A good touch for a big man
Posted by: not-Greg in European Cup (ECC), Treble, Valencia, goal replay, league table, tags: European Cup (ECC), goal replay, league table, Schwarz, Treble, ValenciaI got to the final of the European Cup and won it easily. In PES as in real life, getting to the final is the hardest part, and the final itself is often an anti-climax. So it was in this case.
My opponents were Inter Milan. It’s pretty rare that I come up against one of this Master League’s other leagues’ big boys. Most often I end up going toe-to-toe with the likes of Marseille and Anderlecht. Even after many seasons in Europe now, I don’t think I’ve played Juventus (for example) once. But I’ve played Sochaux and Benfica many times.
I made Inter Milan wear their change strip: those white shirts with the impressive giant crosses emblazoned on the front. The game ended 3-1 to me. So that was the European Cup in the bag. I was pleased not only with the trophy, but with Giggs being the assist leader for the tournament. Another measurement of my averageness at PES is that I rarely get any of my players to be the best at anything in any competition. It’s a rare season when I’ll win a Golden Boot.
I’d already won the Division 1 Cup a few games ago. That was two out of three—which, as Meatloaf would confirm, ain’t bad. But I’m going for the Treble, of which the League is the most important and difficult component.
After a very poor start to the season, and then an indifferent middle, I was 10 points behind the league leaders going into the last clutch of games. But, knowing PES of old, I knew that if I kept winning my games then the chances were good that the leaders would suffer a mysterious collapse…
I’ve continued to fulfil my side of the equation, and get the results I need to keep pressure on Valencia at the top. Well, I say ‘pressure’ knowing full well that it’s a computer game and that Valencia are controlled by various configurations of 1s and 0s in a series of logic gates… (It is indeed something of an immersion-killer to think about things in that way, so I don’t. Not really. I’m just being cynical for tradition’s sake.)
During one of my routine league wins, a collector’s item occurred. I managed to pull off a skill move in the penalty box. With Schwarz:
Looks like a double stepover to me. I’ve no idea how I did it. I have seen my players doing something like it, but it has very little to do with me. It’s all about timing, and luck in my case. I could never reproduce that deliberately. It looks good, though. And, of all people to do it, it was the giant, lumbering Schwarz!
All of which accidental tomfoolery leaves me nicely placed for the final two games of the season. I’m 4 points behind Valencia. My goal difference is superior to theirs. At this stage I’ve got to believe that they will either lose or draw their final games. I think all I have to do is keep winning, and an unlikely Treble could be mine.
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It will still be very hard to over haul that defecit! But even if you don’t at least you have won the European Cup. Coventry are now a massive club..
Going to buy Euro 2008? England were strangely immense in the group stages. I beat Germany 1-0 in an easy first match. Then against Switzerland, i managed a 1-2 win. Although they played very well and scored first, but in the 2nd half I came right back into it. Then in the third match against Denmark, Rooney with an 85th minute winner! Denmark Qualify for knock outs anyway- with Germany finishing last..
I am really worried about the quarter final. It’s against Scotland. The Eurpoean equivalent of Brazil and Argentina in this game. This will not be easy. In fact I can see it being a one sided thrashing by them..
Unbelievable. Scotland were horrendous and I hammered them 4-0.
You just can’t predict anything in football, games or otherwise..
This is why I like football games, because you really couldn’t write this. The semi-final was an epic war between Portugal. It was absolutely even, end to end stuff until the 60th minute when Christiano Ronaldo put them ahead. Two minutes later Rooney had scored the equaliser from the kick off. Then it continued with the end to end football until the 92nd minute when, top scorer, Micheal Owen heads in a cross to win it for us!
The final was its own drama as well. Against Poland of all people, it was a more defensive game, both sides looked nervous and afraid to lose. Wright Philips puts me ahead on the 30th minute, and from then on I batter them. I had 14 shots on target at half time to their 2. So of course it was fully expected when their equaliser came around the 70th minute..
It went to extra time, where Poland hit the bar on TWO occasions. England threatened as well, it really was anyones. Heres the crazy bit. It went to penaltys, and who did I set as a penalty taker..?
John Terry.
Rooney, Johnson, Gerrard and Lampard all scored their penaltys with tap ins. There was one miss from Poland, and of course it came down to Terry for the winning penalty. It was inevitable, and he scored… The scene of him lifting the cup should have happened for real last night, but its happened now for him to lift the European Championship! Awesome to win, but I don’t know if any run will ever be as dramatic as that was..
Not Given - It sounds like you’re finding UEFA to have all the addictiveness and immersion that PES lacks for you this year.
I’ll be honest and say that I’m going through a ‘down’ period with PES2008 and I’m mightily tempted by the prospect of either a) scuttling off back to FIFA08 for a while, or even for good, or b) getting UEFA 2008 and doing the same with that. Or I could do both. Even though this blog is called PES Chronicles.
Do you know of a TV show called Taggart? Its lead actor who played Taggart died over 10 years ago, but the show carried on and is still still going strong under the name ‘Taggart’! The point is that PES Chronicles doesn’t have to feature PES much or at all….
I’ve done it before. I had a FIFA week back in November/December time. I could do the same again. Or I could jump to FIFA/UEFA full time, and have occasional ‘PES weeks’.
But I think that’d hurt me too much. Despite all the water that’s passed under the bridge with these two football franchises this year—the decline of PES and the emergence of FIFA—I still regard myself as a PES man through and through. I hope/expect that PES2008 was just a temporary blip. I think UEFA2008 is fantastic but the International-only setup means I’m going to hold off getting it until it’s <£20.
I was fiddling around with the UEFA demo’s camera menu last night and discovered the Broadcast cam. It’s got camera panning from the halfway line! Now this is the first ever ‘proper’ camera angle in the next-gen footie game world. I’m impressed. What camera are you guys using?
Greg
I am using Classic Dynamic. I like the closeness of the camera, you see the player animations. I have not sat and played this properly, I am still at the jaw dropping of the quality of it. I am trying out skill moves and getting used to controls. 10 years since I played a FIFA.
The Co-Op camera is probably the most efficient as you see the full pitch, easier to play passes and such. But Classic Dynamic for jaw dropping animation for me just now.
I can’t believe how good this game is.
p.s. Taggart, Mark McManus “there’s been a murdurrrrrrrrr” not the same programme since the great man unfortunately passed away.
I see Carter was top scorer in the European Cup. I like that fellow. Good striker. Slightly above average stats, but a handful of very useful stars, like scoring, df positioning and a couple others. Very good as a sub for your top strikers.
heraldo - You’ve mentioned your struggle to get used to the FIFA/UEFA controls a few times. I hope you’ve found the menu option to change the face button controls to PES ones! Otherwise I bet you’re still crossing when you mean to shoot and shooting when you mean to cross.
Unfortunately a control you can’t change is the blasted R2 sprint button. Having said that I’m well used to it now and find no trouble adapting back and forth.
Adriano - I don’t think I’ve ever had Carter in any PES team, although I remember him for a couple of years now, always popping up occasionally. I think I’ll look him up and if he’s young enough put him on the List.
Greg
Yes mate, I found the control menu last night. 1 week later !!!!!
Thanks