A-League to appear in FIFA 08

[stephen_bayne]

Finally all the rumour and spectulation can be put to rest. It has been confirmed that All 8 A-League teams will appear in FIFA 08. I think this is fantastic for the A-League as they'll now feature in a higher quality and more playable game than the two other rival codes.

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/59393,aleague-will-be-in-fifa-08.aspx

[dcarson7]

Can't wait to see what stats Fifa gives the A-League players...

Anybody whose played as Australia in past Fifa games knows what I'm talking about.

At least it's a positive step forward, I might actually end up getting interested in the A-League due to this. If you want an explanation as to why I'm not currently interested in it, ask away.

[No Use For A Name]

Absolutely stoked! To bad Archie is on the cover though :p

Wonder if the full sqauds will be in it as would want to have players like Juninho in it even though he only signed for Sydney not long ago.

[stephen_bayne]

Can't wait to see what stats Fifa gives the A-League players...

Anybody whose played as Australia in past Fifa games knows what I'm talking about.

At least it's a positive step forward, I might actually end up getting interested in the A-League due to this. If you want an explanation as to why I'm not currently interested in it, ask away.

I'd be interested to hear it. :)

[big_nath1987]

I'd be interested to hear it. :)

Ditto, love to hear why, should be quite an interesting response.

Btw, great stuff on the A-League being in Fifa, I can finally play as the Roar against the likes of Man Utd :D

[Rhys]

At least it's a positive step forward, I might actually end up getting interested in the A-League due to this. If you want an explanation as to why I'm not currently interested in it, ask away.

If you are a football fan in Australia, and not interested in the A-League, you need to wake up to yourself.

[dcarson7]

I'd be interested to hear it. :)
Ditto, love to hear why, should be quite an interesting response.
Well I'll try to make my response as interesting as I can :o.

The main thing that has frustrated me since the A League developed was that they tended to prefer old ex-pro's to the much (much) younger local lads, who have loads of promise. I don't want to go to Hindmarsh to watch Carl Veart poach a goal or to see Ross Aloisi act like a complete and utter so and so (fortunately I won't be seeing Aloisi play again for Adelaide United), I want to go to see some young local lads show what they can do on a big stage.. they're the future. We need to encourage these blokes to stay in Aust by giving them the support they need in their mid to late teens/early twenties, if they see youngsters looking up to them, wanting to be them, it won't take much for these players to realise that besides moving overseas for an extremely lucrative contract (or unbelievable opportunities) it makes sense to stay here. Obviously we can't come close to offering what the overseas clubs can offer, but if it's a mere increase in valuation for a gifted aussie, then hopefully with local support they won't want to leave but obviously they've got to get the chance to PLAY. So to try and back up my argument I spent a while calculating average age's for the current Adelaide United squad, while it's not conclusive it doesn't overshadow my opinion.
Adelaide United
1 GK Daniel Beltrame - 31
2 DF Richie Alagich - 33
3 DF Milan Šušak - 23
4 DF Angelo Costanzo - 31
5 DF Michael Valkanis (Captain) - 33
6 DF Cássio - 27
7 MF Lucas Pantelis - 25
8 MF Kristian Sarkies - 20
9 FW Paul Agostino (Marquee) - 32
10 FW Nathan Burns - 19
11 FW Bruce Djite - 20
12 DF Matthew Mullen - 18
13 MF Travis Dodd (Vice-Captain) - 27
14 MF Shaun Ontong - 20
15 MF Jonas Salley - 25
16 MF Bobby Petta - 33
17 DF Issy Erdoğan - 24
18 DF Robert Cornthwaite - 21
20 GK Robert Bajic - 30
21 MF Jason Spagnuolo - 23
22 MF Diego - 27
23 FW Dez Giraldi - 21
40 GK Scott Higgins (short term) - 31
[squad average age = close to 26]
New signings..
Kristian Sarkies - Melbourne Victory - 20
Matthew Mullen - AIS - 18
Paul Agostino - 1860 Munich - 32
Shaun Ontong - AIS - 20
Issy Erdoğan - Preston Lions - 24
Cássio - Santa Cruz - 27
Jonas Salley - Sunshine George Cross FC - 25
Scott Higgins - Maccabi Herzliya - 31
Milan Šušak - Free - 23
[average age = 24]..pretty decent, I must admit
Transfers Out
Aaron Goulding - Para Hills Knights - 25
Adam van Dommele - South Melbourne FC - 22
Kristian Rees - Whittlesea Zebras - 27
Matthew Kemp - Melbourne Victory - 27
Ross Aloisi - Released to Wellington Phoenix - 34.. don't let the door hit you :p
Fernando - Released - 33
Qu Shengqing - Released - 32

