Top prep soccer players will play virtual all-star matches
Offense, definitely offense. If Lauren Brown created a video-game version of herself that is where the Catholic Memorial senior would start.
“I'd put my strengths at not only scoring, but my movement off the ball to receive it in good position to either help my team score or do the actual scoring for my team,” she said. “I also take free kicks and corners, so I'd give myself some strength there. You can't have everything 100, so my defending might be lower if you're not looking at the perfect player.”
The truth is that almost anything is possible, including perfect players, in the world of gaming. Video games have had create player modes for years and athletes and non-athletes alive have inserted themselves into the lineups of their favorite teams, virtually playing with the sport's best players and teams on the biggest stage.
It is an idea the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association will put its spin on this summer.
Using FIFA 20, the organization will bring the state's best senior boys and girls players together for virtual all-star games in July. The computer will play the game. Matt Menzl, the announcer for the WIAA state tournament games, will povide play by play.
“Because the UW system closed down all their facilities and we couldn't do a game, we decided we still wanted to honor the seniors,” Catholic Memorial coach John Burke said.
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Burke, who is a member of the WSCA executive board, thought about the virtual game. He doesn't play FIFA 20, but his students do So in search for answers, he asked them to connect him with some of the best players they knew.
"Is this possible?" he asked. "It's absolutely possible," they said.
The virtual all-star soccer game is a bright spot in an otherwise tough year for prep all-star games. The baseball and softball games were cancelled. All all-star football game activities have been suspended. The boys and girls basketball games were moved from June 19 and 20 to August 5 and 6.
For the seniors who were selected to play in the soccer game, the cancellation of that contest was another blow in a spring spoiled by the coronavirus, which caused the cancellation of the spring sports season.
“We didn't just want to cancel the all-star game and say ‘Oh well, yet another thing in your senior life has been cancelled,'" Burke said. "We wanted to come up with some way to honor them.”
How it will work
After the all-stars are selected, the players will complete a questionnaire that will give the game's programmers the necessary information to create that player's physical characteristics in the game, all the way down to how they run and shoot. They'll even be able to pick how they celebrate scoring a goal.
Unlike a normal game, there will be no injuries. And since the computer doesn't substitute evenly, the WSCA has increased the rosters this year from 36 players to 44 for boys and girls. The extra players will allow for two boys games and two girls games with 11-player teams and no substitutions.
Every player will be given maximum power.
“We created custom players and ran through it and one of the kids said I think I'm going to enjoy the virtual game more than I would enjoy playing in the game," Burke said.
Playing on legendary pitches
The players will have the pleasure of playing in some of the game's most historic venues.
One of the games will be played at Liverpool's Anfield stadium. Another will be at Manchester United's Old Trafford. Each of the four games will be played inside a different stadium.
Which pitch will be the one Brown races up and down is yet to be determined, but its safe to say the Ohio State recruit will be one of the players selected for the game. Last year she led the Division 3 state champion in goals (30) and assists (20) and was a First 11 allstate selection.
The games were scheduled to be played July 18 at UW-La Crosse. Video of the virtual games will be released on YouTube around that time
“Every soccer player at some time in their life dreams of being in a FIFA game and having their character score goals and just play,” Brown said. “It is amazing opportunity for all these incredible athletes that deserve this recognition. I think it's really rewarding.”