その名はFootball Manager（フットボール・マネージャー、以下FM）。ウイイレのようなアクション系ではなく、監督となってチームを優勝へと導くスポーツ・ストラテジー系のゲームです。PCとMac（ハイブリッド版だったような･･･）、それからPSP版が本国英国では発売されています。日本でよく比較されるのがサカつくですが、比較にならないくらいFMの方がマニアックでリアリスティック。

ともかくデータが膨大です。ただし、残念ながらJはライセンスの問題で実名ではありません。

気になった方はとにかく無料体験版をダウンロード。体験版は２種類ありますが、Strawberryの方がオススメ。日本からだと公式サイトよりも、4Gamer.netさんからの方が速いと思います。

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 – The Greatest Job on Earth

4Gamer.net ― プレイヤーが試合に出ないサッカーシム，「Football Manager 2010」のデモ版を4GamerにUp（Football Manager 2010）

What a goal this is too!

[Via I Love 英国フットボール]

BERLIN, June 14 (Reuters) – Japan should have been awarded a penalty in the second half of Monday’s 3-1 World Cup loss to Australia, a top FIFA official said on Wednesday.

Asked why there had been no penalties in the tournament’s first 14 matches, FIFA communications director Markus Siegler told a news conference that the Japan-Australia match was the only one in which a penalty should have been given.

“I think there were no situations for penalties. We saw one, but it was a clear mistake of the referee. I would not be credible if I didn’t say a mistake was made there,” he said.

Siegler was referring to a second-half incident where Australia’s substitute Tim Cahill clipped the legs of Japan midfielder Yuichi Komano as he headed for goal.

So FIFA admits that, that incident should be P.K. This was very a costly decision. Because whether we converted the penalty kick or not, Tim Cahill should been sent off for his second yellow card of the game.

The Japanese goal

Perhaps the Australians would say “what about the Japanese goal !!”. True, it was rather a dodgy goal, but a difficult one for any referee. The Australian defender won the aerial battle against the Japanese forward, Yanagisawa, as you would expect from a battle between the physically big against the small. Yanagisawa was pushed away and accidentally bumped into the GK. Would you call that a clear foul ? While Takahara’s charge did miss the ball, but you are allowed to charge at the GK, as long as you don’t push him, or pull him down, etc, etc. Just like the normal play. Also, the GK was already out of the position from the initial bump by Yanagisawa.

Depending on where the referee stands, some would make that as a foul. But its a difficult one, and can turn either way, I think.

Costly and decisive

On the other hand, Cahill-Komano incident was much more decisive one for the game. Australia had sixty-something minutes to score a goal from the 1st incident, and indeed they did succeed. But this was at the closing stage of the game, Australia could been one man down, with Cahill, the eventual goal scorer, would been off the pitch. We might have not won, but was more likely to be a draw.

I am not blaming here for the referee that, we lost because of him. We should have finished the game off with our bundle of chances in the second half. Its our Achilles heel for past several decades. For some reason, we cannot come up with true striker talent. Always the midfield, or chance-making forward. (Perhaps I will write about that some other day)

He will definitely be going home

Well, we drew yet another game that we should have won, against Croatia. Brazil is playing Australia right now.

It is not finalised who will go on, yet. But what I am certain is that Mr. Essam Abd El Fatah should definitely on the plane home to Egypt. If not, I will be very surprised.

I was working at a sports store in Osaka. Its not a sports store as in selling boots, and stuff. But rather a fan goods store: shirts, autographs, cards, souvenirs, and so on. A mishmush of club shops around the world on MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, football… We had the Official World Cup Shop attached, so if you came to the official shop in Osaka, you might have seen me.

It was so busy and hard work that we hardly saw any matches on TV. We recorded and played in the shop, for promotional use, but I can’t recall a single match that I was so immersed myself into the match, and concentrating every kicks, touches, movements, and whistles.

We lost!

The most joyful moment of the tournament for me was, when Turkey went ahead against Japan in the 1st round of the knock-out stage. Yes, we lost, and all the shop staff, including myself, was so happy about it. True, the income will go down, but we were stretching so much of our mental health that we could not bear any more. Its really sad, isn’t it ? You host the World Cup and the most happiest moment is when your country lose.

On the day of Japan vs. Tunisia at Osaka’s Nagai Stadium, we were so packed that the shop staff could not get inside the shop floor. It was same on the day of Japan vs. Turkey. But the next day, we had about a dozen customers.

People, People, People …

If you saw how Japanese people going crazy during the WC2002, what was your impression? Perhaps “passionate” was the word used by the media around the world. But I say don’t be fooled by it. Those who are really passionate football supporter are really only a handful. Some are not interested in Football, just want to have a party and de-stress. Some feels they have to, because everyone else, or the media are. And the rest ? who knows.

I did go to Seoul to watch the semi-final; South Korea vs. Germany. But I was so tired that I started to fall a sleep halfway through. It wasn’t the most great game either, and that didn’t help. The atmosphere was though, great at the stadium. However in town, like Japan, it was dead. May be the places we were wasn’t the right choice, but really, nothing WC related was going on.

Germany

To me, WC in Japan was tiring and disappointing experience, when you think that this is the biggest world wide event there is. The World Cup is like a eye of the typhoon. All different cultures of all sorts, flows in to the hosting country, with all eyes towards it. I think WC2002 was not. May be it was for other Japanese people, at other venues – Osaka is not a football town at all, it is where baseball is the king – around the country. But sadly not for me.

I hope that the German people, especially those who are going to work in a place like Official World Cup Shop (I am assuming there are), have a much greater and joyful time than I and possibly many others had here in Japan, four years a go. In fact, I am sure you all will, because sports is a European culture. No matter how far and beyond this culture has reached, it is still European at heart, and will work best under that condition. I feel Japan has only acquired the framework called “Sports”, and good or bad, we fused whats inside with those of Japanese, resulting in rather unique, or twisted, situation. For many Japanese people, probably its nothing. But for me, some one who was brought up with the British sporting culture, it hurts too much.

I love to be in Germany right now, even with no tickets. But the money is an issue, and only myself to blame that.

I hope those who are there, you have a good time. If you are from Japan, immerse yourself in the true sporting and football culture.

Added shortly after:
Oh yeah. I was interviewed by the BBC Sports, at the shop I was working. I think it was the day England played Nigeria at Osaka. They told me it was going to be aired, by according to my friends in England, it never did. How disappointing was that !