It's no secret that international football is utterly lost on the majority of Americans. Yes, generally speaking, soccer is becoming more popular in the States, but we Yanks still can't even call it by its proper name. It's backwards, inside-out and upside-down. It's closest relative in the the States is hockey, which has far deeper roots in Canada.

EA's FIFA series has nonetheless become the company's cash cow (sorry Madden) in recent years, a position it would be hard-pressed to be in if not for the American dollars being shelled out for it. But FIFA is the only major sports title not primarily geared towards an American audience, even if it admittedly makes some compromises to attract said audience.

What exactly is it that average American soccer fans (like myself) want from soccer games, and how could FIFA better suit them? In rapid-fire style, let's flop -- er, dive in.

Explanations

MLB: The Show included a painfully detailed manifesto that explained everything from how to go about Rule 5 drafts to what to do with players going into arbitration -- and that was for America's pastime! So can FIFA please give us the basic ins and outs of the transfer system or what the positives and negatives of certain formations are?

Rivalries

One of the prominent reasons why the NCAA Football series is so successful is because of the rivalries. How about some information on the historic rivalries that are dripping with passion on the club level? Liverpool and Manchester United, Lazio and Roma, Barcelona and Real Madrid -- these types of rivalries might be lost on the normal fans of the San Jose Earthquakes and the Philadelphia Union. Educate us with some background information on such legendary rivalries by incorporating their importance into game modes.

Scoring

Sorry hooligans, but the elephant in the room had to be pointed out. I'm not expecting FIFA to turn the sport on its head, but it is worth stating that Americans thirst for scoring. Even in hockey there are routinely close to 30 saves per game, so the opportunities are always there, and a goal can come from nearly any point of action (just go watch Patrick Kane's Stanley Cup winning goal for confirmation). This is not so in soccer, where even the strongest offenses put about two percent of their touches on net (statistical analysis not backed up). Opening up the field by having game options like a seven-on-seven option, for instance, may help quench that thirst.

Manager Mode Improvements

Soccer obviously does not possess the statistical measurements -- some would say absurdity -- of baseball and basketball, and there is a lot less to digitally "scout" on the pitch than the gridiron (see: NFL Combine). But even for soccer, this particular mode (now dubbed Career mode) seems rather shallow. For me, this mode is not much more than a string of "Play Now" games.

Final Thoughts

Not all of these off-hand suggestions necessarily add to the sim aspects of the game, and many of the more knowledgeable fans of the game would object, but the majority of these additions would be completely optional to help ease fringe fans into the game.


What do you think? Are people who are just kind of soccer fans better off sticking to FIFA Street, or should EA try to appease casual American fans a bit more?