Notable former players
Romário - 41
Carl Veart - Retired - 37
Aurelio Vidmar - 40
[average age of past players = about 32]

Also;
1. I hate the emphasis being put on marquee players, one or two is alright but it's rather stupid (& infuriating) when the news raves about these new Brazilians instead of talking up our aussie youngsters.
2. The media haven't got a bloody clue... A-League Version 1,2,3... with robots playing football, & now with the crowd turning into water.. what the hell is going on there anyway.
3. Personally I reckon this is a load of crap...
Finals series
The top four-ranked teams at the end of the regular season are entered into a finals series based on the Page playoff system, where the first round of matches consists of two legs (with ties decided by the away goals rule). The top two ranked teams play the Major Semi-Final, with the winner progressing straight to and hosting the Grand Final. On the same weekends, the third and fourth ranked teams contest the Minor Semi-Final, which sees the losing side eliminated whilst the winner plays off against the loser of the Major Semi-Final in the Preliminary Final the following weekend. The winner of this match also progresses to the Grand Final, the winner of which becomes A-League Champions. As of the 2006–07 season, this team will also contest the AFC Champions League, although if the team that wins the Premiership goes through to Grand Final then the runners-up in the Grand Final are awarded the second spot in the competition, win or lose.
No AFL influence there :rolleyes:. The team at the top of the table at the end of the season is the winner.. end of.
If you are a football fan in Australia, and not interested in the A-League, you need to wake up to yourself.
It's a relief to see others don't hold the same grudge that I do and that many genuine football fans are really getting behind the A League. I just wish I could share you're enthusiam for it, I really do. When I see some local youngsters out there playing, getting cheered on by the crowd, then I'll be there week in week out... Judging from the recent signings for Adelaide United FC, it may be sooner rather than later.

[ozmfc]

If you are a football fan in Australia, and not interested in the A-League, you need to wake up to yourself.

And why is that? I was a long term Football Kingz fan and now with all this A-League bollox I really can't be too bothered. Australia is still a small market but with the A-League they are trying to bring a big market atmosphere (e.g Marquee signings, Pay TV deal etc) which I tihnk is quite shit and has turned me off of it.

I don't really consider A-League purists to be football fans. But whatever floats your boat.

[r9ronaldor9]

A-league would of been bigger if it was on free-to-air...its still very good espicially when u go to the stadium unfornately i wont be able to go for a while (year 12 and studying hard)

[georgez]

how many stars would each of the teams get? i think Melbourne should be at least 2 and a half.

[wong_ma]

If you are a football fan in Australia, and not interested in the A-League, you need to wake up to yourself.

well i can understand why people wont like it at all...
ppl say its a very slow and boring football game..

and ppl like me who hate english and australian football in general..even the players...

[Rhys]

well i can understand why people wont like it at all...
ppl say its a very slow and boring football game..

and ppl like me who hate english and australian football in general..even the players...

It's two seasons old ffs, wake up.

[daveywestham]

It's two seasons old ffs, wake up.

You're right it is only new and may develop in time but you must admit the way they've gone about the thing in the first place is quite cringeworthy to the football purists. I mean calling teams with stupid names on the end of it such as Roar, Jets, Knights, Victory etc is on the edge of plain embarrasing.

And I have to agree with previous comments about the finals system - there's only 8 teams so why give a team who has finished 4th of 8 a chance to take the crown when they've been rank average for 8 months? Yes they have promotion playoffs in England but that's 3rd to 6th of 22 not 50% of the teams in the league and not for the winning place but for the 3rd place.

They've just followed other codes such as the NRL & AFL which are copies of American sports by naming teams after animals, other fluffy shit and the like.

Having said that I'm not opposed to the A-League and I want it to succeed but for the reasons above alone I can understand why real football fans in Australia may not be 100% behind the league in it's current form. Also if they were really wanting the game to become popular then why limit the audience to pay TV subscribers? It seems like a revenue generating venture as opposed to making the sport a respected code in Australia.

I'm also for having it in FIFA08 and it can only be a good thing for it. I will also have fun playing as Aussie teams and players in the game. :)

[wong_ma]

It's two seasons old ffs, wake up.

so what if its two seasons old?...there is no free-tv coverage which makes it worse...i think that the free-tv stations should have an initiative to promote the a-league

[daveywestham]

so what if its two seasons old?...there is no free-tv coverage which makes it worse...i think that the free-tv stations should have an initiative to promote the a-league

The problem is the league itself accepting Rupert Murdoch's money as opposed to the free channels not having the initiative. SBS would gladly do the coverage but can not compete financially with the likes of fox. :(

[scowling]

Sept 27 is getting closer - fifa08 release date.... let's see if the teams play draws in the virtual world as much as in the first three rounds...

