FIFA 16 | Good teams for career mode – SC Freiburg

Introduction: How do these articles work?

Each Sunday I examine a different team in detail and look at why they’re a good team for FIFA 16’s career mode. The teams are broken down into the following categories:

  • Tier 1: Teams in tough divisions that can push on to challenge for silverware
  • Tier 2: Teams that will have to fight for survival in a challenging division
  • Tier 3: Teams that start in a lower division but can hope to get promoted and work their way up higher leagues
  • Tier 4: Teams that start right at the bottom of the pile, with few funds or high potential players

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

SC Freiburg (Tier 3)

In tier 3, I choose teams that start in lower divisions but can work their way up the leagues. SC Freiburg are a perfect example of this – lots of talent among their ranks, but get promoted in the Bundesliga and you’ll have to have your wits about you to survive. Building for the future is therefore absolutely vital.

Contents

  1. Why choose SC Freiburg?
  2. Lineups
    1. Strongest starting lineup
    2. Highest potential lineup
  3. Recommended purchases
  4. Suggested sales
  5. Future considerations
    1. Get a new goalkeeper

Starting transfer budget: £2,900,000
Starting wage budget: £35,000
Default formation: 4-4-2
Board expectations: Win the league title, reach cup round of 32
Key player: Nils Petersen
Best young prospect: Marc-Oliver Kempf

Why choose SC Freiburg?

You may at first think that SC Freiburg have it easy. They’re one of the best teams in the Bundesliga second division and have a wealth of high potential players, including one of the only players in the division to have over 80 potential (Marc-Oliver Kempf). They have a prolific attack and a solid defence, and really have everything necessary to make a strong title challenge.

However, it’s after you get promotion that the real challenge begins. Competing against Braunschweig and SV Sandhausen in the second division is simple enough; staying afloat amid the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund is another matter entirely. And while Freiburg’s budget isn’t prohibitive, you’ll have to spend it wisely in order to bring in players who will be able to compete in the top division.

The team’s key player is Nils Petersen. With 77 finishing, 81 heading accuracy and 81 positioning, his goals will help rocket you up the table. But they’ll also be just what you need to help stave off relegation in the top division, so keeping hold of him (and keeping him injury free) will be an absolute priority.

SC Freiburg’s highest potential player is Marc-Oliver Kempf, with 81 potential. Having one of the few players in the division with over 80 potential will come in very handy, and he should grow quickly and help you rack up the clean sheets. His 87 jumping means he’s unlikely to get caught out by balls over the top, and his good tackling and interceptions will help put a stop to opposition attacks. With enough good performances, he’ll grow well and be ready for the top division in no time.

Strongest starting lineup

Here is SC Freiburg’s strongest starting lineup, with OVRs in brackets:

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Highest potential lineup

Keeping the formation the same, here’s SC Freiburg’s highest potential lineup, with potentials in brackets:

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Recommended purchases

Key signings required: GK, RB, CM x2, ST.

While there aren’t really any obvious weak spots in terms of OVR or potential, a few positions could do with strengthening. Central midfield is the lowest potential area and those central midfielders already in SC Freiburg’s squad won’t grow much before they start declining. Right back could also do with a little work, as could the goalkeepers and strikers.

Before you buy anyone, adjust your budget ratio to 65:35. This will give you £3,068,000 in transfer funds and £31,769 in wages. Now let’s see who we can buy with that money.

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Lukas Klostermann is extremely pacey and can also play at centre back

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Lukas Klostermann
Club: RB Leipzig
Position: RB
OVR: 68
Potential: 80
Age: 19
Cost: £1.2m
Wages: £6,000

SC Freiburg have a right back problem. Mensur Mujdža is OK but he’s 31 and will start declining soon, while Lukas Kübler only has 72 potential. Vegar Eggen Hedenstad is good and can play there (he’s right footed), but that’ll mean you’ve got no backup left back for Christian Günter. A new player is therefore required.

My choice is Lukas Klostermann of RB Leipzig. Straight away you can see his standout attribute is his amazing pace – with 88 acceleration and 91 sprint speed he’ll be a fantastic full back. His crossing could do with some work but his tackling is very good, and with his 6’2″ height he could easily be drafted into a more central position to become a very pacey centre back. His 80 potential also means he’ll grow quickly and soon become a key player for the team.

Despite RB Leipzig being SC Freiburg’s promotion rivals, they’ve got no problem selling Klostermann to us. You can get him for around £1.2m; his wages are £6,000.


FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Mahmoud Dahoud has tons of potential but is super cheap

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Mahmoud Dahoud
Club: Bor. M’gladbach
Position: CDM
OVR: 66
Potential: 82
Age: 19
Cost: £900,000
Wages: £3,150

If SC Freiburg have a particularly weak spot, it’s at centre midfield. Amir Abrashi and Nicolas Höfler only have 73 and 72 potential respectively, while Julian Schuster is 30 and will decline soon. The only other central midfielder is Caleb Stanko, who only has 66 potential. These players will be OK for a season or two, so you don’t need to blow all your cash on a central midfielder who is already very good; it’s better to buy a couple of high potential players who will grow to replace the old guard.

