Where the fun really begins is in the “Captain Your Country” Be-A-Pro game mode. You can either create a player or use an existing player and compete against three fellow teammates (either human or computer controlled) to progress from the “B” international team to the Qualifying squad for your country. You only control your chosen/created player during the match and on screen indicators assist you with your positioning and your marks while playing.

Your progress is determined by your performance, which is scored after each game. Your score is based mostly on statistics, but it takes some questionable turns during the course of the game. The resulting score at the end of the game is usually fairly accurate, though. After the game, your performance gives you points to augment your player’s skills, which are needed as the competition improves. A neat touch is that you can’t make any tactical changes while playing unless you’ve been chosen as the captain of your squad.

The controls respond more quickly to your input, making the skill moves like feints, step-overs, and ball rolls easier to execute. The momentum is a bit exaggerated when changing directions, though, resulting in a lot of overrunning by your defenders. You need to play conservatively on the ball, or you’ll get burned often by your mark. Passing is also more responsive, with the option to use various levels of computer assisting to help you with the direction and power of your passes. The freer movement of the ball and the players is evident, making this videogame version of the beautiful game the most realistic flowing ever offered by EA.

Soccer diehards will love the action on the pitch and the faithfulness to the pageantry of the UEFA Euro competition. However, given the limited scope of this title, it’s hard to justify paying nearly full price unless you’re a soccer junkie. It does offer a lot of hope for FIFA 09, and for those that prefer league play with a much larger representation of teams, players, and the very entertaining Manager mode, it might be worth saving your money for that title’s release. The stellar on-the-pitch game play and expanded “Be a Pro” mode make this title worth a look for any soccer fan, though.

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