[Vex Baner]

I mean calling teams with stupid names on the end of it such as Roar, Jets, Knights, Victory etc is on the edge of plain embarrasing.

Well the Jets are really Newcastle United, they just don't want to be mixed up with the EPL team. Even in the EPL, you get Sheffield "Blades" United and Newcastle "Magpies", "Red Devils", etc. I know that these aren't official, but in the end, what's in a name? People are making too much of a fuss of it.

[cherypicker1]

how many stars would each of the teams get? i think Melbourne should be at least 2 and a half.

I agree, even though they smashed Adelaide, Adelaide didn't put in that much, and also, Victory havent gone very well in the startin of the third season. I'll be very surprised if any team get 3 stars or more from A-League... Love that Archie will be on the cover for the Aussie version. As for the names, it would be slightly boring (although would have a 'histroical signifcance') if clubs were called sumthin like 'Melbourne United' or 'Melbourne City' or 'Melbourne FC'. They just wanted to go in a dif dirrection to make it interesting and cause if a new thing (in this case, a name/title) is introduced into a scenario, its more likely to get stuck with people... Simple Psychology People :) (lol, soz)

[Bongaboi]

About bloody time. Thanks for sharing.

[cdev_19]

<<NAMES>>
The issue with teams names is complete fluff. Team names in the Premier League hark from a completely different era. The names reflect what were perhaps popular images at the time, eg. Rovers (1875), Wanderers (1877), Hotspur (1882). It seems that "tough", abstract and animal-related team images are popular now, so why shouldn't the A-League names reflect that trend?

What's so wrong with the name "Knights"? Melbourne Knights were one of the best NSL teams for decades and noone complained about their name then.

Another issue was to distance the A-League from the ethnic tensions associated with the old NSL, and having completely new and unrelated (and often non-traditional) team names is a part of that effort.

<<FINALS FORMAT>>
If you have a problem with the current top 4 finals system, would do you suggest? So far it has produced very exciting games (bar AU vs MV last year). In the 05-06 season, the 3rd v 4th tie was the most exciting of the whole finals series. Also a mere top two playoff would kill a lot of interest in the league.

J-League was formed in 1993 with 10 clubs. Now it has 18 and a full relegation system. A "B-League" is already on the cards for Australia, with a possible introduction in 2008 or 2009. Things are in motion.

Give the A-League a fair go.

<<FIFA 08>>
Representation in FIFA 08 is a big achievement (and probably underserved!). Can't wait to guide the Mariners to a 10-0 thumping of those bogan Jets! Hahahaha

[Rhys]

The problem is the league itself accepting Rupert Murdoch's money as opposed to the free channels not having the initiative. SBS would gladly do the coverage but can not compete financially with the likes of fox. :(

Fox's money is the only reason the game is surviving on a professional level in this country (at all levels). I would like to see stuff on FTA, but it's a small price to pay if it means we actually have a league.

[^tim^]

its about time they looked into the a-league for fifa.. but im just guessing it wont be very well done?

[Mitch23]

i bought fifa yesterday and played a few games with Sydney FC and i found it very frustrating because of the ratings of the players being not very good
so i dont think i could go through manager mode in the a-league but its still great to see the a-league on fifa

[ajay]

How can A-League call it B-League. That just fucks everything up. I agree with having it put on FTA TV so I can listen to another commentator whos voice isnt as annoying.

A-League is only in its 3rd year, like people have been saying, give it a chance. Hopefully, A-League will be a mixture of EPL and La Liga; EPL physically and mentally and La Liga with flair and skill.

[MoFF]

i bought fifa yesterday and played a few games with Sydney FC and i found it very frustrating because of the ratings of the players being not very good
so i dont think i could go through manager mode in the a-league but its still great to see the a-league on fifa

I reckon playing with lesser skilled teams is all the fun in FIFA. Are all the Australian stadiums in this game?

[Mitch23]

nah theres no Australian stadiums on fifa. i thought they couldve put the Telstra Dome or Suncorp being the biggest

[^tim^]

does anybody know what Melbourne Victorys players stats are?

thanks :)

[Kaká22]

does anybody know what Melbourne Victorys players stats are?

thanks :)

lowest is 51 and highest is 68 (don't ask who cos i cbf checking again:)). The team as a whole is 1 n a half star.