Possibly THE most rewarding aspect of playing ISS. It's never obvious that they are gonna happen, but when they do WHOAH MOMMA. Even the near fight backs are exciting.

For some reason my 2 most recent (and best) were in the Master League, playing as Manchester aginst Amsterdam.

The first game seemed to be plain sailing, I'd scored 2 goals in the first 20 minutes. One was a bullet header from a cross from the left, the other was a neat one-two when my attack was 2v2 against their defence followed by a neat chip over the keeper as he came out to block.

I totally dominated the rest of the half - the shot stats at the end read 10-1. I'd hit the post, missed several 1 on 1, had a ball cleared off the line.

But, just before half time they broke down the right, as they were on the right hand side, out of the box, I decided to slide tackle, just as I did this their winger turned and I missed the ball and brought him down. Even worse, despite the fact he was facing away from the goal and I had defensive cover my defender was sent off for his 1st foul.

From the resulting free kick, the ball was crossed and my defence reacted too slowly, they headed a goal in injury time of the 1st half.

I made some tactical changes at HT, but it wasn't enough - I quickly lost a second goal from another header. I struggled to get into attack in this half as being a man down I just didn't have the extra man where I needed it most. After some pretty drastic defending I lost a 3rd goal with 14 minutes left - the ball dropped to an attacker who had enough space and yime to slot the ball past my keeper.

I decide that I would try playing with only 2 at the back in a 2-5-2 formation. The only bought players I had were Henry up front and I was playing Figo as an Offensive Midfielder, but after I kicked off the seemed to take over, I was attacking like I had for most of the 1st half - 1-2's, thru balls etc etc, but nothing came off until the 89th minute. They's had a corner which I'd cleared (whilst having Counter-Attack on)I had 3 v 3 in attack and Figo was striding forward. He played a neat 1-2 with Henry on the edge of the box & slotted it into the bottom corner.

3-3! Now I was dancing about the place with that never mind what happened next. I set the team on full attack and sprinted Henry forward at the kick off - I risked a slide tackle 25 yds from their goal and it came off, as Henry got up I noticed Burchett sprinting down the right in support so I played a thru ball which he collected on the corner of the box giving him a free diagonal run at goal - he'd already missed a couple of similar chances but I tried the shot anyway. IT HIT THE F***ING POST!!!! - but did roll along the line and Henry slid into make sure.

Now I'm normally quite a calm person but I was batter that joypad, jumping about and sweating trying to get him in on goal. Then when he did I went NUTZZZ.

I would tell you some more but my fingers hurt. I didn't mean to type so much!

Well, yesteday I was playing International League against france (guess what team i was using :rolleyes: ) So anyways, I'm playing it is the usual you know feel the other team out for the first 20 mins. Then I make a mistake in the back (basically i should have cleared it and Zidane made me pay :mad: So i said okay okay, we'll get 'em. I did a good job controling the ball but Viera and Petit were giving my engine room fits. My wingers were in effective cos of Lizarazu (small *****rd) and Thuram were just giving me no breaks. Even when I managed to get thru Desailly and (long legs) Lebouef were just giving me nothing.

So the first half ends, i'm down 0-1 first goal i've given up in IL (well, this was just the second game :p ). So i come back in the half and i'm patient, just knocking the ball around, you know, football that is easy to the eye. So then I knock it to the right wing (i'm going left to right so it's near side) and Overmars (just before Lizarazu gets there) gives a one time pass to Cocu who controls it, looks up, (see's that Petit is on his back) passes it to Bruggink ( who knows that Desailly is moving up to take the ball away ). Bruggink see's Davids moving up to support him, so he one times it to Davids (Viera is chasing back but...) Davids one times it (thru ball) for Kluivert (who made the diagonal run to where Desailly left, and Lebouef was trying to catch up with Kluivert) to run onto. Kluivert controls it delicately with the instep of his boot and finishes off the play with a solid strike to the back of the onion bag. 1-1 (side note: this is how you play football, none of that long ball, shoot from mars , run thru a defence type of shhhhttufff!).

France get the ball, they do some more pressing, Zizou is causing fits to our defence and the speed of the french is just disturbing. So i man mark Zizou with Davids and Cocu, seemed to quite him down. 80 mins, I think i'm satisfied with a draw but all of a sudden I get a throw in close to the french box, v. Bronckhorst throws it it in overmars, overmars turns inside to find Cocu. Cocu with is back faced to goal and Lebouef right behind him, makes Lebouef guess wrong turns takes a shot, to the upper corner, Barthez twitches like he was going to jump but then realized it was way out of his reach, "Gol Gol gol gol gol gooooaal! wondaful shhuuupa butiful Gool!!"

I defended the onslaught of french attacks by playing keep away and then the final whistle...wow, this is football. This is why we play this game. This is why we love this game. Thank you "SEABASS"

My brother and I were playing together with England versus Holland. We're usually very good at coordinating the back line together, but this time we were in shambles. Holland scored THREE in the first twenty minutes!!! Two of Dennis Bergkamp headers and a Kluivert goal that was the result of VERY sweet passing football. We were blown away but decided that it was entirely to early in the match to just give up. We tightened our virtual shoelaces and got to work. We finally pulled one back before half-time through Owen but their defense was making us sweat. After half -time it was on. Becks took over and a couple of sweet through lobs were finished by Owen and Cole THREE MINUTES APART!! All tied up but my brother and I were by no means finished. But then again, neither was Holland. They scored another to make it 4-3. We thought it was over, but we felt inspired. Becks let one fly from about 25 yards out and by the grace of God, it finds the back of the net. 4-4. With only two minutes left, I break away and brother dishes me the lob into the box. I've got a defender right next to me and the ball takes a bounce about 5 yards from the keeper on the right side of the box. I sprint. The defender sprints. The keeper sprints. Cole manages to put a head on a ball right before it get to the touch line and it just barely goes under the keeper's arm from a very sharp angle. Whoooo Hoooooooo!!! We win 5-4!! Four goals in the second half saved our dumb asses from an ALMOST certain ass whuppin! That Dutch defense must have heard it from the virtual media for weeks! :D

The key to comebacks is the pre half-time goal!

How often do they involve goals in the 89th and 90th minutes.

Sweetness itself.

Yes, I once came back from a 2-0 defecit, to win 3-2 :) :D

Had one of my best comebacks today.

was playing Man U vs Villa.

I was winning 1-0, with an early Solskjaer goal. Then Blanc lops down Vassell, off he goes for an early bath. So I rearrange my defense. But Vassell breaks away 1-1, then Merson strikes a screamer,it skips off the keeper and Angel slips it home 1-2. I release Giggs with a glorious Scholes pass, he skins the last defender, left foot, goallllll !!!!! Time to lock it up. Then Veron get sent off for two poor tackles. Lastly Keane goes for what appears to be an innocuous challenge and he goes B****rds....

Giggs picks it up in his own half, runs down the left cuts inside cuts back into the space down the left, then turns comes back down the wing, then runs back inside, jumps over the defenders tackle. Pass or shoot? sod it blast it it screams past the steadfast Schmeicel ....... yes yes yes 3-2 to man u 3-2 to man u.....

Liverpool vs Monaco, Master League. I was 3-0 down with 70 minutes gone. But I scored 4 times geeting the winner in the last possible second! The best ever in my 50 master leagues!