FIFA ’12 hits the spot now that soccer season has ended

Though the Bulldogs Soccer season may be over, FIFA12 has just begun. After arriving on the shelves on September 30^th at midnight, I was one of the first few to pick up my pre-ordered copy of the game.  Ironically I was not in attendance the next day at school, and stayed home feeling suspiciously drowsy. Anyways I was very excited to play it after hearing all the hype and gossip about it. A few of my friends had played the demo before me and thought it was great.

“It gives you something to look forward to doing more of, with all the improvements they’ve made from last year’s FIFA. It requires skill to play now, other than pressing a few buttons.”  said Adiel Bartolommeo.

 I was so excited to play my first game, only to lose 4-1. Pretty embarrassing, but with all the new additions to the game, it’s like playing a new soccer game. The passing has changed so much. You have to look at the player you intend on passing to in order to make an accurate pass, along with holding down the passing button for increased power.

 Shooting is very similar to FIFA11, but most of the shots stay on the ground. It might just be me, but I happen to have a lot of shots that roll into the net, rather than going into the top corner. Crossing the ball on the run of play is difficult. The player has to be in the right body position in order to make an accurate cross. But on corner kicks, it is a bit easier to make a good cross and get the right header to go on target.

FIFA12 also improved the manager mode season. The startup menu looks like a realistic team page. I generally use Manchester United as my manager mode squad, and the page for the manager mode looks similar to the one on the actually website. The players can comment on your coaching ability, For example, I was not using Johnny Evans at all, not even for my reserve matches, and I received a pop up from Evans saying “Boss if you do not have me in your team, I intend to leave at the next transfer offer”. The players have more freedom, and that causes more drama on the team, making it seem like it’s a real life simulation of what it’s like to manage a team in a managerial campaign. The manager mode has also increased the time of transfer offers and get back to you quicker, but also have the freedom to increase wages, and amount for a player. Players also can send transfer requests without notice, and leave the club without any notice to the manager (you). The players are also added a new feature, other than energy levels and overall score, they have morale and form. If a player has not been playing well, or is not in the squad reguraly, there form may dip, along with the moral for the team causing them to want to leave on a loan deal, or terminate their contract.

They also have a different collision engine. For those of you who are not FIFA fanatics, this means that when two players collide in a slide tackle, 50/50 or any other type of fight for possession, the players can fall over. Injuries are more frequent, both on the field and on the training ground. Mostly there not massive injuries like broken legs and fractured skulls. Most of the time its just a hamstring strain that will last for 3-6 days, depending on the player.

A youth development system has also been added. The whole concept is to have under aged players (18 and younger) who legally can’t be given a professional contract a chance to play in a reserve type setting. You must first buy a scout, and send him throughout the world to seek out youth talent, and bring in some young players. But don’t wait too long, because some other teams can take the next youth star. 

The money earned in tournaments has not changed for FIFA11, so you still receive the same amount, regardless of what team you are. Transfers are also very fast, and a lot of players come and go from team to team. FIFA12 also introduces a new feature, the online pass. It’s 10$, for unlimited uses. The online pass includes joining online leagues, 1 v. 1 plays, and virtual teams. I have not explored this feature yet, but I plan to eventually.

 “It’s a wonderful game, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the fantastic sport of soccer,” said Max Ohle, RB’s varsity team goalkeeper.

 As both a soccer player, and fan, I recommend this game to any athlete. It’s easy to get hooked onto, and a great way to put your love and passion for the game, as you can take charge of a team and see what it’s really like.

RB boasts 21 All-conference members this fall

All fall sports have concluded, but before we move on to winter sports at Riverside-Brookfield, the Metro Suburban Conference had to hand out some hardware. 21 student-athletes in eight different sports were given the All-Conference title.

Three girls’ tennis players made all conference. Becky Pendola made All-Conference for her play in singles and Joanna Keen and Madison Powers for doubles.

