Another week of fantastic football around the globe is in the books, with a wealth of players putting in stellar showings and making their case for some worldwide recognition. This week’s EA FC 25 Team of the Week has arrived with some star-making performances, including some names that dropped off the radar before once more showing the spark that made them key prospects. So, come along as we look at the stand-outs on the real pitch that earned players their spot on virtual pitches around the world this week, including one player who really ought to be on the list.
EA Sports FC 25 Team Of The Week 24 Highlights
Serhou Guirassy Gives Dortmund Something To Cheer About
Things have not been going swimmingly in Dortmund this season. The club’s own Nuri Sahin turned out to be more of a Lampard than an Arteta in his return to his old club. A club already stinging from losing its grip on “best German team not in Munich” in the same season Bayern lost its grip on the league title last year now sits mired in the bottom half of the table entering March.
It’s not all doom and gloom for the boys in Black and Yellow, however. In Europe, a 10th place finish has been rewarded with a winnable matchup against Lille, while the quarterfinal draw saw them earn a much more manageable likely opponent in Barcelona, as opposed to a potential matchup with Liverpool had the balls bounced differently. Guirassy is hoping this week shows things are turning around in the league, too, and he’s certainly done his part on that front. Often, a striker coming off early can be a sign of a frustrating day, but I reckon it’s easier to make the walk when it’s to a standing ovation following a four-goal day. A few more performances like that and a miracle Champions League run won’t be Dortmund’s only route to maintaining their usual place on Europe’s biggest stage.
Jaedyn Shaw Orchestrates The USWNT Attack
The SheBelieves Cup exists in a somewhat nebulous place on the “Does this matter?” scale. While generally taken more seriously than other showpiece friendly-style events like league shield matches, it remains a step below proper international competitions, despite generally bringing in four talented teams to participate. Fresh off a redemption tour at the Olympics, the US Women’s National Team brought a mostly-young lineup to the SheBelieves Cup this year, ultimately seeing the future stars put in a prideful runners-up showing. Nothing exemplified the “just seeing what we have for the future” feel than Emma Hayes making a full team swap for the US’s second match with Australia.
It was the 20-year-old Shaw who stole the show for the US playing as a ten. She delivered a first-minute assist for Lynn Biendolo to tap home to give the US the lead and spent the whole game pulling the strings and making things tick for the US as they won their second straight match to turn the final group game with Japan into a virtual title match.
Momoko Tanikawa Believes
For all the rightful praise on offer for the US and their young stars, it was the technical brilliance of the Japan side that stole the show, and ultimately won the day. While there was no shortage of options for the folks at EA to pick from when seeking a Japanese representative for the team, it was Tanikawa who got the nod and it’s hard to argue she didn’t deserve it. Like Shaw, Tanikawa got things going early for her side in their second match of the Cup and she did it with a beauty of a goal. Taking the ball on the dribble, Tanikawa advanced on the Colombian goal before hammering home a long-range laser beam into the upper-90.
Not content to have just one goal contribution, Tanikawa added to her haul with an assist in the 8th minute on a goal by Mina Tanaka, herself a two-goal, two assist performer on the day. While the final match between the two sides came after the Team of the Week, the Japanese victory provided a final confirmation of Tanikawa’s deserved spot on the team.
Vanja Milinković-Savić Stops A Half Dozen
This year has been a rough one for Italy’s established powers. While Atalanta and Napoli’s recent stumbles have allowed Inter to climb to the top of the table, rivals AC Milan and Juventus are stuck in a three-team fight with Lazio for the final Champions League place as the run-in begins. While last weekend proved to be another frustrating one for Milan’s red and black half, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Facing a Torino side more concerned with looking over their shoulder than looking ahead, Milan battered the Torino box to the tune of eight shots on target.
Unfortunately for the Rossoneri, Vanja Milinković-Savić wasn’t feeling very generous to his guests. While Milan huffed and puffed, they couldn’t blow the doors down more than once, and when the final whistle blew it was on a 2-1 victory for Torino. While the frustrating loss leaves Milan even further adrift of a top-four finish, Torino moved 10 points clear of the drop and at 31 points now sit on the points total that 18th place Empoli are only on pace to reach by the end of the year. This leaves the Turin side all but safe from any relegation shenanigans.
Mo Salah Is Unstoppable
Liverpool have been the best team in world football this year, and it’s not particularly close. Already having locked up top spot in the Champions League after a dominant league phase campaign, Arsenal’s injury woes have now turned a likely Premier League title for Liverpool into a near certainty. It would be hard to imagine a world where there is much of anything to be grumbling about around the Kop, yet there remains some consternation among the fanbase for the simple reason Mohamed Salah has not yet been locked down with an extension.
On the one hand, it’s easy to understand a policy against handing big money contracts to older players at a time where spending regulations (in theory) constrain clubs from splashing cash at will. On the other hand, Salah sits on 42 goal contributions this year and is making a strong case for being the best he’s ever been. Already having tied the record for games with both a goal and an assist in one Premier League season, all Salah did was add two more as Liverpool scooped up four points from a pair of matches against fellow Champions League sides Aston Villa and Manchester City, two of the hardest fixtures left in their run-in.
Who Was Overlooked? – Dominik Szoboszlai
While it can be easy to see what Salah brings to the table for the Reds, the contribution of a player like Szoboszlai can often be easier to miss if you’re not paying attention to the details. This week he decided to change the script and make his contribution a bit harder to overlook. While Salah was out there getting a goal and an assist against City, there was only one man rounding out the scoring summary of those goals as Szoboszlai scored from Salah and fed for Salah for his own two-contribution effort. Alas, it was not enough to get the Hungarian on the Team of the Week this time around. On the bright side, he’s already on his way to another crack next week with a goal in Liverpool’s midweek 2-0 win over Newcastle United, which saw them move 13 points clear of Arsenal in second, the kind of lead that makes a game in hand and a head-to-head matchup yet to come feel borderline irrelevant.
These were some of my favorite performances from the Team of the Week entrants this time around, but who stood out to you? And who was left off that you felt deserved a place?
Published: Feb 28, 2025 10:41 am