A horrid piece of trash.
However, FIFA's execution of gameplay has always been sub-par. The 06 version is possibly the worst I've ever played. While the menus are dull and vaguely frustrating (especially on the PS2) and lack a certain panache (I'm thinking of a newspaper/magazine style format that offers game headlines, an easy-to-access glance at the tables and individual leader board, etc.), the managerial experience is enjoyable and has numerous features, including scouting, reasonable negotiations, and silly little role-playing bits that boil down to being able to answer a multiple choice question. My only gripe with the manager mode is that scouting generally allows you to stack your team far too easily. Invest heavily in scouts and you'll be recruiting world-class players of which no one has heard, allowing you to quickly and cheaply advance to the top of the league, with the drawback being that you're not doing it with your favorite players.
And so, back to the bad stuff.
On any level, the FIFA 06 game experience is drab and unrewarding. But let's assume the average fan is eventually going to find hammering teams in the lower difficulty levels dull and moves on to the Professional and World-Class modes. Once you reach these levels, one thing becomes unbearably clear: your players are morons. Your teammates' AI is pathetic: they continuously stand in offside positions, hide behind defenders so as not to accidentally create a passing lane, and refuse to aggressively pursue a 50-50 ball. One would hope, considering the utter uselessness of your side, that while on the ball, you might have some degree of control. Instead, your player performs as consistently badly as your teammates. The reaction time is perhaps the most noticeably frustrating aspect: press the shoot button and sure enough, your player will shoot... probably a good second to two seconds later. Passing is similar. Dribbling is a ridiculous endeavor. While the computer has no problem maintaining control of the ball while surrounded by three or four of your defenders, you will lose possession in every one-on-one situation, even when it is apparent the defender has no angle on the ball. Furthermore, unlike the computer controlled players, when on the ball, your player loses a dramatic amount of their pace. A breakaway up the middle is impossible- fine considering how frequently they occur in the older games- but even a brief step through a hole avails you of only a brief second of free space to shoot or find a cross and, considering the reaction time, you're usually closed down before that can happen. Shooting is likewise difficult. There is really no good way to aim. You must approach from the direction in which you would like to shoot. The only way to aim for the top left corner is to be advancing towards the goal from the bottom right. Attempting to aim a ball in a different direction generally involves your player turning in the wrong direction prior to the shot. And even if you're lucky enough to get a shot off, unless you are one-on-one with the goalie (who will nearly always block you), the ball will not reach him, as the opposing defense (and often enough, your own teammates) have an uncanny ability to stand in front of your shot. The only way to score generally comes from corner kicks, which also lack much control or skill. All in all, though I keep coming back to take control of my favorite sides and attempt to advance them through the league, it is an exercise in masochism. More often than not, I end up angry, cursing the game and the makers, and set the game away for a few months until the urge to play some good football takes hold once again.