In playing the game the last week I've been trying to identify the style of play the game portrays most - FIFA 2004 is like playing an EPL Highlight show. Most of the scoring results from highlight plays - crosses & headers, free kicks, corner kicks and cracking shots from beyond the 18 yd line.

I think most people's frustration with 1-on-1 dribbling in FIFA 2004 is because it's not meant to be a major component of play. I was reading an article on soccernet which explained that dribbling is a lost art in English football and in some parts it's openly discouraged. I think the programmers have taken this into consideration when coding the game.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=280896&cc=5901

I can understand why fans of the more technical leagues in the world are frustrated by the inability to dribble, especially since the style of play is imposed on every team in the game, from MLS clubs to Brazilian clubs.

It'd be wise of EA to reconsider the style of play the game imposes with it's AI and create a more varied game in the future.