Adam Wolf

IGN

UEFA Champions League 2007 First Details
An exclusive first look at EA's surprise soccer title due this March.
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US, January 11, 2007 - I have one great memory of the Champions League. That's one more than most Americans.

Cramped into a smoky pub in Rome, jam-packed with soccer-crazed Italians, I was cheering AC Milan against Liverpool in the 2005 final staged in Istanbul. It was a wild scene and I broke three ribs in the first half as Milan took a 3-0 lead and the Italians celebrated, downing beers and chanting something I wish I understood.

Most of the fans in the pub were AS Roma supporters but club loyalty is out the window in the tournament final. Better AC Milan wins than Liverpool. And up 3-0, that's how it looked, and the beer was flowing. Then the comeback began.

Miraculously, Liverpool scored three unanswered goals in the second half to force extra time and an eventual shootout. In soccer, that's unheard of. While the Italians hung their heads in dismay, I had a little smile on my face. I knew I was watching an amazing match. As a sports fan not beholden to Milan or Liverpool, that's all I could ask for.



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As the shootout began, a strange thing happened. Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek started to have a seizure in the box. Well, it wasn't a seizure, but it was a very clumsy attempt to distract Milan's shooters by dancing and shaking on the line. Not only was Dudek's little jig hilarious, but it inspired EA to include the moves in 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Maybe it worked or maybe it didn't, but Dudek stopped Andriy Shevchenko's penalty to win the Champions League trophy for Liverpool and cap one of the most amazing comebacks in sports history.

On March 20, the Champions League lives again.

Electronic Arts told IGN today that it will release UEFA Champions League 2006-2007, a new next-generation soccer game featuring almost all of the world's best club teams. The title will also appear on the PlayStation 2 and PSP.


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We say "almost" all because licensing issues prevented EA from landing the rights to a handful of teams that made the tournament this season, although the company did not disclose which teams those were. We do know that there are a different number of teams on each platform. It's important to note that the PS2 version of FIFA 07 had more than 500 teams while the 360 version had only 117. In UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 published by EA, there were 239 teams, allowing you to build up a lesser-club team and eventually qualify for the 32-team Champions League.

On the pitch, Champions Leagues is based on an improved version of the FIFA 07 engine on the Xbox 360. Answering feedback from fans in feedback sessions, EA has tweaked the gameplay accordingly, said producer Ken Sayler.

"One of the engine's strengths is that the ball is a toy and it's really bouncing around," he said. "I've seen shots here where a player takes a shot off the face. It's much more realistic and anything can happen with that ball."

Champions League will also feature a new game mode called Ultimate Team, a blend of manager mode and custom team, Sayler said. Using virtual trading cards for players, staff positions, resources, morale, fitness and injuries, players will create the perfect team. You can also use gameplay cards to give your team an advantage when you need a boost on the pitch. Cards are purchased in packs with an in-game currency akin to experience points. You will also be able to jump on Xbox Live and trade cards with other players, as well as buy or sell cards using the in-game currency.

Team chemistry is a huge feature on your club team, Sayler said. Sadly, there's no way to trade David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy for $250 million if he hooks up with the nanny. (Beckham will be on Real Madrid's roster in the game, Sayler said.)



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As for game modes, we do know that you can re-create the 32-team tournament from this season or take a team through qualification rounds. You'll also get a shot at several historical moments, of which the 2005 Liverpool championship surely will be included. I see it now: "Defeat AC Milan down 3-0 in the first half." That's worth plenty of playing cards.

You can also look forward to the FIFA Lounge, now known simply as the Lounge because of licensing issues, and eight-player multiplayer. Sadly, there are still no online leagues.


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The surprise announcement of Champions League comes hot on the heels of FIFA 07, which has enjoyed extraordinary sales numbers in Europe since its October release. While we were disappointed with FIFA 07, we look forward to seeing how EA improved the engine and how the new Ultimate Team feature plays out.

UEFA, or the Union of European Football Associations, governs soccer in Europe and organizes Champions League and the UEFA EURO tournament of national teams on arguably the world's most soccer-crazed continent. Held every four years, UEFA EURO 2008 will be hosted jointly by Austria and Switzerland.

Check in next week for our hands-on impressions of UEFA Champions League 2006-2007. Click on the image link below to check out the exclusive new images of the game in action.

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Even though I'm a Playstation fan, this games graphics are amazing, I think this is made by the team associated with Fifa, so I'd probably not play it and wait for Pro Evo 7 when it arrives on the PS3 next year.