Avantajul simulatorului distribuit de Electronic Arts este că a apărut mai devreme (3 octombrie), în timp ce PES 2009 va putea fi cumpărat/descărcat undeva la jumătatea lunii octombrie. Şi, pentru că tot a apărut FIFA 2009, am zis să nu ne aglomerăm şi să-i facem o prezentare, cu noutăţile pe care le aduce dar şi cu impresiile lăsate de gameplay.

FIFA 2009 = FIFA 2008 + 1 ?

Poate că subtitlul de mai sus este un pic răutăcios şi exagerat, dar vreau să subliniez încă de la început că FIFA 09 nu diferă cu mult faţă de precedentul. Logic, au intervenit câteva modificări grafice, însă acestea nu impresionează. Jucătorii sunt mai detaliaţi dar inexpresivi şi destul de departe de adevăraţii protagonişti. Singura îmbunătăţire de care puţini vor ţine cont este aceea că, în timpul meciului, după un efort susţinut, li se observă sudoarea pe faţă. Terenul de joc este acoperit cu “iarbă 3D” (3D Grass) care ar trebui să dea un oarecare realism gazonului, însă culoarea verde, extrem de ţipătoare şi obositoare, nu prea are legătură cu realitatea. Spectatorii sunt 2D, slab reprezentaţi, cu aceleaşi mişcări haotice. Nu am văzut “valuri” în tribune sau alte acţiuni de efect.

Cât despre joc, bug-urile nu sunt numeroase şi prea deranjante, dar există. Ce am observat eu: arbitri schimbaţi la pauză (poate că primul se accidentase, cine ştie), jucători care insistă să treacă prin panourile publicitare, aceeaşi enervantă problemă legată de distanţele şi poziţiile predefinite de executare a loviturilor libere (19,2 metri, 24,6 etc.), nu mai zic de cornere unde nu eşti niciodată susţinut de fundaşi.

Pe latura pozitivă, să spunem că tacticile sunt mai avansate, se poate schimba mentalitatea echipei (atac, neutru, apărare) apăsând tasta “5”. În modul ofensiv, faci un adevărat asediu la poarta adversă, dar dacă nu reuşeşti să marchezi sau să finalizezi cumva faza şi eşti prins pe contra-atac, adversarul va scăpa singur cu portarul.

Golurile se marchează mult mai uşor şi din tot felul de poziţii .Fifa 2008 era monoton din acest punct de vedere, pentru că în majoritatea cazurilor trebuia să te deplasezi către nişte zone binecunoscute de unde să centrezi, pasezi sau să şutezi ca să fii sigur de reuşită. La FIFA 09 am reuşit să marchez din locuri neaşteptate, poate şi în criză de idei tactice. Dar aşa e mult mai plăcut decât să tot repeţi anumite faze la nesfârşit, doar de dragul rezultatului.

Tot legat de gameplay, Fifa 2009 mai aduce câteva “inovaţii”:

•coliziuni realiste, în funcţie de forţa fizică a jucătorilor şi tipul contactului; •protejarea balonului, prin apăsarea tastei de “sprint” în poziţie statică. În funcţie de puterea jucătorilor implicaţi, vei reuşi sau nu să menţii posesia.

•simularea şutului şi a paselor se face simplu dacă foloseşti combinaţia tastatură + mouse sau gamepad-ul.

•la loviturile libere, poţi păcăli portarul prin alegerea unei direcţii iniţiale (false) a şutului, apoi cu butonul din mijloc al mouse-ului blochezi poziţia şi o alegi pe cea reală cu tastele direcţionale.

•poţi apela la un truc similar şi în cazul aruncărilor de la margine.

Un alt aspect interesant este posibilitatea de a folosi în tandem tastatura şi mouse-ul. Deşi iniţial pare o tortură a minţii, datorită nesincronizării şi proastei coordonări, cu timpul te obişnuieşti şi observi că se pot realiza scheme şi mai complexe, inclusiv driblinguri spectaculoase.

Nimic nou la vestiare şi în birouri

Am tot vorbit ce se întâmplă pe teren, acum a venit vremea să vedem ce e nou prin culise şi la vestiare. Cred că singura noutate este aşezarea formaţiei în teren, după tacticile antrenorilor din lumea reală. Ea poate fi schimbată după bunul tău plac într-o aşezare clasică. În rest, meniurile ce ţin de staff-ul tehnic şi conducere au rămas neschimbate, până şi mesajele care te întâmpină după un anumit meci sau după atingerea/ratarea unui obiectiv sunt aceleaşi. Nu mai zic de comentarii, la fel de enervante şi stereotipe. Sincer, oare cei de la Electronic Arts nu sunt în stare să găsească nişte voci mai plăcute. Aceşti doi indivizi au căzut de mult în dizgraţia microbiştilor, sigur nu ei sunt vinovaţi pentru că producătorii îşi bat joc de cei care cumpără jocul original, un joc nou şi foarte aşteptat care ar trebui să te ţină înţepenit în faţa monitorului.

