Welcome to this edition of the Upgrade, a new series tracking MLS players in EA SPORTS FIFA 17. You can check out the previous installment here. This week, we’re focusing on a real attacking Dynamo.
Cubo Torres, Houston Dynamo
Everyone, Cubo Torres is back.
After loans to Guadalajara and Cruz Azul, Cubo is back in Houston, where current head coach Wilmer Cabrera has officially made him great again for the Dynamo.
He’s bagged six goals in four matches for the Dynamo, notching a hat trick in their most recent match, a 4-1 winning romp over the New York Red Bulls. It may have been played on April 1, but Cubo was definitely not fooling around.
You know it, I know it, Cubo knows it, Cabrera knows it, and -- most importantly for this column -- EA knows it. They rewarded him with a spot on the FUT Team of the Week, as well as with a three-point overall rating boost. Suddenly Torres looks like he could be a breakout player in FIFA 17.
After some of his early season exploits, EA upgraded his free kick accuracy rating by a whopping 34 points, bringing him all the way up to a 75. Other highlights include upgrades to his curve, shot power, finishing, and long shot stats, rounded out by mental upgrades in positioning, vision, and composure. It was a darn good week for both Cubo and the Dynamo, both IRL and in the digital world.
Tyler Adams, New York Red Bulls
Also in news that is good and cool, the New York Red Bulls' Tyler Adams also finally got an upgrade in FIFA 17, and slowly but surely he’s climbing his way up the in-game usefulness ladder. His four-point overall rating boost puts him at a 61, and a series of mental and physical attribute upgrades mean he no longer has that “deer in the headlights” thing going on that can afflict younger, inexperienced players in FIFA.
While this might seem like a modest upgrade to some, EA does have the tendency of making younger players earn those upgrades before they buy in. Not everyone operates like the American hype-train conductors, after all. I predict that the kid will earn it, and as the Red Bulls look to solidify their identity this season in the upcoming weeks, I bet Adams will be a central part of it.
