Hooping the hoop
I met Blackburn in the league and lost 2-1. I was 2-0 down at one point and battled back well to come within one goal, but it wasn’t going to happen. It was a frustrating game in which I had Valeny sent off.
My red cards are becoming a problem. 19 dismissals in 25 games is a poor, poor record. In real life my club would have been up before the FA. I have to calm down…
After spending a week or two just playing next-gen FIFA08, I’ve more or less completely readjusted to PES2008 in all respects but this one. In FIFA08 I got into the habit of deliberately fouling CPU players to break up attacks, taking the inevitable (and realistic) yellow card, and just getting on with it.
In PES2008, tackles that should be punished with yellow cards – or even just by the award of a free kick and nothing else – are frequently punished by red cards. I’m slowly learning (again) to restrain my instincts, but until I get completely back on board it’s costing me.
One bright spot in the Blackburn game: a nice goal from Altintop. He’s come on strong recently and is starting to dominate the forward line in much the same way that Schwarz used to back in my first ML career. He’s currently third in the top scorer’s table with 14 goals (Elcherino is way out in front on 44 goals).
Turkey called up Altintop immediately after this game, so I was without him for the next, against Celtic.
I find that Celtic in PES2008 are either very easy to beat or ridiculously hard. They’re one of those teams that occupies no middle ground. I included them in this Superleague for a couple of reasons. Mainly because I love their kit. There’s something about a hooped football shirt that is evocative of the game itself. When I was about 5 years old I supported QPR solely because of their hooped shirts. This instinctive affection for the design has never worn off.
The game itself against Celtic was a minor classic. I went 0-1 down to a soft goal that I could and should have cleared upfield. But no, I had to try to pass my way out of trouble. Gatti hesitated on the ball when receiving the pass and a Celtic striker nicked the ball off him. Seconds later it was in the back of my net.
I was playing this game in my black away kit, despite being at home. That was fine with me. My equaliser came early in the second half, and it was one of my most favourite goals on the game so far.
It’s not only hooped football shirts that I have a weakness for. As anyone who has watched any of my PES5 compilation movies will testify, I do like to have a long-range shot…
Here’s Camacho, he of the fabled Middle Shooting ability and the callow youth, dispatching a screamer across the goalkeeper and in off the far post:
I scored the winner pretty quickly after that, but I forget who with, or what type of goal it was.
When I moved back to Kansas and started supporting the Wizards (Kansas...
greg said….I find that Celtic in PES2008 are either very easy to beat or ridiculously hard. They’re one of those teams that occupies no middle ground.
Very similar to their domestic performances this season, blowing hot or cold.
I am maybe biased, but I believe the Celtic strip is one of the best and famous strips in world football.
Some goal from Camacho, I am struggling with my master league campaign, Iet alone score spectacular goals like that. I settle for goals from corners!!!!!!
I always think of the italian teams for best and famous strips.
Juve and Inter always spring to mind to me.
Internationally obviously brazilian kit is for me.
I’ve never found Celtic to be much in PES (their teams overall stats reflect that). Beat them 2-1 with Derby earlier. :p
heraldo – I agree about the Celtic strip, but I might be biased too… I have to come clean and state that I’m from the Celtic side of the great divide, although not as fanatically as some might be
On the topic of famous strips generally, Liverpool, Juve, Brazil, Real Madrid, and maybe Barcelona are probably the most famous strips going, but classically I’d say Celtic’s has got to be up there too. It’s the hoops, I tell ya…
paul – Celtic in PES are a tad underpowered considering the real-life overdrive that they (and, historically, Rangers too) go into whenever they play big teams outside their own league, especially English ones. I remember the great games between Celtic/Rangers and the likes of Liverpool, Leeds, Blackburn, and Man Utd in years gone by. It still amazes me, given the great rivalry between England and Scotland, that they don;t play each other at international and club level regularly, every year. England vs Scotland was an annual fixture when I was growing up and they were always great games that were watched by millions and talked about for weeks and months afterward. I remember a Scot who lived near me staging a rooftop protest on top of the local social club when England beat Scotland one time in the 1980s. The fire brigade and police wouldn’t go up to get him and he stayed up there all night!
I might be bias because for some reason unknown to me, I dislike Celtic so wouldn’t think they’re a very famous strip. I honestly never thought of Real Madrid strip being famous maybe it is but who knows!
I’m obviously too young to remember England and Scotland playing on a regular basis. Maybe I’m being stuck up but realistically England SHOULD in theory win everytime with the team they have. I know thats not always the case in football – hence why people watch it lol.
Will probably piss off scotish people but if England beat scotland, all that will be said is, ‘So they should’. If scotland beat England there would be a be upheaval.
Whoo, that Camacho goal was the business. I really like that player. I couldn’t get him in my AV master league, but I’m going to try again at season’s end!
Camacho macho man! He’s got to be a macho man . . . he’s short and dark, he scores goals for a lark! Camacho!
Can I ask, what do you do to get 19 dismissals in 25 games?
I’ve only had one sending off in 60 on the PS2 version, and that was for accumulated yellows!
Are you taking out your frustrations with nasty tackles?
paul – re. Real Madrid’s strip being famous, on a world perspective it is probably the most famous strip going.
ck – PES2008 on PS2 and PS3 are vastly different games, with different rules for tackling and bookings. If (as I believe it is) the PS2 version is an updated PES6, then you can get away with a lot more, and pick up only yellow cards or even no cards at all whereas in the PS3 version you can get a straight red card. For example a sliding tackle from the side where I got the ball and man together earned me a straight red in a game this morning. I’m actually being quite disciplined this time around and restraining myself! Also you have to bear in mind that I was playing FIFA08 regularly for a couple of weeks, and in that game I got used to being able to slide tackle and not get booked. I’m slowly unlearning that habit now.
As for Camacho, he’s worth it. If the PS2 Camacho is anything like the PS3 one, he’s one of the game’s stars.