Both boys’ and girls’ cross country teams had runners that made the Metro Suburban squad. Keegan Buttimer was the lone boy on varsity to make the cut and Ken Sprague made it for Frosh/Soph. Maggie McLaughlin and Jacki Grisafe were the girls to get the honor.

The boys’ golf team had two members given the honor. Junior Jack Kemper and senior Kris Strnad were all-conference after the team made it to sectionals.

The 19-17 girls’ volleyball team had two girls make All-Conference. These girls were senior Kelsey Egger and junior Elena Duve.

Though the football team did not make the playoffs, they still had the most All-Metro Suburban members of any sport at Riverside-Brookfield. Seven players were given the honor. Three All-Conference juniors were Nick Callahan, Blake Beck, and Alex Huffhines. The four seniors were Tyler Radek, Watoris Slater, John Schraidt, and Zach Sollinger.

Lastly, the boys’ soccer team had three All-Conference members. Ruben Chavez was the Offensive MVP of the MSC, and seniors Alex Amaya and TJ Armic were named to the conference team.

Boys soccer playing gaining conference momentum

The Riverside Brookfield Bulldogs men’s soccer team scored its third win against conference rival Elmwood Park 7-1 on Tuesday, September 28^th. This win improved their record to 3-8 overall (3-5 Conf.). The team has been struggling against tough non-conference teams. The team does not have a chance for the conference title they were shooting for; however they still have a chance for the regional title. 

All of the game’s goals were scored in the first half of play. To start the Bulldogs strong, Junior Ruben Chavez scored the opening goal. Chavez would finish the game with a hat trick. Two other goals came from senior captains T.j Armic and Alejandro Amaya. Also leaving the game with goals were Hrvoje Zolo (Sr.) and Cateyano Chavez (Soph.).

In the second half the both teams would not score a single goal. The second half consisted of Bulldog dominance with excellent ball control and goalkeeping by junior goalkeeper Max Ohle.

Ohle in the net has been great for the team this year. He missed a couple of games earlier in the season to a groin injury; thankfully he has been healthy since recovery and will be a valuable asset for the rest of the season.

“The injury of Ohle was a huge moral blow to the team, but now he is back, healthy and most of all ready for regionals,” said Armic.

Thursday they played another conference rival Timothy Christian. RB would walk away the victor with a 5-2 win. This win brought their record to 4-8 (4-5 Conf.) on the season. This win makes the team 3-1 in their last four games.

Scoring for the team were R. Chavez two goals, Tyler Polanski one goal, C. Chavez one goal, and Eddie Marentes one goal. This displayed another example of the explosive offensive style of play they have.

On Friday they faced long time rival Ridgewood Rebels at Shuey Stadium. The Bulldogs lost against the Rebels the last time they met 4-2. Looking for revenge from the last loss they would play a very tough game.

This game would have a very questionable ending. The game would end in a tie 2-2 without an overtime period, however this was a conference game so the concern was that the game should of have been continued into overtime. R. Chavez would leave the game with a pair of goals on the night.

EXTRA:  Read full coverage of 2-2 tie controversy here.

The tie leaves the team with the record of 4-8-1 (4-5-1 Conf.) which isn’t what they hoped for this season. Amaya said, “We started off really bad but we have improved and grown a lot as a team.”

Thursday the dogs played new conference rival Glenbard South at Glenbard. Glenbard South was just added to the Metro Suburban Conference last year. The Raiders have been giving the team problems all year. In the first meeting they had Glenbard walked away with a devastating win 1-2 at our home field. This game would be completely different RB was shutout in a rough 5-0 loss.

With only two scheduled games left in the season the dogs are out of the running for conference. Their next two match ups are October 12^th and 15^th at the lovely Shuey stadium. They will play Illiana-Christian and Ridgewood.

The Dogs have had a long season compared to last years, but they still have high hopes for the regional competition. They will be faced up against St. Francis in their first match. They beat them last year and Polanski said, “To win this game we are going to play hard, watch their film, feed Ruben, and get the W.” The game is October 20^th at Shuey Stadium.

