Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

[tony01313]

I brought the last two world cup games, I don't follow the sport only when the world cup come around I get really into it. I had a ball with world cup south Africa and this year the woman's world cup, gold cup and copa America sparked my intrest again and really looking too get FIFA 12 which I would have no idea what the hell is going on with the teams, seasons leagues. A few questions too help me understand the game.

1. Does FIFA 11 have gold cup, copa America like tornaments with countries vs countries?

2. Do the game has neymar and ganso? Saw some games with them and they nice.

3. Would a very casual soccer futbal fan like me be completely overwhelmed or lost or will I have no problem picking things up (like leagues and such)

[JMUfootball]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

1. Does FIFA 11 have gold cup, copa America like tornaments with countries vs countries?

No. International tournaments have separate licenses and thus aren't in game. However, FIFA does come with over 32 International teams, and a custom Tournament creator, so you can design your own tournament with your own teams (even choose what the cup looks like) and play it all out.

2. Do the game has neymar and ganso? Saw some games with them and they nice.
Neymar is a little punk, but yes the game has fully accurate rosters for like a zillion leagues and 30-50 international teams.

3. Would a very casual soccer futbal fan like me be completely overwhelmed or lost or will I have no problem picking things up (like leagues and such)
Depends on your aptitude for learning new things. There are some linguistic differences, and some scheduling quirks of European leagues and tournaments (Home&Away aggregate, national cups midseason, points table), but overall a season is a season. If you're used to the NFL, MLB, etc, you're not going to get so lost that you won't enjoy it.

See answers within quote above. Also, more specifically to your last question, it seems like you very much enjoy international soccer but have never followed a league before. If you are in the U.S., have you thought about following MLS? It's a growing, exciting league, and has many similarities to leagues throughout the world; it's a good learning tool if you're interested in understanding league soccer better.

[tony01313]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

See answers within quote above. Also, more specifically to your last question, it seems like you very much enjoy international soccer but have never followed a league before. If you are in the U.S., have you thought about following MLS? It's a growing, exciting league, and has many similarities to leagues throughout the world; it's a good learning tool if you're interested in understanding league soccer better.

Thanks for the response!! Yes I am in the US, the MLS looks dry is hell on tv and never really tried to get into it I can watch some of the european teams I am able too pick it up because it's the best players in the world (Messi, kaka, Ronaldo and such) MLS looks like arena league while over seas looks like the NFL too me.

I may give FIFA a shot even though I mostly love the international parts of the sport. I am done with Madden, and NCAA is almost the same game as last year. I need another game too fill the slot.

[JMUfootball]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

I may give FIFA a shot even though I mostly love i the international parts of the sport. I am done with Madden, and NCAA is almost the same game as last year. I need another game too fill the slot.

Yup, EA Tiburon (studio that makes NCAA and Madden) is done. Lack of talent and innovation. So behind the times it's difficult to buy their games anymore (when I do I buy used so that I'm not directly funding their hack job operation). I think you'll find FIFA (and non EA games too) much more enjoyable.

As for the MLS, what makes it enjoyable for me at least is that rooting interest takes the place of world class talent. I have no rooting interest in foreign leagues...yes the talent is better overseas but I end up watching just for the beauty of the game. In MLS all the games have ramifications for my local team, and that emotional investment has a value in itself. I recommend you give it a chance - go to a game for your local team and you'll be hooked (hopefully you have a team with a strong fanbase nearby). That rooting interest will make you love soccer even more.

[Profit89]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

MLS is improving every day. It will be a major player in the world in 10-15 years.

[Mad 69]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

Watching MLS is like going to the dentist - it's brutal (almost as bad as watching womens futbol) I wouldn't care if they removed them from the game, their almost as bad to play with as the Irish teams. I don't really follow any sports at all but I like playing the vid games. If anything playing the games might get you into the sports more.

[JMUfootball]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

Watching MLS is like going to the dentist - it's brutal.

I don't really follow any sports at all but I like playing the vid games.

So you don't follow the sport, but watching it is brutal? Ok buddy.

If you're going to let your experience with MLS in FIFA video games shape your perception of MLS in real life, there's no reasoning with you.

MLS players have always been under-rated in FIFA video games because of the same lack of knowledge you are displaying, "It's MLS, it must be terrible."

[rckabillyRaider]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

So you don't follow the sport, but watching it is brutal? Ok buddy.

