There were a number of surprises in Match Week Three of the FC Pro Open, but two stars broke out from the pack towards the latter rounds to put themselves into the strongest position after the first games of Group C. It’s now time for the FC Pro Draft Review for Match Week Three, where we take a look at the squads and how they performed.
Budgets were increased from 5 million to 9 million for the competitors in a week where all selections had to be Icons. That saw more variation between the respective drafts. It also meant a Match Week without Kylian Mbappe or Virgil van Dijk, paving the way for new stars in the FC Pro Open.
Teams in full
ManuBachoore - Schmeichel, Zambrotta, Desailly, Blanc, Centurions Zanetti, Dynasties Veron, Abily, Socrates, Ribery, Eusebio, Garrincha
Vejrgang - Cech, Zambrotta, Blanc, Thunderstruck Campbell, Cafu, Essien, Abily, Sawa, Barnes, Jairzinho, Charlton,
AntoniniGabriel - Schmeichel, Cole, Blanc, Ferdinand, Zanetti, Ribery, Sawa, Rijkaard, Figo, Best, Eusebio
Seanldw - Schmeichel, Zambrotta, Desailly, Thunderstruck Campbell, Cafu, Petit, Charlton, Beckham, Best, Puskas, Cantona
AbuMakkah - Cech, Zambrotta, Ferdinand, Thunderstruck Campbell, Cafu, Centurions Zanetti, Dynasties Veron, Thunderstruck Figo, Ribery, Thunderstruck Cantona, Garrincha
FC Pro Open Week Three FC Pro Draft Review
The first surprise came in the first round of games during the 2-2 draw between ManuBachoore and Vejrgang. The Danish RBLZ esports star initially had Mexico Icon Luis Hernandez in his draft, but it soon became apparent that Michael Essien would be starting instead of him to allow Bobby Charlton to play in a more advanced role.
England legend Charlton was selected by two pros after also being included in Seanldw’s attack-minded side, with both competitors looking to utilise his power shot playstyle+, though it was a surprise midfielder who received the plaudits for his efforts from range on the night.
Dynasties Juan Sebastian Veron provided early warning signs of his influence from midfield despite being one of the cheaper items, with world champion ManuBachoore scoring an impressive trivela inside the less-common near post against Vejrgang, and the Argentine star continued to make an impact from midfield across the rounds.
Falcons esports pro AbuMakkah was in strong form after registering a clean sheet in his round two 2-0 win against Seanldw, and he was unlucky in the 2-1 defeat during the battle of the Petr Cech’s against Vejrgang, in which he could not seem to find a way past manual goalkeeper movement of the highest level.
All three teams that drafted Thunderstruck Sol Campbell conceded the fewest goals from their four games, with Vejrgang and AbuMakkah tying with nine while Seanldw conceded 14. That selection turned out to be one of the key decisions overall as the former England international won back possession on multiple occasions and looked faultless in his duels. Laurent Blanc had some bright moments, but could have done better to block some shots going across goal.
Cafu was another standout from the defensive selections at right-back as the Brazilian made a regular impact in advanced areas, while ManuBachoore’s Centurions Javier Zanetti may have been better suited to midfield.
It was another Brazil star, Jairzinho, who proved to be one of the best picks from Match Week Three. Vejrgang got the maximum value of the item that is currently priced in the region of 2 million coins, and he was the only player who selected him. Jairzinho was a constant threat both on the flanks and inside the box, producing a number of clinical shots across goal that were set-up by skill moves such as the reverse elastico.
For both value and uniqueness, Jairzinho proved to be one of the best draft picks of the FC Pro Open so far.
Some percentages from Match Week Three of the FC Pro Open
No item received a 100% pick rate in Match Week Three, though Gianluca Zambrotta was selected by four of five competitors, with only AntoniniGabriel opting against him. The highest of any item on Monday.
Peter Schmeichel was the most-picked goalkeeper with 60% of the selections, but Petr Cech, the item selected by AbuMakkah and Vejrgang, was the best performer from the two best defences overall.
Franck Ribery was a popular wing option having been selected by three (60%) of the sides. Other French items were also prevalent in Abily (40%) and Blanc (60%).
Here’s how the group looks after Match Week Three of the FC Pro Open
Vejrgang is in control of Group C after Match Week Three, though he is closely followed by AbuMakkah in second place. Both those players conceded the fewest goals, while Vejrgang was also the top scorer after a convincing 9-3 win over AntoniniGabriel in round five.
Ten points for Vejrgang means FC Pro Live Mohamed Simakan will receive two IF upgrades and a playstyle. Meanwhile, AbuMakkah’s FC Pro Live Kalidou Koulibaly is just one point away from a second IF upgrade after earning nine points. He will also receive a new relative playstyle.
Single wins for Seanldw and AntoniniGabriel means they’ve done enough to earn IF upgrades for FC Pro Live Dele Alli and Ogbonna, but importantly, they’re also still in the hunt to qualify from the group stage.
A surprise sees world champion ManuBachoore bottom of the group with work to do amid hopes of making up the seven-point deficit from the second qualification spot, though the Team Gullit star was unlucky after conceding after the 85th minute in three of the four rounds.
Group C will return to action in the new year on 22 January.
Who won the draft on Match Week Three of the FC Pro Open?
In arguably the most tightly contested Match Week yet, who do you think drafted the best team?
In terms of an individual pick, Vejrgang deserves the plaudits for his selection of Jairzinho. He committed a significant part of his budget on the winger, and he was able to do so with smart choices in other areas.
Thunderstruck Sol Campbell had a clear influence on matches from the backline, and it would be difficult to suggest that a squad without the inclusion of that item won the draft.
While Seanldw selected the English centre-back, his heavy investment in his attack led by George Best, Eric Cantona, and Ferenc Puskas left him short in other areas, with David Beckham not performing as well at the FC Pro Open as he would have liked.
Sawa was also one of the standout picks from Vejrgang and AntoninGabriel’s respective sides, and given that Vejrgang managed to construct a side including Thunderstruck Campbell, Cafu, Sawa, and Jairzinho, he looks to be the winner of the FC Pro Open Draft in Match Week Three.
Which team do you think was best? Be sure to let us know at @EASportsFCPro on X.
