'World Tour Soccer 2006' is a real kick

WORLD TOUR SOCCER 2006 for PlayStation 2, 989 Sports, Rated E for Everyone, $39.99.

Hard-core soccer nuts insist futbol has all the action, athleticism and passion of football and other widely popular American spectator sports. But U.S. sports fans have been a tough sell. Many still seem a bit skittish about a game played on a "pitch" where goals can be scarce (see Real Salt Lake) and the use of hands is forbidden.

Soccer-themed video games are perhaps no different. They generally lack the must-have cachet of the Madden/NFL football franchise and other popular sports titles. So "World Tour Soccer 2006" probably won't win many new followers to "the beautiful game" in any format -- but it will thrill entrenched soccer fans.

Boasting hundreds of international and club sides -- that's soccer-speak for teams -- "World Tour Soccer 2006" allows players to stage dream contests between the game's most celebrated and, if you wish, obscure rosters. Wondering how world champion Brazil would fare against tiny American Samoa? This game gives you a peek.

Most of the premier club teams from the world's top soccer nations are also included, including American MLS squads. Rosters are impressively complete. (Local fans will be disappointed that Real Salt Lake can't be found.)

Thanks to memory cards, most new sports titles have become role- playing games of sorts -- allowing players to progress in countless directions. "World Tour Soccer 2006" offers the choice of claiming an established club or international team and starting immediately in a premier division or tournament, or building a team up through the sport's outlands and leading it to the top.

Several tournament formats and ability levels are available, so the game will likely remain fresh.

"World Tour Soccer 2006" also boasts customized team options, so players can build their own fantasy rosters. My soccer-crazed daughter immediately transferred her real-life, third-grade girls team to the virtual world. Now she and her teammates from Utah's U- 10 "USA All-Stars" wage Playstation2 battles against Argentina, Mexico, England and other storied sides. The novelty of navigating custom-built neighborhood athletes named Alexis, Brianna or Ashlee - - as they dribble past, say, David Beckham or Landon Donovan -- hasn't faded.

Playing "World Tour Soccer 2006" is a lot like, well, playing soccer. It doesn't take much time to simply play the game, but learning to play well demands a chunk of practice. Dozens of actions -- from offensive moves, defensive tactics and set pieces -- are available. Advanced players can also select, on the fly, their team's offensive and defensive formations and playing style.

As expected, the graphics are tight. Game play appears real, and the title's designers did a fairly good job capturing both the physical appearances and respective talents of recognizable international stars.

My favorite feature? Shifting from the English play-by-play commentary and analysis to the game's Spanish-speaking announcers. Call it one of soccer's quirky nuances. Goals -- make that Goooooools! -- simply sound better in espanol.

E-mail: jswensen@desnews.com

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