If you're going to let your experience with MLS in FIFA video games shape your perception of MLS in real life, there's no reasoning with you.

MLS players have always been under-rated in FIFA video games because of the same lack of knowledge you are displaying, "It's MLS, it must be terrible."

Well said. Unfortunately that's the typical perception of our league. We'll get over it in a few years. I'm just happy I have a pro team literally down the street from me.

It's actually good to see EA boosted ratings on some deserving mls clubs and players with the most recent squad update.

[JMUfootball]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

It's actually good to see EA boosted ratings on some deserving mls clubs and players with the most recent squad update.

Absolutely. It was just downright inaccurate to see most of MLS in the 50's OVR, with nobody having speed higher than 75. As I've always said on here, some ratings should be universal because they are basic physical attributes: speed, shot power, strength, etc. It shouldn't matter what league you're in, some players will have 80's and 90's in these categories. In other words, take speed in isolation, Dane Richards is just as fast as Shaun Wright-Philips. Jamison Olave is just as strong as Gerard Pique. However, it's the more intangible attributes that really separate the great players: vision, awareness, etc. These should be found much more often in the very top leagues, and only the best players in the game should rate highly in these (Pique certainly being one).

Hopefully with the emphasis FIFA '12 claims it will place on vision, we can see the players actually differentiated by intangible, soccer IQ type skills rather than all MLS and other second tier league players have EVERY physical attribute nerfed unrealistically.

[Mad 69]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

Yeah you comprehend really well, I can't watch MLS because it's brutal - I think EA is being fair by rating most of those players in the 40's and 50's. From what I have seen of their play, they would be hard pressed to compete with the English third league.

How many MLS guys have made the jump to the big time in Europe, 4,5...? That ssy's something...

[JMUfootball]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

Yeah you comprehend really well, I can't watch MLS because it's brutal - I think EA is being fair by rating most of those players in the 40's and 50's. From what I have seen of their play, they would be hard pressed to compete with the English third league.

How many MLS guys have made the jump to the big time in Europe, 4,5...? That ssy's something...

You are absolutely clueless. But go on, continuing to bash MLS (a league you admitted you don't even watch, in a sport you admitted you don't even watch) makes you look cool on a video game message board. So keep it up!

[alphaguy5]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

Thanks for the response!! Yes I am in the US, the MLS looks dry is hell on tv and never really tried to get into it I can watch some of the european teams I am able too pick it up because it's the best players in the world (Messi, kaka, Ronaldo and such) MLS looks like arena league while over seas looks like the NFL too me.

As to the MLS, it all depends on who is playing. Sure, multiple teams out there are hard to watch unless you are a fan. But make sure to watch the top teams and the teams that play with the most spirit. Then see if you still think they are really dry.

For example, even though they aren't my favorite team and they are not as good as LA I always try to watch Seattle play when they are at home just because they have such amazing fan support.

[vanderbiltfan87]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

I'm kind of in the same situation and never really followed soccer until the WC last year. I have FIFA WC 10 and enjoy it (even though I'm horrible), and am thinking about getting FIFA 12. Franchise and my player type modes really interest me, however, my knowledge of the sport is lacking. I'm thinking about reading a book on the sport, especially the history of it, sometime soon. I'd really like to get a better grasp of the game as well as the video game because I'm planning on going to Brazil in 2014. (roommate has family there) Any suggestions guys? Thanks in advance.

[Atomic Martian]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

Yeah you comprehend really well, I can't watch MLS because it's brutal - I think EA is being fair by rating most of those players in the 40's and 50's. From what I have seen of their play, they would be hard pressed to compete with the English third league.

How many MLS guys have made the jump to the big time in Europe, 4,5...? That ssy's something...

Do you watch american football? Ton of bad teams that take a while to turn around find a team that shows heart and root for em.

I too am completely new to soccer. I watched the Mens world cup and the USA team sparked my interest. The the women did a good job.

I did watch a Match today ummmm vancouver Vs Mancherster City and Vancouver did well maintained the lead for a while eventually lost, but according to the commentator M.C is a good team. So thats a glimmer of home im going to find a MLS team to root for.

For the soccer buffs on here. How does Euro soccer work is there a draft free agency playoffs. Is there a commisoner I have a ton of questions lol thanks.

