FIFA 16: Soccer isn’t just for Liston Stadium

Story by Bailey Conklin, Sports Editor

The match is tied nearing the end of the second half. The ball moves player-to-player up the pitch. A slide tackle catches the attention of the referee, who issues a yellow card. A free kick becomes a chance at a game-winning goal. The whistle blows. A right-footed strike soars through the air and into the net.

The victory of a lifetime is won, and the controller is passed to the next player. You can’t catch this game on ESPN or the MLS Network. This game is brought to you by EA Sports, and it is called FIFA 16. While American football is the sport that often draws the biggest crowds to Liston Stadium, FIFA 16 draws BU athletes from all sports inside for a game of soccer.

“We have over 200 hours on FIFA 16,” soccer player Aaron Bowers said about the time spent playing FIFA 16 with his roommates.

Bowers believes he plays double the amount of video games now than he did in high school, and he plays at least three soccer games on FIFA 16 a day. Bowers thinks FIFA 16 is popular because it’s “easy to pick up” and the controls are simple.

“I’m a huge fan of soccer,” Bowers said. “I started when FIFA 10 came out, so [I’ve been playing for] about six years.”

Baseball player Weston Gloss found a new favorite pastime when he was introduced to the FIFA game. Gloss became friends with people in his hallway who own it and he is invited over often to play with them.

“I get rather aggressive with it,” Gloss said. “It brings the competitive nature out in me.”

Gloss, whose favorite part is slide tackling, enjoys the game because of the drive to score a goal, but he has yet to score a goal since starting to play FIFA this semester.

Gloss said he is ready for when that time comes and has been thinking of what to do when that ball hits the back of the net.

“I am going to throw the controller, probably end up breaking things, probably run up and down my hall yelling ‘Goal,'” Gloss said.

Gloss prefers to play with friends because he enjoys trash talking while playing. However, he tries to finish his homework before jumping into a game of FIFA.

“Normally, I try to make sure I have my homework done first, because being a student-athlete, the student part comes first,” Gloss said. “But I do like to make a little time for myself, and that would be playing FIFA.”

Softball player Hannah Tolliver is also new to the FIFA game and finds it challenging but fun when hanging out with friends. Before coming to Baker, Tolliver didn’t play videos games at all but now makes sure to support the home team when she does.

“I like to play as Sporting (KC) because they’re the only team that I know,” Tolliver said.

Tolliver always picks her homework over playing FIFA, and she’s says she isn’t that good, so she doesn’t find it as enjoyable compared to those who can play well.

If you hear screams of anguish, yelling or possibly even someone crying, before you run to call campus security, make sure it isn’t just someone playing FIFA 16. And if you hear Weston Gloss running down the hall yelling “Goal,” be sure offer your congratulations.