Remembering Pro Evolution Soccer’s ‘Masters’ - a virtual force to be reckoned with

The years that fell either side of the millennium were littered with divisive subjects in pop culture.

From the classic Britpop battle of Oasis and Blur to the ongoing discussion over which Hogwarts house you belonged to as the Harry Potter phenomenom clicked into gear, everyone had an opinion and were willing to state their case. Football gaming was no different, as the rise of Pro Evolution Soccer threatened to upset FIFA’s dominance of the market at a time when the EA Sports offering dominated the sales.

That all changed when Konami introduced something EA had not when it the created the Master League and heralded the arrival of a ra-tag bunch of virtual stars that remain much loved to a certain generation of gamers to this day. Names like Stremer, Iouga, Espimas and Castolo will mean nothing to some football supporters and indeed to those that fell on the FIFA side of the gaming fence. But to Pro Evo players, they were heroes, miracle workers and figures upon which legends were built.

Starting out with a squad full of the weird and wonderful, gamers were able to replace these ‘default’ players with real world star names - but many retained faith with ‘PES United’, despite the increasing strength of opposing sides as they made their way through the Master League decisions. Sure, they had their faults and they were far from perfect, but they also had many strengths and between them they became something unique. There was so much to enthuse over as virtual managers fell in love with the great unknowns.

There was the sturdy goalkeeping of the Russian star Ivarov, the solid defensive unit of the giant Swedish centre-back Stremer and the leadership provided by Italian captain Celnili. How could you not relish the attacking midfield triple threat delivered in abundance by Ximelez, Espimas and Minanda or Iouga’s more disciplined approach that allowed his more adventurous team-mates to flourish.

Every ‘great’ side needs a prolific partnership and two iconic figures certainly lived up to that tag. The Spanish star Barota simply shined at any level and at his side was Brazilian ‘legend’ Castolo, who was pretty much the striker you would get if you ordered Adriano from one of those unreliable shopping websites. Between them there was pace, power and aerial presence. They complimented each other and delivered goals and assists aplenty. In an era of prolific attacking duos like Henry and Bergkamp, Rooney and Ronaldo and Robben and Drogba, Castolo and Barota were among the very best.

The supporting cast and those that provided cover or an ability to rotate came from the Welsh flyer Macco, Austrian goalkeeper Kelsen, Scottish star Edingson and the poor man’s Patrick Kluivert, Dutch forward Huylens.

Back stories could be created for each player, their fictional stature played a significant role in helping gamers warm to them. Many an hour could be whittled away making legends out of these mere mortals and creating memories that remained cherished to this day. Yes, these boys were far from the finished article, and there were a few bumps along the way, but for a generation of gamers they are yet to be replaced and any hint of a return would be welcomed with open arms.