Goal! - Hint `n` Tips ===================== If you have a man or two sent off during the game, then call up the subs bench (by pressing the left [Alt] key), click on the man who was sent off and a new man will then come on. You can only perform this little trick twice. Goal isn`t the easiest game in the world to play - but show me a Dino Dini game that it! It`s a game based on skill and foresight, not pure luck as so many other football games seem to be. These copious tips are dedicated to helping you develop those skills as quickly as possible, as well as pointing out what the skills actually are, of course. Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a crash course! Hot Rod ------- Just like driving a car, you need to know your vehicle and how it works before you can even begin to start popping wheelies and wheelspin starts. Examine the entire team, checking out their speed and capabilities, and even try to learn which players are best at what. Too many goal attempts are foiled simply be using the wrong player, so remember what each is good at when they are under your control and use them in that capacity. If you are controlling a striker who is adept at shooting, then shoot. If, however, he is more attuned to passing, then pass to some one who is good at shooting then shoot. You might not get as many shots at the goal this way but the likelihood of actually scoring will increase. Watch your speed too. You might be able to get from 0 to 60 in seconds but what`s the use if you immediately lose control of the ball the second you try to turn? Go into practice mode and run with the ball at different speeds with different players. See how fast you can go before you lose control and try to keep to those speeds in the game. Unfortunately, it`s a lot easier to be tackled when running at low speeds, but if you have the reflexes you need never lose the ball again! Well, occasionally maybe. Football shorts don`t come with screw-in studs, so keep your players on their feet! Beware of sliding unnecessarily - the only way to do that is keep your finger OFF the fire button until you`re sure that a tackle will connect or that you will definitely get the ball. Stabbing frantically will result in your team lying on the floor while the opposition run rings around them, and that`s if you`re lucky. In a worst case scenario you`ll end up fouling someone and before long you`ll start losing players. Remember: Careless play costs players. Defend Yourself --------------- If you`re one of those people who find that every time they try to move they get tackled, then try to figure out what`s going wrong with your playing style. Are you attempting long passes without first checking the scanner? Are you trying to get too far or do too much with a single player? If so, then you need to learn the benefits of defensive play. Practice passing as often as possible, as this stops the computer teams from homing in and marking you. You`ll soon find that playing like this will get you far further up the field than hoofing the ball as hard as you can. There is another way to pass, you know. You don`t have to use the Dini passing system if you don`t want to. One way to do it is to run with the ball towards another player, and then stop dead in your tracks. As you would predict the ball will continue rolling, right to the feet of the next player. As the ball is travelling, control will swap between the two players, so you should be ready to grab the ball and run. Watch very carefully for computer players coming in to tackle, especially when you are waiting to pass. Quickly check the posistions of other computer players and see if you are going to be able to make a pass without being intercepted. If you can`t you`re going to have to hold your own for a moment until you have a clear pass. The easiest way to do this is to keep your back to the attacking player all the time. This way he won`t tackle you - computer players only tackle from the front and sides. However don`t keep it for too long, as sooner or later he will get fed up waiting for you and sliding tackle you from behind - you never know, the referee might not see the foul. Taking Risks ------------ The best place to try and score from is the nine-yard box. Yes, it probably sounds very risky - and in most cases it is, as the keeper will invariably just step forward and take the ball from you. What you want to do in the spare moments you are sometimes allowed is get in a supershot. This is a shot calculated by the computer to beat the keeper, with height and direction figured out on your behalf. All you need to do is tap the fire button and see what happens. This doesn`t always happen, of course, but if you have a player with a good shooting ability, well, you never know. Headers are easy to perform but very hard to control. No matter how exact you try to be, there`s no definite way to set the direction the ball will travel in. Overhead kicks are a far safer idea, so practice them as often as possible. It`s a much more predictable way of turning the direction of play while remaining in control of the game. Finally a word on aftertouch - a much neglected and wasted part of the Goal! armoury. Using aftertouch is a true test of skill, and can make the game immensely satisfying to play if you can get the hang of it. Spend some time practicing the various aftertouch curves and dips, especially into the goal from odd angles, and you`ll be surprised at the difference it makes to your scoring ratio. Once you have the hang of it, try this shot: line yourself up with one of the goalposts in your opponent`s end and then run towards it with the ball. Now shoot directly forward, and then steer the ball inward towards the centre of the goal. Most shots of this nature will force the keeper to dive towards the post, leaving the ball to sail into the net.