Ref controversy mars 2-2 soccer game

On Friday October 1^st, RB had a conference game against Ridgewood High School. This was a crucial game for both teams because if RB won they would still have a chance for conference and if Ridgewood won they would have an easier time winning conference. 

The game started out pretty even until Ridgewood scored in the first half. Coming back, junior, Ruben Chavez scored at the end of the first half making it 1-1. The bulldogs had the momentum coming in the second half and it was still pretty even between the teams. Unlucky for the bulldogs, Ridgewood scored their second goal.

Towards the end of the game, R. Chavez scored a penalty kick to tie the game 2-2. The fans at the stadium let the soccer team hear it as they cheered for us. Now the bulldogs were pumped up because the game was going into overtime and being such a crucial, it was very important for the win.

Before the overtime would start, each team gathered together for a talk and to get ready to play for the win. The bulldogs and the rebels were ready to battle it out for the overtime golden goal win. As they were taking the field, the refs were leaving. Instead of the refs staying 20 more minutes for overtime, they left the field. Everyone, even the fans, let them hear it. The fans booed them off the field as they were explaining to the coaches why they were leaving. Because of this, the game was ended with a tie, 2-2. Senior Gordon M. Fieseler said, “We are going to overtime boys, let’s get the win!” as he was getting off of the field after the second half. As he said that, the ref was walking to get his stuff and he carelessly said, “No we aren’t” and left.

The coaches explained to us about a new rule in IHSA. If you don’t remind the ref about overtime before the game, they have the right to leave, or ref, if it does go to overtime. I interviewed the athletic director Art Ostrow about the problem.

“Unfortunately, they did leave and I think a reason why is because he wanted to leave and didn’t want to ref overtime, and it was a Friday night. Also, one of the refs had past problems with the soccer team from Ridgewood High School. I contacted and spoke to IHSA members and the ruling is if it’s a conference game there has to be overtime, but if it’s a non conference game then there can be a tie. We haven’t payed them yet and we are holding the check until we settle things. Also, we are trying to reschedule the overtime and we would like to see the same officials there,”  Ostrow said.

For now the boys’ soccer team will have to carry on with their season and concentrate on regionals. The soccer team had their senior night on Tuesday, October 12^th.

Their regional game will be on Wednesday, October 20^th against St. Francis. The winner of that game will play St. Joe’s for the Regional Championship.

Forget football, try futball – FIFA 2011 Preview

FIFA is a soccer video game that is played on almost every gaming system around the world. The game has many attributes to it like Be a Pro, where you simply create your own player and work your way up to the best team in the world.

The latest FIFA game, FIFA 2010, won “50 sports game of the year awards.” The new FIFA 2011 will be built off of the 2010 version, which will make it an even better game. In 2011, the creators focus more on high skilled players and low skilled players. When you create a player they will start off low skilled, and you will have to work your way up, this also happens with players that aren’t ranked high on other teams. Players with low skill won’t be able to pass, shoot or dribble as well as high skilled players. To boost your player skills, you will have to play games using him, so you receive point. The points you receive will be saved for you and you can add them to any category you want.

The most talked about attribute to FIFA 2011 is the “Be a Goalkeeper” mode. This is the first time in FIFA you can create a player and make him a goalkeeper. The spokesperson for this new mode will be the one and only Petr Cech, the goalie for one of the best club teams in the world, Chelsea F.C. Cech will help you along to road as you improve your goalie skills. There are three ways you can play as a goalkeeper in FIFA 2011, assisted, semi-assisted, and fully manual. It is up to you if you want to keep that clean sheet or not.

Besides those attributes, there are the regular ones too, like Manager Mode, International and Club friendlies, Virtual Pro, etc. You can play online with friends, or random FIFA players around the world.