Dar, când vezi că este de fapt tot un FIFA 2008 cu mici schimbări grafice şi nu neapărat în bine (vezi gazonul verde extraterestru), îţi cam vine să te reorientezi către un simulator făcut cu o responsabilitate mai mare.

Era cât pe ce să uit, în FIFA 2009 apar câteva ligi noi care pe mine cel puţin mă lasă rece. Nu îmi vine în minte acum decât cea poloneză. Descoperă-le tu pe restul. Aşadar, “liga lu’ Mitică” lipseşte din nou. Nici nu e de mirare, din moment ce super-vedeta Adrian Mutu este trecută la Fiorentina drept „Murgu”. Nu vreau să mă gândesc ce jucători s-ar afla pe lista C.F.R. Cluj, în viziunea Electronic Arts. Mai bine lăsăm treaba aceasta în mâinile unor persoane mai tacticoase şi mai bine informate.

Două lucruri mai am să adaug la această prezentare. Unul este widget-ul “Adidas Live Season” – se conectează la un server şi îţi actualizează pe PC informaţiile despre jucători, raportat la ce se întâmplă în realitate. Cu alte cuvinte, forma jucătorilor va fi importată în joc. Actualizarea se face printr-un fişier ce se descarcă manual sau automat, dacă activezi opţiunea “Auto Download”. Al doilea, modul de joc Be-A-Pro, prezent şi în Fifa 2008. Pentru cine nu ştie, aici controlezi un singur jucător pe tot terenul şi trebuie să îndeplineşti diverse obiective: să nu faci mai mult de “x” faulturi, să marchezi “y” goluri etc.

Plusuri şi minusuri

[+] Gameplay îmbunătăţit;

[+] Adidas Live Season;

[+] Introducerea controlului cu mouse-ul şi tastatura;

[+] Schimbarea mentalităţii echipei în timp real.

[-] Gazonul are o culoare verde intens, foarte obositoare;

[-] Comentarii neschimbate, monotone şi enervante;

[-] Feţele jucătorilor sunt inexpresive;

[-] Spectatori 2D;

[-] Modul “manager” nu aduce nimic nou.

Concluzie: FIFA 2009 nu se ridică la nivelul aşteptărilor. Dacă la FIFA 2007 şi 2008 stăteam luni întregi să avansez “cinstit” în cariera de manager, acum lipsa noutăţilor face ca experienţa să fie una destul de plictisitoare, încă de la început. Nici grafica nu impresionează. Un joc mediocru căruia îi dau nota 6/10.

Sursa : www.go4it.ro

Norway played to a scoreless draw at Scotland over the weekend, further dimming its hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.  After 2 matches, Norway now has only 2 points.

The Dutch come into Wednesday's match as group leaders, with 6 points in 2 matches.  If they leave Oslo with a win, they will almost certainly win the group.

But, does anyone really care?  A poll taken before the Scotland match showed:

a luke-warm response to the Norwegian A-team. Some 36 percent say that they are ‘very’ or ‘reasonably’ interested, but 64 percent reply that are ‘less’ or ‘entirely’ uninterested in the soccer team.

Long-time Liverpool and current Roma player John Arne Riise added:

"People want results. The only thing that counts is getting three points and winning. If we beat Scotland and The Netherlands, the figures will look quite different."

Missed on the first.  We'll see about the second on Wednesday.

(My national team fared much better, beating Cuba 6-1 in D.C., advancing to final round play in CONCACAF qualification.)

Glossing over concerns about delays, rising costs, rampant crime and lack of transportation, Blatter visited Cape Town’s new “jewel” of a stadium Monday. The project has been beset by political wrangling but now is slightly ahead of schedule.

He was less flattering about the national soccer team, which failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, seems likely to miss the 2010 African Nations Cup and has lost all five matches — including against lowly Guinea — since June.

Blatter said South Africa should have taken advantage of the four years since it was awarded the tournament to build up a strong team.

“In 1996 they were African Champions … and where are they now? It’s incredible and I cannot understand that,” he said. “Do something; move it.”

Blatter said he would raise his concerns with the South African Football Association on Tuesday, when he tours the venue for the opening and final match at Johannesburg’s Soccer City and meets anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, whose lobbying helped bring the tournament to South Africa.

Blatter stressed his trip was a courtesy visit rather than an official inspection. He played down fears that the ongoing turmoil in South Africa’s ruling party, pitting incumbent President Thabo Mbeki against likely successor Jacob Zuma, could have repercussions for the World Cup if key ministers involved in the preparation are dismissed.

“We are absolutely not concerned about the internal political problems in South Africa,” Blatter said. “We are going to organize and deliver this World Cup and it will be a great, great event.”

For Blatter, the success of the 2010 tournament has become a personal crusade. He hopes it will create a legacy benefiting millions on the continent.

