FIFA Soccer: The Next Best Thing for Non-Professional Footballers

It’s 3 a.m. and, once again, I find myself staring intently at my television screen as I try to either outwit or outluck my online opponent in what usually promises to be a fiercely contested game of FIFA Soccer 12. 

Even though my holiday vacation allows me to stay up well into the early hours of the morning, I find myself wondering why I’m still awake. 

Can’t I just put the Xbox controller down, get to sleep and continue in the morning? 

Unfortunately, no. 

FIFA Soccer exerts some utterly sensational force that perpetually enthralls all who experience it. 

Considering there are at least 500,000 similarly-minded players dueling around the world at any given time, I’m definitely not alone.

Upon applying some introspective thought to the subject, I’ve realized that FIFA Soccer is more than just a game, it's the best way to connect with the professional footballers fans have come to idolize. 

Sure, you can buy your favorite teams’ kits, read all news related to them, comment about their performance on message boards and attend matches, but still find yourself unsatisfied. 

The modern supporter wants to not only observe but also participate in match day experience.

As a result, the FIFA Soccer series has accumulated a worldwide following.  Not only does the system allow you to control your favorite player, it allows you to control all of them. 

Furthermore, you have the chance to manage your team as well. 

Think you have the answer for Manchester United’s central midfield problems?  Would Ajax perform better in a formation other than the 4-3-3?  Should Barcelona buy another center half instead of deploying midfielders in central defense?

Essentially, FIFA Soccer offers the player a seemingly endless combination of options to realistically simulate how potential actions might influence the actual football world. 

Once players devise their own individual strategies, the online component allows them to determine if they’re more like Jose Mourinho or Steve Kean. 

And unlike actual managers who usually spend an entire week correcting errors and preparing for the next contest, you can vindicate your losses instantly.

Nevertheless, in spite of FIFA Soccer 12’s wildly popular success, I must not be the only one who often becomes frustrated by the game play. 

While ball and player movement is significantly more realistic than in previous editions of the game, passing can still be difficult. 

For instance, if you try to pass the ball to one of two players making parallel runs, the system generally assumes the ball is intended for the wider of the two players.  

Even if the player making an interior run is wide open, you probably won’t feed him the ball.

Similarly, the CPU is largely invincible on the world class difficulty level whether you are playing Barcelona or VVV-Venlo. 

I mean, does the latter really have any players who can dribble through three defenders and hit a 30-yard shot into the back of the net?

When I first began playing FIFA Soccer 12, I felt these two problems were evidence that EA Sports still had a great deal of work to do in order to master its signature platform. 

But on second thought, I’m starting to think that these quirks may represent an attempt to make the game more realistic: Players do miss perfect passes, and good teams do lose to poor ones far more often than they should.

And as one of many fans who will never play professional football, this almost realistic experience is the next best thing.