The Future of Soccer

The other day I was channel surfing, and I came across a gaming channel. The game they were playing was Fifa on the computer from what I could tell.

If you have ever watched a Star Craft tournament, it was very much like that. Two teammates play on one system, working together to crush their opposition, who sit at another system on the other side of the room. The team's consisted of blurry eyed Asians staring at their screens with a focus you normally see them direct at textbooks. They even wore the team shirts of the soccer teams they represented: Manchester United and Real Madrid.

The thing that truly disgusted me was the commentary. The commentators treated the tournament as if it were the real sport. Let me give you idea of what I witnessed.

"Ronaldo is dribbling down the field, but he has two men on him. Oh, he's crossing it and OH MY GOD, it's off the crossbar."

"It looks like we have an offsides, Jim. I don't know if that call is correct, but this is a computer, so I guess we'll have to accept it. There are problems with programming sometimes though."

"Manchester United is looking really strong today. Their footwork is impeccable in losing their defenders. I'm sure we'll see more interesting gameplay in the second half when both teams are warmed up."

"We have some incredible players on the field and I can't wait, Jim."

Really? Really? They argued about whether the computer judged the offsides correctly. They were talking about the dribbling down the field as if it was really happening. Congratulations! You pushed the arrow key in the correct direction. They talked about footwork, and discussed each goal in detail. They questioned whether the teams were getting warmed up properly. It was disgusting.

The actually playing of soccer is more difficult because of the physical prowess necessary to play the game. You almost have to be picked by God to play in the professionals. I remember a boy I played with who had practiced his skills to perfection, but his body was so weak he could only play half of the time.

The sport requires the entire body and mind to work as one to execute the tactics necessary to score on the opponents. The player cannot see the whole field, and he can only hope his 9 other teammates are doing what they should be. The body has to be capable to play at the level. Any athlete should be acknowledged on their physical prowess.

Computer games only require a sharp mind and fast fingers to exploit the programing. They often only consist of teams of 2. The morale of a team is not affected in computer games. Instead of relying on gut shots, one relies on the mathematics written into the game. Any hack with enough time and patience can pick up the controller and master it. I fear that someday this may become the future of soccer. As people get more overweight, people will play the computer game that gives them the illusion of playing the game perfectly instead of the real game.

I don't know. Watching the gaming network made me think.