“When I left the plane and arrived on African soil, I started dancing,” the 72-year-old Swiss said during a news conference with Mbeki on Sunday.

He may need to muster his nimblest footwork to avoid the many obstacles that loom. At the top of the list is public transit, or the lack of it.

The government has set aside $1.7 billion to improve rail and road links in venue cities. Organizers hope the much-vaunted and hugely expensive Gautrain connecting Johannesburg’s international airport with the city center will be ready in time, but there is nothing similar planned for either Cape Town or Durban.

In an interview with a local radio program, FIFA general-secretary Jerome Valcke gave reassurances about the government’s ability to rein in violent crime in a country where more than 50 people are killed each day, often for as little as a cell phone.

“I am not so much concerned by security today. I think we are going the right way,” he said, adding it was impossible to be 100 percent safe even in cities like Paris and Zurich. He said local organizers were working closely with Interpol and foreign police and security forces to keep out hooligans.

The government plans to increase police to 190,000 by the time of the tournament, and he notes that such major events like the rugby and cricket world cups were held without serious incident. Police and the armed forces have staged high-profile dress rehearsals to prove they can protect South Africa’s skies and seas from potential attack.

So far, less than half the 55,000 rooms needed for visitors have been secured. FIFA plans to step up marketing to persuade hotel and guest house owners to sign up.

South Africa has 80,000 graded rooms — more than enough to satisfy FIFA, according to government figures. Although there is plenty of accommodation in tourist centers like Cape Town and Durban and the economic hub of Johannesburg, rooms may be hard to find in more outlying areas like Polokwane.

Earlier concerns about the speed of stadium construction have eased. The stadium in the southern coastal city of Port Elizabeth will not be ready for the 2009 Confederations Cup but should be ready for 2010.

Work is ahead slightly ahead of schedule at Durban’s semifinal venue, and at the two stadiums in Johannesburg. Valcke said that even Beijing’s Bird Nest Olympic stadium looked small compared to Soccer City. Even Cape Town’s $490 million stadium — the most controversial because it is in the middle of prime real estate — is on track.

Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille said the 68,000-seat stadium, the site of one semifinal, would be the “world’s most spectacular stadium in the world’s most spectacular city.”

The big unknown remains the weather, given that it will be winter. Temperatures are near freezing at night in Johannesburg. Gales and torrential rain are buffeting Cape Town, and even balmy Durban feels distinctly chilly. Valcke conceded it would be a challenge to persuade supporters to stay and celebrate in frigid fan parks at night.

South Africa’s last white president, F.W. de Klerk, joined Blatter’s entourage on a wet, windy day to visit the muddy Cape Town stadium site. De Klerk, who helped steer in multiracial democracy in 2004, said the nation was united behind the success of the World Cup.

“All of us want 2010 to recapture the spirit of 1994 when we launched the new South Africa,” he said.

Zowel de FIFA-als de Pro Evolution Soccer-serie kent een fanatieke aanhang. Shingo 'Seabass' Takatsuka, de maker van Pro Evo, geeft echter aan dat hij zeer te spreken is over de huidige engine van FIFA.

In een interview met de website CVG heeft de ontwikkelaar namelijk aangegeven dat hij zelfs zou overwegen de FIFA-engine over te nemen, als EA deze aan zou bieden. "Ik zou er serieus over nadenken, aangezien ik nog steeds vind dat de engine van EA en de animaties uitstekend zijn, heel erg goed zelfs", aldus Seabass.

"저는 저 스스로 EA의 엔진과 에니매이션이 매우 훌륭하다고 여전히 믿기 때문에 이것을 사용하는 것에 대해 정말로 심각하게 고려하고 있습니다."라고  CVG와의 인터뷰에서 그는 말했다.

이것은 모두 가설에 불구한 상태이지만 Takatsuka가 EA의 기술을 이용할 기회는 열려 있다.

"캐릭터의 모델링은 사실 내 구미에는 썩 맞지 않을지도 모른다. 이 부분은 도입 하지 않을지도. 허나 그들의 엔진과 모션스타일은 매우 뛰어나다고 진지하게 생각한다." 라고 그는 덧붙였다.

한편 FIFA의 게임에 관해서는 그는 하드코어한 팬이라면 현재 FIFA09 버젼에서 센세이션을 불러일으킨 특징

즉 통계를 기반으로한 "Become a Legend" 모드를 코나미가 먼처 도입한 사실을 알고 있다는 것에 대해 기쁘다고 말했다.

"위닝이 일본판에서 최초로 일본판에 도입한 Fantasista 모드를 유럽판에 소개 하지 않은 점이 나의 가장 큰 유감이었다."고 말했다.

허나 " 당신과 같은 많은 사람들이 우리들의 Fantasista 모드가 FIFA의 Become a Legend 모드 보다 훨씬 먼저였다는 것을 알고 있다는 점은 나에겐 큰 힘이 된다." 고 말했다.