FIFA 2011 comes out on September 28, 2010 for all consoles, the price being $59.99 for XBOX 360 and PS3. Many people love playing soccer games even if they don’t like playing soccer outside of video gaming. This is the game to get when it comes out!

Boys soccer hoping to improve on ’09 success

Can the 2010 boy’s soccer team reach the level of success they had in the 2009 season? Last season, the varsity team earned the title of regional champions. This season the Bulldogs lost their backfield, but they hope to replace that lost talent through hard work.

Captain Alex Amaya said, “We have loads of young kids with talent. We just need to work hard to prevail this season.”

This year the Dogs are being led by senior captains T.J. Armic and Amaya. Armic said, “We have a chance for conference, but it won’t be easy. It’ll be even tougher to re-win regionals.”

The season began Thursday, September 2^nd. The Bulldogs started off with a big win over conference rival Elmwood Park 7-3. The star of the game was clearly junior Ruben Chavez, starting off his season strong with four goals, (three goals and one penalty kick). Chavez is a junior who shows promising ability.

“Last year I scored 21, this year I want 25,” said Chavez. Chavez is just one of the talented strikers RB offers. The varsity boys offer a strong offense this year. They have many returning starters, unlike the defense.

The team shows a lot of skill this year. All regular season games are free this year to fans who want to support the dogs at Shuey Stadium.

World of excitement

There is another event that comes every four years taking place this year besides the Olympics. To some countries, this is even more important than the Olympics. This event is the World Cup and will take place in a new venue: South Africa.

It begins on June 11 with South Africa vs. Mexico and the first round play continues through June 25. After the first round concludes, 16 teams advance from eight groups to the next round of play, which is a single-elimination bracket. The champion of the World Cup will be crowned July 11.

The last World Cup was four years ago and came with plenty of excitement. The championship featured Italy and France, two teams with soccer-crazed fans. The game was tied when extra time was added and France’s star player, Zinedine Zadane, began to get frustrated.

Zadane let his emotions get the best of him in this tight game and head butted Italian midfielder Marco Materazzi. Zidane was given a red card and gave the Italians a one man advantage. The game went to penalty kicks where Italy easily disposed of France with the newfound confidence given by Zidane getting ejected. The 2010 championship game will have a hard time living up to this instant classic.

The US team was very successful last summer when they had to qualify for the World Cup. USA was in the 2009 Confederations Cup, where it took on world powers Brazil and Spain. The US showed that it could hang with the best teams in the world as they defeated Spain and lost to Brazil in the championship in a hard fought game.

The USA squad is ready to make a run in the World Cup and they begin in Group C along with England, Slovenia, and Algeria. The US will have their hands full with the English national team, but most are predicting them to finish second and advance to the round of 16. Many analysts believe that if the US doesn’t get out of its group, the World Cup will be considered a failure.

There are many teams that are capable of winning the World Cup. The obvious favorites are Spain, Brazil, and Argentina. Argentina has arguably the best player in the world in forward Lionel Messi, who is picked by many to win the Golden Ball, which is awarded to the best player in the tournament. Other contenders are England and Germany. England has another player who is among the world’s best: Wayne Rooney.

The US is a dark-horse in the tournament if they play like they did last summer. If they can do this, the US has a chance to surprise world powers again.

Though soccer is not as popular in the US, it is the most popular sport around the world without any doubt. People from all counties will flock to South Africa to take part in this grand event. Every game will contain crazy fans who care about their country so much. People in the US should recognize this great event and just watch a few games to see how important and crazy the World Cup really is.

RB Boys soccer makes history

On Saturday 24^th, the Boys Varsity Soccer Team made history, winning a regional title for the first time. After a lucky first round bye, the boys destroyed St. Francis in a 6-2 championship victory.

The Bulldogs exploded on offense, scoring six goals, an incredibly high number for high school soccer games. Senior Ruben Chavez led the Bulldogs attack putting three shots into the net. The team’s defense shined as well, with great efforts by senior defender Jerry Brown and senior goalie Mark Benya.