[JMUfootball]

Re: Casual soccer fan will i like FIFA 11 or 12 few questions

Atomic Martian and Vanderbilt Fan,

I wish I had a good basic book to recommend but maybe someone else can provide that. I can give a brief rundown of the Euro league structure; it really seems like more and more Americans are interested than ever in league soccer but there's no one single definitive source to go for information. Here's one quick read I found from 2006 (same rules still apply):

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/arash_markazi/04/14/hot.read/index.html

Here's another one more indepth, I didn't have time to go through it all for accuracy but it looks pretty accurate:

http://www.tompgalvin.com/features/soccer1.htm

It's a lot of information when you see it presented like that, but it's not too complicated.

In my own words, here's in a nutshell what applies to the rest of the world (non-US)

League Structure: Most nation has a top league, and usually at least a few tiers below the top league. There is usually no salary cap, and the big teams have a huge advantage in spending. Therefore, there is a lot of liquidity and movement of players between leagues, rather than within the same league. For example, a star in the NFL is far more likely to sign somewhere else in the NFL, rather than the CFL. In global soccer, a big star looking to sign elsewhere is actually quite likely to sign at a top team in a different country's league, because there are usually only a few other teams in his current league which can afford him, and all are rivals. In that sense, when you think about global soccer, the best and richest teams have more in common which each (regardless of international boundaries) than the best and richest teams have with the poorest teams in their own domestic league.

Global soccer operates on a promotion/relegation system. Remember I mentioned the lower leagues in each nation below the top league? This is a living, breathing system, wherein the bottom three or so teams (exact number varies by league) of the Top League get demoted, or relegated, to the next lowest league for the next year. Similarly, the top three or so from the second league get to move up to the big time. This happens each year, all the way on down the line for however many tiers of leagues there are.

Winning the league: There is no league playoff system. Instead, winning the league simply means having the most points based on regular season play. During reg season, a win is 3 points, a draw is 1, and a loss is 0. The cumulative nature of the table (term used for standings) means that EVERY GAME is important. There is no, "we made the playoffs let's rest players".

That said, global soccer is great because there are other things you can win throughout the year. Every country's league has one or two domestic cups, which are competitions that occur during the season. These cups begin with lower tier league teams playing each other, and top league teams usually don't join in until most have already been knocked out (to use the American equivalent terminology is that the top teams get like 6 or 7 "Bye Weeks"). These cup competitions are truly merit based, it's entirely possible for a team from the fourth tier league in England to win enough games in the Cup and suddenly find itself playing against a huge top tier club like Manchester United.

There are also international cups to win. Europe has something called the Champions League, which you qualify for each season based on your finish in your own domestic league. It's top four that qualify from each league (at least the major leagues). This somewhat resembles a World Cup, with a group stage and then elimination stage. Many clubs and players consider winning this more prestigious than even winning your own domestic league. There are also other international cup tournaments similar to Champions League but less prestigious for teams that finish 4-8 in their previous year's domestic league table (standings).

Player Movement: No draft or trades. The system is based around youth scouting, and something called transfers.

Let's start at the beginning. Every club has a scouting department, and the big rich clubs have youth academies. Scouts go around the world looking for the best young talent (and I mean like, 14). Kids at that age know what they are worth, and the best ones may carry a multimillion price tag just to sign into a various youth academy. Once in the youth academy, the kids play nearly every day in preparation for a professional career. Soccer careers start young - usually debut age is 17 to 19 for the brightest prospects.

So you can see that the richest clubs already have a built in advantage when it comes to scouting and signing new players. They also have a great advantage when it comes to exchanging players on the transfer market.

Every season has a couple of transfer periods built in, wherein players can move. Transfers can be done within leagues or across leagues. A transfer is basically a sale - a player moves based on a set sale figure. There are no player for player swaps (at least not that I'm aware of). Players are either permanently sold, or loaned. A loan is a sale for only a set period of time, after which the player would rejoin his original team. As you can imagine with an international sport this gets very tricky because players from various countries may want to rejoin their home league, etc. There are a lot of factors that go into where a player is moved, but really it comes down to pricetag and personal preference.


Ok I've just barely scratched the surface but this should give a good overview. Don't have time to get into much else right now. It's good to see people interested in the global game. MLS has an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT set of structural rules which makes it very obtuse to try to explain (basically MLS tries to cling to the ideal of parity in the league, similar to what the NFL has), but maybe I will if I have time in the future (the rules on the field are still the same for MLS of course, as they are in every league.) Glad to see people taking an interest, and hope this helps a bit.