The following article from last Friday suggests that progress is being made:

The Independent Electoral Committee (IEC), composed by representatives of FIFA, UEFA and the Polish authorities, met today, 10 October 2008, at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, where they reached an agreement on the roadmap to be followed for the elections of the Polish FA (PZPN) and for the steps to be taken for the future of Polish football.

The participants in the meeting (see list below) took note of the positive evolution produced in the past days. It was confirmed that the temporary administrator of the PZPN that had been established by the Polish National Olympic Committee last week has been withdrawn and that an agreement has been reached between the Polish ministry in charge of sports and the PZPN.

All parties agreed on the following points:

• The elections of the PZPN will take place on 30 October, as scheduled
• The electoral process will be supervised by the Independent Electoral Committee which was created in 2007
• Following the elections, FIFA and UEFA, together with the Polish ministry in charge of sports, will continue to monitor the situation of Polish football and will support and assist the newly elected leadership of the PZPN in order to improve the management and development of football in Poland, to help in the fight against criminal activities in and around football in the country

FIFA and UEFA are committed to providing their expertise in football management in order to bring together the Polish football community.

List of participants in the meeting:

Members of the IEC:
Prof Michal Kleiber, advisor to the President of the Republic of Poland
Adam Giersz, advisor to the Polish Minister of Sport and Tourism
David Taylor, UEFA General Secretary
Jérome Champagne, FIFA Director of International Relations

Observer:
Michal Listkiewicz, President of the PZPN

From this, I'm not sure why people are saying the government lost the fight. Listkiewicz is only an 'observer' of a process that is presumably going to either remove him from office or seriously hamper his ability to do whatever he was doing before.

On the domestic front it is now quite obvious that the entire credit munch-bunch crisis was engineered to bring about the downfall of the world's greatest football team - West Ham United. A few weeks back we lost our sponsor, XL, as their business crashed leaving many holidaymakers stranded with no flights home. Now our Icelandic owner, Bjorgmorg Gustafolsenmunsson (or whatever) is in serious do-dos as his Icelandic bank has been nationalised and allegedly other assets are not doing well either. Not to mention the fact that he's living in country that is trying hard to hide from people it owes money to. So, looks like West Ham will be up for sale at a discount price pretty soon, I'll bet Zola is wondering just what he got himself (and Steve Clarke) into!

Glossing over concerns about delays, rising costs, rampant crime and lack of transportation, Blatter visited Cape Town's new "jewel" of a stadium Monday. The project has been beset by political wrangling but now is slightly ahead of schedule.

He was less flattering about the national soccer team, which failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, seems likely to miss the 2010 African Nations Cup and has lost all five matches -- including against lowly Guinea -- since June.

Blatter said South Africa should have taken advantage of the four years since it was awarded the tournament to build up a strong team.

"In 1996 they were African Champions ... and where are they now? It's incredible and I cannot understand that," he said. "Do something; move it."

Blatter said he would raise his concerns with the South African Football Association on Tuesday, when he tours the venue for the opening and final match at Johannesburg's Soccer City and meets anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, whose lobbying helped bring the tournament to South Africa.

Blatter stressed his trip was a courtesy visit rather than an official inspection. He played down fears that the ongoing turmoil in South Africa's ruling party, pitting incumbent President Thabo Mbeki against likely successor Jacob Zuma, could have repercussions for the World Cup if key ministers involved in the preparation are dismissed.

"We are absolutely not concerned about the internal political problems in South Africa," Blatter said. "We are going to organize and deliver this World Cup and it will be a great, great event."

For Blatter, the success of the 2010 tournament has become a personal crusade. He hopes it will create a legacy benefiting millions on the continent.

"When I left the plane and arrived on African soil, I started dancing," the 72-year-old Swiss said during a news conference with Mbeki on Sunday.

He may need to muster his nimblest footwork to avoid the many obstacles that loom. At the top of the list is public transit, or the lack of it.

The government has set aside $1.7 billion to improve rail and road links in venue cities. Organizers hope the much-vaunted and hugely expensive Gautrain connecting Johannesburg's international airport with the city center will be ready in time, but there is nothing similar planned for either Cape Town or Durban.

In an interview with a local radio program, FIFA general-secretary Jerome Valcke gave reassurances about the government's ability to rein in violent crime in a country where more than 50 people are killed each day, often for as little as a cell phone.

"I am not so much concerned by security today. I think we are going the right way," he said, adding it was impossible to be 100 percent safe even in cities like Paris and Zurich. He said local organizers were working closely with Interpol and foreign police and security forces to keep out hooligans.

The government plans to increase police to 190,000 by the time of the tournament, and he notes that such major events like the rugby and cricket world cups were held without serious incident. Police and the armed forces have staged high-profile dress rehearsals to prove they can protect South Africa's skies and seas from potential attack.

So far, less than half the 55,000 rooms needed for visitors have been secured. FIFA plans to step up marketing to persuade hotel and guest house owners to sign up.

