Introduction
I have a strong bias for English football which was created by my study abroad experiences circa 2005. At roughly the same time, I began playing FIFA 06 on the PlayStation 2, and have been playing FIFA on some form of PlayStation ever since. Like so many other FIFA gamers my love for the beautiful game has grown in lock step with my love for the FIFA series. A recent ESPN.com study shows that among 12-24-year-old American males, pro soccer has become the second most popular sport behind only the NFL[1]and the FIFA video game series has a lot to do with that.
I have predominantly played Career (Manager) mode with Chelsea F.C. Year after year, I’d do my best Special One impersonation managing old-time Blues like Drogba, Essien, Lampard, and Terry as well as new-time Blues like Hazard and Kante to glory. But after countless virtual trophies and awards, I’d still be left thoroughly unsatisfied. It always felt a bit cheap starting with such a good team in FIFA year over year.
But in 2009 this all changed when FIFA 10 released a new feature called Virtual Pro. Virtual Pro mode allowed users to create their own footballer taking him from scratch player to footballing legend through his virtual career. The entire focus of my FIFA gaming experience changed overnight. Now I could create a player starting out in his 20s, and through consistent game completion could build him into the next superstar.
What was even better, was this mode gave me an incentive to start my player with a team outside the G-14 and thus look to smaller clubs within the lower divisions of the various European leagues. Virtual Pro became my ticket into learning more about other football clubs not named Chelsea F.C., Manchester City, or any of the G-14. And over the years, I took full advantage creating multiple players that starred at Port Vale F.C., Peterborough United F.C., MK Dons, and Nottingham Forest to name a few. Eventually my Virtual Pro would get so good that he’d be sold to a larger club just like Deli Alli[2]. On an aside, the £5 million Tottenham paid MK Dons for Alli is one of the biggest bargains ever; On par with the £5.8 million Leicester paid Caen for N’Golo Kante[3].
Chelsea or Nottingham Forest?
In this year’s version, I wanted to find a club in the fourth division of English football that was close to Nottingham Forest (my wife’s club). My hope was to play 1-2 years with the current team striving to get promoted. My target was to eventually be sold to a bigger club like Forest or Chelsea.
Although the dominant portion of my fandom is spent cheering for Chelsea, I do have a soft spot for Forest given my wife’s passionate support for them. Of course unless they are playing Chelsea like the did this past January 2019 in the FA Cup (which doesn’t happen often).
This Year I am All in With Mansfield Town F.C.
In doing my research, there were two teams that fit this bill: Notts County F.C. and Mansfield Town F.C. I chose Mansfield Town F.C. simply because they have the same mascot that my college football team has… Come on You Stags!
At the start of this new campaign, Mansfield Town F.C. has very high expectations much like they did in real life[4]. And given the modest transfer budget, there is a really good chance that my Virtual Pro will see consistent first team action. So, without further ado, please meet the new 21-year-old England-born central attacking midfielder that will take the Mansfield Town F.C. Stags to promotion: Carlito:
The Beginnings of an Attacking Legend
At the start of the campaign, it was very clear that Carlito had a ton of work ahead of him if he was going to be worth anything. Carlito’s attributes looked as follows:
As he continued to play and develop it became clear pretty quickly that Carlito had an opportunity to get a ton of game time with Mansfield Town F.C., ultimately giving him a chance to rapidly progress. And for a young player in the game, that is all anyone can ask for.
Season Highlights…
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3-1 Victory Against Lincoln City is One of Carlito’s Best Game in Year 1
On November 24, 2018 (in the virtual world), Carlito has one of his best games of the year and announces himself to the EFL League Two during a 3-1 victory over Lincoln City.
By now, Carlito’s a 74 overall, deeply planted in the starting XI.
He has scored 5 goals and has 5 assists. The 3-1 win over Lincoln City vaults Mansfield Town F.C. into second place on 36 points after 19 games played.
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The Complete Game – December 22, 2018 Against Stevenage
In a 2-0 victory against Stevenage, Carlito as a complete game and wins man of the match with a 9.5 overall match rating.
Below are the video highlights from that game:
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Top of The League and Player of the Month by January 2019
Carlito’s performances continued to accelerate as he helped drive Mansfield Town F.C. to the top of the league by January 2019.
Through 27 games played he had scored 8 goals and delivered 9 assists. His overall rating jumped 10 points to a 77 and his valued jumped significantly to £28.5 million up from £1.6 million where he began.
Clearly On His Way to Becoming a Legend
As we enter the final chapter of the season (March – May), it’s clear that Carlito is Mansfield Town’s best player and his £28.5 million valuation proves this. Only time will tell if his meteoric rise will continue.
Art Imitates Life
At the start of this past year’s footballing campaign, I had my sights set on rooting just for Chelsea and Nottingham Forest. But as I said in the introduction, FIFA 19 introduced me to a new team. So much so, that on March 18, 2019 I tuned into a key match between Mansfield Town and Lincoln City:
That day the Stags drew 1-1 at the One Call Stadium. I was vested in the match as the Stags dropped crucial points in their promotion bid. My fandom continued to grow even though I wasn’t able to watch them on TV regularly. The unfortunate 1-0 defeat to MK Dons on the last day was a gutting reminder of how hard it can be to obtain automatic promotion. As Stag fans worldwide know, nothing is a given in promotion playoffs as the penalty loss to Newport County showed.
In closing, there is a brilliant quote regarding football fandom: “You can change your job, you can change your wife, but you can’t change your football team… You can move from one end of the country to another, but you never, ever lose your allegiance to your first team.” While there is truth in this sentiment, FIFA 19 has helped me realize that there is absolutely space in my fandom for the Mansfield Town F.C. Stags!
[3] http://www.sportbible.com/football/news-ngolo-kante-voted-the-best-bargain-in-premier-league-history-20181123