The first of those two is Mahmoud Dahoud. He’s a deep-lying playmaker – with strong passing, he’ll grow into the orchestrator of your attacks for years to come. He can also dribble well and has lightning quick acceleration as well as good stamina, so will be able to cover ground and beat defenders in the middle of the pitch.

Borussia Mönchengladbach want £1.4m for him but I was able to get him for around £900,000. His wages are £3,150, and he wants the ‘squad rotation player’ squad role.


FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Andrés Cubas can grow to become your central midfield rock

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Andrés Cubas
Club: Boca Juniors
Position: CDM
OVR: 69
Potential: 81
Age: 19
Cost: £950,000
Wages: £6,000

My second midfield target is Andrés Cubas of Boca Juniors. While Dahoud is the deep-lying playmaker, Cubas is the ball winner of your midfield. He’s got 83 stamina and great tackling stats, so will cover every blade of grass in an effort to get the ball back for your team. Once he’s done that, his good passing and dribbling (not to mention amazing balance) will enable him to start attacks of his own. And with an impressive OVR for his age and 81 potential, he’ll more or less slot straight into your starting lineup and will become a permanent fixture there for years to come.

Boca Juniors will ask for £1.4m for his services, but you can negotiate that down to around £950,000. His wages are £6,000, and he wants the ‘important 1st team player’ squad role.


FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Loan in Gabriel Jesus to get a hugely promising striker on your team

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Gabriel Jesus
Club: Palmeiras
Position: ST
OVR: 72
Potential: 87
Age: 18
Cost: £0 (two-year loan)
Wages: £6,000

I mentioned Nils Petersen before as being a key player for SC Freiburg, but the problem is he doesn’t have much backup. Maximilian Philipp is a great attacker but is much more of a winger or centre forward, rather than an out-and-out striker. Other than that, there’s not much else, so if Petersen gets injured or tired then you might struggle for a replacement.

My solution is Gabriel Jesus of Palmeiras. I wouldn’t suggest you buy him (he’s too expensive), but if you loan him in for two years then you get an amazing high potential striker who will grow rapidly thanks to his 87 potential. Not only that but he’s extremely fast and has 80 dribbling, so beating defenders will be a breeze. He’ll grow fast in the second division and will be ready for the Bundesliga when you get promoted, at which point you’ll still have him for another year. This is a great way to get a high potential striker to tide you over while you scout for a replacement.

Seeing as you’re only loaning him in, there’s no transfer fee. His wages are £6,000. Like I said, make sure to loan him in for two years to get the most out of him for such a low cost.


Those transfers will leave you with £18,000 in transfer funds and £10,619 in wages. If you want to raise a little extra cash for scouts or to bring in more players, take a look at the players you can sell below.

Suggested sales

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Lukas Kübler can be sold for about £500,000

You can have a major clearout among SC Freiburg’s goalkeepers and defenders. Selling Fuhry, Bohro, Höhn and Kübler could net you around £1.1m.

Similarly, there are plenty of midfielders you can sell, with Stanko, Kath and Schleusener bringing in around £350,000.

Finally, selling Falahen and either Guédé or Kleindienst can add about £400,000 to your budget.

Decide to sell all of these players and you’ll get just under £2m for the lot.

Future considerations – get a new goalkeeper

FIFA 16 good teams for career mode: SC Freiburg

Abdoulaye Diallo is a good option if you want to bring in a new goalkeeper

Although Alexander Schwolow has decent potential, goalkeepers often take a while to grow on human-controlled teams but can grow quicker on AI teams. So in this case, you have to options: either heavily train Schwolow so that he grows quickly (as training is especially effective on goalkeepers), or else buy a new goalkeeper after one season so that he will have grown.

If you want to take the latter option, I’d suggest Abdoulaye Diallo of Stade Rennais. You can actually get him for free as his contract is expiring, so by the time he arrives in the second season he may well have grown more than Schwolow. He’s got 76 potential but should be 70 OVR when he arrives, so could easily exceed that potential. He’ll want £10,000 in wages and the ‘important 1st team player’ squad role in order to join SC Freiburg.

But like I said, you may simply decide to train up Schwolow and save your money. But should you decide to bring in a new keeper, you can get a very cheap, very effective one in Diallo.


That’s it for this week’s article on good teams for career mode. SC Freiburg will have it fairly easy in the first season, but you’ll have to strengthen them wisely if you’ve any chance of surviving in the Bundesliga first division. That makes for a fun, challenging FIFA 16 career mode as you battle the odds and attempt to survive in one of Europe’s elite leagues.

I’d like to hear if you have any thoughts about the format of the article itself. Did you find it useful? Conversely, do you think it was missing something that you’d have liked me to include?

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