South Africa has 80,000 graded rooms -- more than enough to satisfy FIFA, according to government figures. Although there is plenty of accommodation in tourist centers like Cape Town and Durban and the economic hub of Johannesburg, rooms may be hard to find in more outlying areas like Polokwane.

Earlier concerns about the speed of stadium construction have eased. The stadium in the southern coastal city of Port Elizabeth will not be ready for the 2009 Confederations Cup but should be ready for 2010.

Work is ahead slightly ahead of schedule at Durban's semifinal venue, and at the two stadiums in Johannesburg. Valcke said that even Beijing's Bird Nest Olympic stadium looked small compared to Soccer City. Even Cape Town's $490 million stadium -- the most controversial because it is in the middle of prime real estate -- is on track.

Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille said the 68,000-seat stadium, the site of one semifinal, would be the "world's most spectacular stadium in the world's most spectacular city."

The big unknown remains the weather, given that it will be winter. Temperatures are near freezing at night in Johannesburg. Gales and torrential rain are buffeting Cape Town, and even balmy Durban feels distinctly chilly. Valcke conceded it would be a challenge to persuade supporters to stay and celebrate in frigid fan parks at night.

South Africa's last white president, F.W. de Klerk, joined Blatter's entourage on a wet, windy day to visit the muddy Cape Town stadium site. De Klerk, who helped steer in multiracial democracy in 2004, said the nation was united behind the success of the World Cup.

"All of us want 2010 to recapture the spirit of 1994 when we launched the new South Africa," he said.

Link: http://rs537.rapidshare.com/files/151301250/FIFA_09_USB_Controller_FIX.rar

We travelled over 400 miles for that disappointment! Noone was expecting a mass of goals or Pele-esque show of skill, but a victory would have been nice. Norway are ranked below Scotland for a reason. This would suggest to me that Scotland should be able to secure 3 points at home. Obviously I am misguided!!

George Burley supposedly promised continuity following the 2-1 victory in Iceland. Well, that didn't work out. Despite having more of the possession, we rarely seemed likely to score. The Norwegians put Gordon under pressure numerours times, our goalkeeper saving us a mumberof times. Then when we had the best chanceof the match Chris Iwelumo decides to punt the ball wide from 3 yards. What could have been an outstanding debut was wasted, leaving the Hampden loyal shocked and dejected. And that was as good as it got.

O jogo será lançado para os todos os consoles da Sony, o X360 e PC, nada de wii ou DS.

Estonia 0-3 Spain
Belgium 2-0 Armenia
Netherlands 2-0 Iceland
Germany 2-1 Russia
Romania 2-2 France
Poland 2-1 Czech Republic
San Marino 1-3 Slovakia
Greece 3-0 Moldova
Bulgaria 0-0 Italy
Serbia 3-0 Lithuania
Luxembourg 1-3 Israel
Turkey 2-1 Bosnia Herzegovina
Sweden 0-0 Portugal

Eddy Syahputra agaknya ingin mengunci perasaannya sejenak. Dia berada di rumah ketika Persija Jakarta menghentikan perlawanan PSIS Semarang 5-0 di Stadion Gelora Bung Karno, Minggu malam, 7 September lalu. Partai yang disaksikan sekitar 40 ribu pasang mata itu tentu saja--setidak-tidaknya bagi Eddy--sangat tidak menyenangkan. Malam yang dia harap menjadi malam yang indah seketika berubah menjadi malam pembantaian.

Bisa jadi Eddy Syah--begitu lelaki berdarah Aceh yang pesolek itu biasa dipanggil--tak ingin ikut menumpahkan perasaannya pada partai penting itu. Dia tak ingin terlibat lebih dalam dan memilih menonton dari rumah karena pemain-pemainnya bertanding di sana.

Sebagai agen pemain yang sudah berlisensi FIFA, Eddy tak bisa "menjamah" pemain ketika pemainnya sudah menjadi milik klub. Yang hanya bisa dia lakukan adalah mengoreksi dari jauh dua pemain Persija, yakni Roberto Pugliara, yang tak mampu berperan sebagai jangkar, dan Greg Nwokolo, yang selalu tergesa-gesa masuk ke jantung pertahanan lawan. Atau kepada Christian Gaston Castano (pemain berdarah Argentina itu bergaji Rp 40 juta di PSIS), yang belum juga mencetak gol.

Pemilik agen pemain Ligina Sportindo itu tak bisa melakukan apa-apa ketika wasit sudah meniup peluit tanda pertandingan dimulai. Jika dia harus membisikkan sesuatu, bisikan itu adalah bahwa pemainnya harus bermain baik dan berkelakuan baik sepanjang 90 menit, saat menjelang pertandingan.

