This game is so beautiful once you have mastered manual passing and custom tactics; recently I created a custom World Cup, using Korea Republic as my team and putting Norway, Argentina, and Ecuador in my group (On World Class, Semi shooting but manual all else). My first game was against Argentina, and I went into the game with a very defensive mindset (as any lower team would do against Argentina) and adjusted my custom tactics accordingly, and went in with a very defensive 4-5-1 with 2 DM's, mentality on full defense. I stopped them for about 50 minutes using this tactic, bringing down my DM's to the box to clog up the midfield and the box as much as I can. This frustrated Argentina enough down the middle for them to elect to go to the wings and cross instead (not typically their forte). Because of this tactic I barely attacked, and had only one shot on goal in the first half. But in about the 60th minute, I finally conceded a header to Aguero, going down 1.
Wanting to come back but still wanting to be careful (since it's a group stage goal differential mattered), I switched to a 4-2-3-1 with medium mentality, with pressure notched up to about 60. I started to press them hard in the midfield, and around the 78th minute, I dispossessed them from the wings, put a cross in which Park Chu Young (of AS Monaco) headed in. 1-1! I was overjoyed, and was satisfied with the tie, so I converted to a 5-4-1 with counter attacking on, full defense mentality. Then around 85th minute, with Argentina attacking fully, I put a lobbed through ball to Park Ji Sung, opening him up for a 1-on-1 which he finished! 2-1!! Argentina got desperate, putting 3 forwards up front, and I kept counter attacking, even drawing a red card out of Heinze on a breakaway I had in the extra time. Game finished 2-1 for me, and I could honestly say that I've never felt a more deserved for a win ever in a sport video game ever. I had pulled off an epic upset, on World class on nearly full manual. Final stats were very realistic: 6 shots with 4 on target for me, 11 shots and 6 on target for Argentina; 46% possession for me and 54% for Argentina; 68% passing completion for me and 84% for Argentina.
I just had to post this (even though this is not the MM thread, well technically it wasn't MM but a tourney) because I've never felt a win feel as epic as this. Greatest thing with manual is that it forces the teams to play realistic ball; if you use a lesser team, you must play like one and adjust your tactics accordingly, not like in WE/PES where you can beat Brazil with China 5-0 on Top Player if you master the game enough. And most of all, when you win on manual, you appreciate your wins a lot more!
For a company that is known for presntation, how can this not be in? You even select a trophy for the comp but never see it afftaer you win! Why? It's so easy to render celebrations. Sloppy