Benya, who hopes to continue playing soccer at the University of Chicago after high school, said, “The regional victory was awesome. It was especially nice because we were so close last year, and it was nice to be able to redeem ourselves.”

This is quite a historic event, being the first time that the team has taken a regional title. Although the Bulldogs fell to Chicago High with a score of 2-1 on Tuesday, October 27^th, the team considers the season a raging success.

The Bulldogs have had a very successful season, going 8-2 in conference play and 15-4 in overall matches. To add to their success, the team beat Nazareth Academy on Senior Night.

Junior Elliot Louthen said, “The season as a whole was extremely successful. We set our goals of winning conference and regionals at the beginning of the season and we completed them.”

“Our team has been playing together long before high school and we have great team chemistry. It was nice to see our work come together in such a historic event,” added Benya.

Soccer, the best sport you didn’t watch

It was a bit windy and a bit cloudy, but with the temperature just under 65, it was a fine day—perfect for the RB Boys varsity soccer team, who just happened to have a game on that given day. The opposing team showed up right on time and the game was played well, resulting with a victory for the Bulldogs. Only one problem remained, where were all the fans?

Just under 20 students showed up to cheer on the Bulldogs, a far cry in comparison to RB’s football games, or basketball games, that have been known to fill the stands, and then some.

On a normal Friday night, The RB football team will bring an entire stadium full of bulldogs in to help cheer on the team, and just as many, for the opposing team. This makes quite a difference, especially to the players. 

Boy’s Soccer Junior Varsity Coach Josh Bozeday gave his concern, “it’s unfortunate, really, and if people would appreciate the smaller aspects of the sport they would enjoy the game.” 

So what is it that makes soccer such an unpopular sport in comparison to others at RB? Across the world soccer is hands down the most popular sport of all, it’s the only true universal sport. In some countries, professional soccer games have just the opposite problem: overcrowding. 

Bozeday said, “It’s hard to say why, I think that traditionally, football is just the game to go to. It might be that the football team has just one game a week, where as the soccer team has 26 games in a season.” 

Junior Rachel Powell confirmed by noting that, “football games are more convenient because they are at night and on the weekends, rather than after school during the week.” 

Though the Girls Soccer season does not start until March, the girl’s team has the same problem. Girl’s Varsity Soccer Coach Marissa Dobbertin said, “over the seven years since there has been a girl’s soccer team, fan turnout has rose significantly. Their record has been improving, and the fan turnout has as well.” 

“People want to see great soccer.” Dobbertin said. The girl’s varsity team is starting their 8^th season this March, and look forward to a good one. 

Senior Ashley Mendoza said her attraction to football over soccer is simply, because there is, “more action in football.” 

A lack of action is a common misconception of soccer in America, but the reality is, that as previously mentioned, soccer games just have small scores. Sometimes a soccer game may leave the victor with only 2-4 points scored, but the process of scoring those points is quite a challenge. Soccer forces players to constantly run and keep control of the ball.    

Boy’s varsity soccer player Hrvoje Zolo said, “America is all about football and baseball. If there are more fans, we try harder, it boosts our potential.” Zolo also noted that more people should come to the soccer games because they “actually win”. 

Bozeday added that, “the more fans, the more energetic and enthusiastic the players are.” 

 “I’ve noticed a difference in the way they play when the fans are there” said Dobbertin about the girl’s team. 

Boy’s Varsity Soccer player Josip Lovrinovic agreed when stating that “we would have higher morale during the tough games and that’s when we need them”.  

The Varsity Boy’s Coach Danny Makaric leading the boys with a record of 6-0 as of 9-29-09, it’s amazing that more people haven’t paying attention to RB Soccer. 

When it comes down to it, it’s really not about why people don’t go to the games. The past can’t be changed, but the future can. So next time there is a game, grab some friends and go show some love to the RB soccer team.