Rabu siang lalu, saya bertemu dengan Eddy ketika pemain asing kembali digugat. Sambil menikmati sop kaki dan tempe penyet di lantai bawah pusat belanja FX, kami ngobrol seputar kelakuan pemain-pemain asing yang bermain di Liga Super. Saya ingin bertemu dengan kawan yang satu ini setelah Max Boboy, Direktur Status dan Alih Status PSSI, mengingatkan saya akan pemain-pemain asing yang masuk daftar hitam.

Om Max--begitu saya memanggil Max Boboy--terlihat begitu cemas melihat Liga Super masih diwarnai aksi-aksi konyol pemain asing. Dia terlihat sangat emosi mendengar aksi tidak terpuji yang dilakukan Emile Bertrand Mbamba, pemain Arema Malang, ketika terjadi kerusuhan dalam partai Arema versus PKT pada 13 September lalu. Pemain berdarah Kamerun yang pernah memperkuat Vitoria Setubal, Liga Super Portugal, itu akhirnya kena sanksi Komisi Disiplin lima tahun dan denda Rp 50 juta. Hukuman ini tentu saja menamatkan kariernya di Indonesia.

Mbamba adalah pemain hitam yang masuk bersama 45 pemain lain yang not recommended, yang tentu saja membetot perhatian Max. Max begitu benci dengan mereka--para pemain asing itu--yang mengumbar emosi.

Saya tak hendak memancing emosi Max Boboy ketika dia menyebut pertalian pemain asing dengan pemilik klub dan juga agen pemain ketika peristiwa yang menjijikkan itu terjadi di lapangan. Saya hanya terdiam saat dia kembali menegaskan bahwa klub, juga agen pemain, tidak boleh begitu saja melepas pemain (asing). Mereka, kata Max, harus ikut bertanggung jawab dan ikut membina.

Eddy Syah seketika bereaksi ketika saya meneruskan masalah ini kepadanya. Ketika obrolan seputar pemain asing berlangsung, dia tidak dalam posisi dilematis. Dia sangat apresiatif ketika Pierre Njanka Beaka--lahir di Kamerun, 15 Maret 1975, dan pernah bermain di Al-Wahda FC--mengancam manajemen Persija agar membayar kontraknya. Dia juga sependapat jika Mbamba mendapat hukuman berat sesuai dengan yang dia lakukan. Keputusan menghukum pemain Arema itu selama lima tahun adalah keputusan yang tepat jika tidak dikatakan sebagai shock therapy.

Wahai pemain asing, masih inginkah kalian mencari makan di Indonesia?

(Koran Tempo, Minggu, 12 Oktober 2008, Ilustrasi Imam Yunni)

Besonders hervorheben muss man sicherlich Rene Adler. In seinen ersten Länderspiel hat er mit einer absolut souveränen Leistung eine sehr gute Premiere im deutschen Tor abgeliefert.

Das Reporter und Kommentatoren sich fast immer entschuldigend ausdrücken und immer wieder betonen wie sehr der Gegner den Sieg eigentlich verdient hätte - man ist es gewohnt. Aber das heute auch die deutschen Spieler so diplomatische Aussagen wie "sie hätten auch den Ausgleichstreffer verdient" von sich geben, wunderte mich ein wenig.
Natürlich war Russland besonders in der zweiten Hälfte auch sehr gefährlich - aber Deutschland war in Halbzeit eins ebenfalls gefährlich und hätte mit 3:0 oder 4:0 führen können. Also bitte keine falsche Bescheidenheit.

Erstaunlich war das Verhalten vom Schiedsrichter-Team. Da dürfen die russischen Spieler im Höchsttempo den Trikot-Tausch üben, aus vollen Lauf in die Beine springen, aber nichts passiert.

Hier noch ein paar offizielle Daten:

 
Deutschland - Russland ...... 2:1 (2:0)
 Tore: 1:0 Podolski (9.), 2:0 Ballack  
(28.), 2:1 Arschawin (51.)            
Deutschland: Adler - Friedrich,       
Mertesacker, Westermann, Lahm -       
Trochowski (84.Frings), Ballack,      
Hitzlsperger (90.+3 Rolfes), Schwein- 
steiger - Klose (71.Gomez), Podolski  
 Russland: Akinfejew - Anjukow,        
Ignaschewitsch, W.Beresuzki, Schirkow -
Syrjanow, Semak (85.Sytschew), Janbajew
(46.Dsagojew) - Dennissow, Arschawin -
Pogrebniak                            
Schiedsrichter: Fröjdfeldt (SWE)  Zuschauer: 65.607

The next instalment of EA's football game is here. Where you ask? Apparently the game has released in Europe and has rapidly spread all over the bit-torrent network. Some may have pre-ordered their copies while some might be waiting for it to hit the store shelves in their town. However, the ones who couldn't wait for the game to release and were not afraid to get their hands dirty, got their hands on it through the generous torrent community. So what we have here is a scenario where people were playing the game one day before its scheduled release. Nice.

