of the better Dutch products to come out of Eredivisie. Not a cheap transfer target, but he and Doekhi are the guys you want to go after right away to fix the Fire’s back line.
Midfielders:
Carel Eiting — I’ve experimented with a few different HG players and transfer targets at CDM, but no one came at a better value and at a better time than Carel Eiting. After Dax McCarty requested a transfer away from the club (enjoy Europe, Dax!) I had to find a serviceable replacement. For whatever reason, my scouts were striking gold in the the first and second division of the Eredivisie. Another cheap AJAX prospect that was easily lured to MLS after being promised first team minutes.
Dante Rigo — If you’re going to buy a bunch of European dudes to fill in a fictitious MLS squad, you better get at least one Belgian. After Juninho’s loan runs out, you’ll either need to sign him for a pretty hefty fee, or just use that money to buy Rigo. The latter option will provide you a player that will be with your team for some time. He can play the number 10 role well in an attacking 4–3–3.
Wingers:
Mitchell van Bergen — You may be seeing a theme here with Dutch players. I have no shame in absolutely gutting the youth from Eredivisie and giving them first team minutes in MLS. Honestly, I’ve turned it into a time honored tradition. Mitch is my latest acquisition, so I don’t have a lot of data on him, but the entire squad’s look changed by adding him on the wing.
By adding a proper winger to play opposite David Accam, I felt much more comfortable switching from the very central 4–3–2–1 (Basti’s legacy hung over for a while) to a wider attacking 4–3–3. In fact, I felt so comfortable with him that I decided to sell Accam while he still had a few good years left. The Ghana man went to NYRB and has been punishing me ever since. Takeaway: add this guy, but don’t sell David Accam.
So there you have it: 9 transfer targets for your FIFA 17 Chicago Fire squad. My current roster, centered around these players, contains few Americans bar co-captains Matt Polster and Brandon Vincent. It’s no coincidence that they are also the first squad that has won the MLS treble for #cf97 after 5 simulated seasons.
Enjoy averaging 2–3 goals a game and rarely losing with these young dudes!
Update:
Here is a breakdown of the players (excluding those transferred in July) that scored for the 2021 Chicago Fire including everyone from the list above. What’s not shown is that 3 of Mitchell van Bergen’s goals came during the MLS playoffs. He scored a brace in the MLS Cup Final against Portland.
For that reason I’m upgrading him to ‘must grab’ status for any new CF97 career mode in FUT 17 that I’ll start.
And just for fun, the goal scorers from the entire 2021 MLS season in this simulation.
There’s probably not much more merit to keeping this particular simulation going much further (or worth writing about, for that matter).
I’ll be starting a new simulation with the Chicago Fire’s current roster download this week and there may be some interesting notes from those simulated games.
