America has never had much love for the world's game, and even for a red-blooded Yank I'm particularly soccer-ignorant. I never played organized soccer as a child, I've never seen the Timbers play, and outside of that whole "don't use your hands" bit, I'm not entirely sure I even know the rules of the game.
So the other day, when a box from Konami arrived on my doorstep containing a copy of Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 (aka World Soccer: Winning Eleven 2011), I was stumped as to what I was going to do with it. Would it be reasonable for me to critique a game whose fundamentals I admittedly know nothing about?
That's when a second thought struck me: I'm not exactly an anomaly here. Even with Portland's vast affection for our Timbers, the average person likely knows little about the world's most popular sport. I doubt a random man or woman stopped on the street could even name a pro soccer player who isn't also sleeping with a Spice Girl.
Thus, I think a review from my standpoint is almost more valid than if I were an expert on association football. I offer a look at the game through the lens of the average American. Perhaps that isn't a fair way to judge PES 2011, but unless someone can magically turn me French, it's all I've got.
Hit the jump.