Anyways, let's get down to the interesting part, the things most of you would like answers to. Is FIFA 09 really next-gen, as promised? Does it deliver oh-so-realistic visuals? Have the quirks and bugs in previous versions been ironed out? How does it compare to its arch nemesis - Pro Evolution Soccer? All these and more will be answered!

First Impressions

Okay, I'll skip the installation part as most of you are aware of it. Started the game, and the first screen asks me to select a language. Did that, and the mandatory declarations about the leagues and the copyrights came up.

I waited with bated breath as the opening cinematic began. Looks like EA have stopped making interesting opening videos since FIFA 2004. Even the video quality was not all that impressive. Not at all enticing. Selected my beloved Chelsea as the favourite team and I was all set.

The Interface

The interface is carried over from FIFA 08, with Adidas Live Season being a new addition. It basically allows you to select a league, for which you'll get periodic updates from EA. For example, if a certain player is performing well in real life, his stats will be affected in the game as well. And if a player has a dip in form, his game stats will be reduced. Cool, innit?

The much-acclaimed Be-A-Pro mode is also there, with a new camera angle that looks better than the one in FIFA 08. This time around, you can opt to play a single Be-A-Pro game rather than a whole season. The other game modes are the same as in previous releases. Enough small-talk, now let's get down to business.

Gameplay & Visuals

Sadly despite all the hype surrounding the so-called next-gen features incorporated in FIFA 09, the game did not live up to my expectations. What I expected was pretty clear - smooth, stunning visual quality, fluid player movement, 'intelligent' AI, engrossing gameplay. In short, I was looking for something which would make me go "Wow!" and make me want to play the game again and again.

But this was not to be. Now please note, I'm expressing my own opinions here, which may or may not correspond to your views. The first time I fired up the game, I set all details to high including 3-D Grass, Depth of Field and Shader Quality. Then I proceeded to set up my cheap PS-2 controller lookalike. But what's this? Some buttons just would not get mapped and remained 'EMPTY'! After a little searching on the Internet, I was able to find a solution for this.

Strike One.

Then I started a quick match and waited in anticipation at the loading screen. Ahh!! Looking good! The match began and being the seasoned footballer that I am, I could't wait to... what the hell??

Why is the game stuttering??? Is something wrong with my setup? Is my 8600GT graphics card unable to handle the next-gen visuals?

Quit the game, reduced the detail level to minimum and started a new match, hoping for better results. Damn. Not again.

After much research on the Internet, I found many unfortunate souls plagued with the same problem. A solution was found, but the game was still not smooth enough, though playable.

Strike Two.

Okay, so I can manage with a handicapped controller and laggy visuals, but glitches in gameplay? Not at all tolerable. The first glitch is, that after managing to get my controller working, whenever I pass the ball to a teammate, the ball bounces off him, as if the right-analog stick is pressed in some direction. Secondly, goalscoring is insanely easy! It's as if the keepers have been picked up from a pub team!! Then, in a bid to improve the player physics, they've made it such that in a crowd of players, the ball just keeps bouncing off players until someone manages to get control of it. Imagine that while trying to clear the ball in front of your own box surrounded by opposition attackers.

Strike Three. You're OUT.

My Verdict

Let's start with the good. The players look absolutely breathtaking, much more realistic than ever. The crowds have been considerably improved. Overall visual quality is pretty nice, with some subtle touches such as sweat on the foreheads of players. The ambiance is well-maintained by the chanting of fans and the crowd noises. There are loads of licensed leagues, teams and players to chose from. The Adidas Live Season is a good concept. The ability to use the mouse to play the game is quite innovative.

Now for the not-so-good. The gameplay is definitely not next-gen. Players can still move only in 8 directions and the fluidity in movement is almost absent. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not so intelligent. Apart from the visual elements, the game is not a big leap from its predecessor. Rather, it seems like 1 step forward, 2 steps backward. After all, it's not just tricks & flicks that make up a football game. The core element, that is the gameplay, the feeling of actually being in the game, is lacking.

FIFA 09 is a good game, but after so much hype, I was expecting more than just a visual upgrade. There are several bugs that need to be ironed out and more than once, you'll get the feeling that EA has short-changed PC gamers.

If I had to rate it, I'd give it 7 out of 10.

Issues, Issues!

1. Where is Andrei Arshavin? One of the best performers of Euro 2008 can't make it into this game.
2. Where are the UEFA Cup holders Zenit St. Petersburg? Actually, where is the Russian League?
3. Klaas Jan Huntelaar, one of the best strikers in Europe, coveted by some of the biggest clubs, does not have a face in this game. But he's not alone, there are many more like him.
4. Many gamepads don't work out-of-the-box with this game.
5. Graphics on high-end systems are poor, but surprisingly good on mid to low range machines.
6. Why can't we assign custom offensive and defensive runs to players?
7. Where is Mineiro, who has now signed for Chelsea?
8. When a player is substituted, I couldn't find out the substitution if no cinematic was played. There could have been at least a simple popup.
9. The cinematics are all from previous editions of the game.

