FIFA Soccer 2005

While we remain the only nation on the planet to resist the charms of soccer (or “football,” as foreigners so adorably and naïvely refer to it), FIFA Soccer 2005 takes a few small steps toward winning us over. Featuring 20 leagues and 40 national teams from around the world, you can choose among an astounding 12,000 licensed players (not that we knew who any of them were). Better, you can create your own players, with the option of either getting out on the pitch (foreigner for “field”) and playing the smooth-flowing game or shifting to the front office, where you attempt to manage your club to glory. Stadiums even feature the actual chants used by hometown hooligans—but sadly, none of those hot foreign fans.