@PRO_TOO: This is all I can say:


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Another part of the PES5 Wonderkids series: this time, the most promising centre-midfielders in the game.
https://liberomagazine.wordpress.com/2020/11/03/the-pes5-wonderkids-part-5-centre-midfielders/
Writing this series is making me want to start a PES5 ML and build a team comprised of some of these wonderkids...
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After years of trying I still haven't won the International Cup with Latvia's national team on PES5. But hold on to your seats...
This time, my group is France, Japan and Colombia. Impossible stuff, as usual. First match, vs. Zidane and Henry's France.
Held on to the 0-0 heroically, and on the very last play of the match, a hopeless long ball to Vejavusiwaniks finds Latvia's superstar and we score. The game ends 0-1, Latvia declared a national holiday next day, and the football world is shocked.
Next, vs. Japan, who also had won their first match against Colombia. Once again, we defend fantastically and barely threaten their goal. Yet we'd have a taste of our own medicine alright. Ten minutes before the end of the match, usually I'd sub off one of our most talented players, our LMF Rutsnos, for a sideback. But I felt we could actually win this, so I instead I sub in a very crappy player, Blonkov
(here's the guy) just because he's the kind of guy who could give some energy to our depleted left side, thanks to his speed. Minutes later we have a throw in on the left side in Japan's own midfield and Blonkov throws it, tries to connect with our midfielder Ladeowas but probably because of the former's lack of Teamwork, pass accuracy and overall lack of skill, we end up losing the ball, thus allowing Japan their only dangerous counter-attack of the match, exposing our defense for the first time. Our defense is so slow that my LB has to commit a foul on the edge of the area before Japan's striker got into a dangerous position to score.
Now, who takes the free kick? The one and only...Nakamura. I pray to all the gods but it doesn't matter: he scores the 0-1 wonderfully and we lose the game. This is why I love PES5. The game is so footballingly complex that a mere otherwise insignificant tweak might wreck havoc on the whole story of the match. Choosing between giving 10 minutes of play to Latvia's reserve sideback or to the 7th or 8th choice for the striker role is a life or death choice. This says it all.
The final group match was against Colombia. Japan had 6 points, France and Latvia have 3, Colombia 0. I was sure France would win against Japan, forcing us to win our match as well. On the only decent scoring opportunity, we get a goal still on the first half, 1-0, thanks to Kylies. We hold on to that lead and as the match ends, I wait to see my players' reaction. They celebrate; the Spanish commentators go wild, as Latvia...qualifies for the Round of 16!!!