Okay, so that's enough FIFA-bashing for now. In short, it's not a bad game at all, but it's not great either. So if you love the FIFA series and don't care too much about gameplay or simply want to soak in all the visual goodness, you can very well go and get this game. Otherwise, in my opinion it would be wise to wait until Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 releases, and compare both games to pick out the one that suits your taste.

More Screenshots!

Group A
Chris 'ChrisY' Bullard (UK)
Guadeloupe (1st)
Pedro Joaquin Moya (Nicaragua)
Austria (2nd)
Craciun Marius (Romania)

Group B
Wawan Abdullah (Indonesia)
Nemanja 'Djurkic' Djurkic (Serbia)
Ecuador (1st)
Guilherme Aguiar (Portugal)
Xiao Liu (China)

Group C
Pedro 'LastNight' Caiado (Portugal)
Porntep Chatcharoe (Thailand)
Bart 'bartinho' Nooyens (Netherlands)
Kazakhstan (1st)
Russia (2nd)

Group D
Oscar Eduardo Mora (Guatemala)
Austria (1st)
USA (1st)
Trung Hieu To (Vietnam)
Gwanhyeong Kim (South Korea)

Group E
Andrejs 'Andruxa' Titovs (Latvia)
Dusan 'dusan' Mugosa (Montenegro)
Argentina (1st)
Beuve Mathieu (France)
Mario Ricardo Ruiz (Colombia)

Group F
Emin 'Abibas' Babayev (Azerbaijan)
Mauricio Restrepo (Colombia)
Russia (1st)
Jungmin Kim (South Korea)
Kevin 'bvbstar' Waldschmidt (Germany)

Group G
Jakub 'Sav1ola' Olczak (Poland)
Slovenia (1st)
Mohamed '[WInDs]Xtr3me3' Phirkhan (Singapore)
Croatia (1st)
Brazil (2nd)

Group H
Michael 'MikeyT086' Traynor (Ireland)
Italy (1st)
Denmark (1st)
Ovidiu 'Ovvy' Patrascu (Romania)
Gong Zhen (China)

Group I
Arman Kayes (Bangladesh)
Pakistan (1st)
Carlos Alberto Ara (Mexico)
Gabor Tota (Hungary)
Belgium (2nd)

Group J
Andres Gutierrez (Peru)
Belgium (1st)
Georgi 'crazyKON' Georgiev (Bulgaria)
Chile (1st)
Michael Barrett (UK)

Group K
David 'maximo12' Arboli (Spain)
Mishial Al Mukalf (Saudi Arabia)
Aleksandar Mihajlo (Macedonia)
Guadeloupe (2nd)
Michael 'Chocoyote' Oprée (Germany)

Group L
Israel (1st)
Switzerland (1st)
Alexander 'BlooD' Riabikin (Ukraine)
Aron 'AleX' Alexandru (Romania)
Russia (3rd)

Group M
Denis Kroumkatchov (Belarus)
Shuchao Yang (China)
Brazil (1st)
Jannik 'Era' Huber (Germany)
Jorge 'BuBa' Gutierrez (Spain)

Group N
Eric Biegaing (Cameroon)
Yasser Farid (Egypt)
Venezuela (1st)
David 'Dvo_' Kocharyan (Armenia)
'Krasi' (Bulgaria)

Group O
Farhodbek Sayfiddi (Uzbekistan)
Alejandro Mosquera (Panama)
Roland 'K1ck Roland0' Čaprnka (Slovakia)
Sweden (1st)
Oleg 'Walkman' Khmara (Ukraine)

Group P
India (1st)
Irakli Kikalia (Georgia)
Nigeria (1st)
Chew how Sheng (Malaysia)
Switzerland (2nd)

Community Leaders from North America, Germany, Spain, Poland, UK and France will all be attending the event in one of Canada's most attractive cities and host to the EA Sports studio. The developers of FIFA 09 will meet with them, present the game and answer questions.

Should you have questions of your own about the upcoming FIFA 09, the production process, new features or something else, post them in a comment here and we will pick out the most interesting ones and ask EA about them.

The scandal was discovered by dSLASH.dewho discovered that Kevin "Daimonde" Santner of Mousesports tried to offer his opponent money in exchange for giving him the victory at the Semi Finals of the WCG Cup Series 2008.

Daimonde was offering up to 200€ for a victory but fortunately poleone did not agree with it and wanted to play the match. Having played it as a regular match, Daimonde lost and was therefore knocked out. Poleone then reported this incident to the WCG Referees who immediately contacted both players.

Kevin Santer admitted the attempt of bribery and this was the reason for the WCG to not punish him. World Cyber Games Headreferee Christian "Knecht" Murawski said "everyone that followed his career knows that he does not need to bribe" and also adds "I had the impression that he regrets it."

Christian Murawski does not want to punish him due to "not wanting to destroy the career of this 18 year old" but also due to the fact that Daimonde lost.