After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

I would have to note that first off there truly aren't many movies that encompass football/soccer on the big screen as well as this movie has done thus the lenient rating of a 7 although it is more like 6.6 and just rounded up. Any fan or player had to get goosebumps hearing the roar of the crowd and seeing the superstar players performing on the pitch. I thought it was cool that they showed the multiple aspects of a players life with the clubs, the autographs, the interviews, the practices, the rehab, and even the somewhat futile attempts at having a normal family life while being a celebrity.Let me also point out that I understand that this is a movie and the director has created drama on and off the pitch. However, at times rather than watch this movie I wanted to kick my soccer ball at the screen in disgust. There were numerous points in the movie that were so Hollywood and unfortunately less reality thus validating the original concept of this movie being a dream. For instance, Santiago plays for Real Madrid not a pick up team yet the computer his brother uses to check on him looks like it from the 90's rather than 2008. He is portrayed as this family-first guy but he can't buy his real brother a laptop or something? I thought that Friel's role of Roz was utterly annoying as the always crying and moping around superstar girlfriend. For the entire movie she acts like she is dating some bloke that she met at the pub. The guy played for Newcastle when you met him which is pretty significant and then goes on to play for Real Madrid which speaks for itself and she is upset because he doesn't have time to pick out paint for the house? Not to mention that it isn't even close to a contest in choosing whom to be with between Roz and Varela's character of Jordana. But moving on from that, look I get the attempt of trying to add drama by bringing in Santiago's mother but the chances of what happens in this movie are so remote that they could have sooner told me his mother won the lottery and met him at some gala. Out of the almost 2 mill Latino immigrants to Spain around 20,000 are from Mexico. Add on top of that he just so happens to be in the same town as she and his 1/2 brother are living? Highly unlikely but speaking of 1/2 brother. How this little brat didn't get punted back to the juvenile correctional facility he deserves to be in is beyond me. Stealing Santiago's gear is one thing but this mastermind tracks Santiago down, follows him to the club and then steals his Lambo, crashes it and survives. That was way to much to believe could happen considering the kid could hardly see over the dash without a phonebook under him.Overall I thought this movie had real potential but in reality it went to corny with trying to draw suspense. If anything they should have expanded on Nivola's character of Gavin and just cut out the sappy girlfriend and unbelievable role of the abandoning-mother and neglected 1/2 brother. What would have been more believable is Santiago dropping Roz for the hot Jordana and if you must have the mom in it, having her come out of the woodwork trying to weasel and get money from Santiago. That is more like the real world and less like the dream that is portrayed in this movie.

This is not a good Football movie (Yes I said Football because thats what its called, not soccer)Generally football movies aren't good because they truly fail to capture what is so great about the game. Also I watch the Cahmpions league and many of the games from the Spanish league and it doesn't work for me when you actually know what truly happened in those games, for example Madrid lost against Arsenal, and actually didn't get that far in champions that year. I agree with what many of you have said, the film is a HUGE Adidas commercial and the fact that when the movie came out, many of the players weren't in Real Madrid anymore. and Im sorry but Owen for Muñez is not a plot twist, that actually happened, the difference is that Owen was bought by Newcastle not switched.The main problem with the movie is that if you are a true football fan you know that many of stunts pulled off in the movie could never be pulled off in real life and that is where the movie looses a lot of its credibility. The cameos of famous players were fantastic although I don't agree with the over exposure of Beckham but the other cameos are great. And trust me the third one is going to be bad the first one was not bad, the third one was bad and I truly hope the next one isn't worse than this one.

I want to talk about both of goal movies.I have just watched goal I and II consecutively. I think about that some different whereas the others. In my opinion Goal I is better than II. In first movie is more excited. In some cases we can't guess what will happen. We just sit and watch.However, in second movie, we still don't know something. *Santi left Newcastle. What happened in Newcastle? *We don't know what was Santi's grandmother and brother doing before the middle of the movie. *Where was Glen's daughter? *Finally, what happened for Alan? She seemed pregnant. *What happened after final match? Maybe these were for third movie but something is not clear for second.I can't finish my comment before I say. The scenes from football field is so impressed and also David Beckham, Zidane, Robinho and so on.

This movie is extremely unrealistic and to say the least predictable. Santi seems to make every shot into a goal. And they are not just ordinary or good goals, they are amazing goals. I'm talking about volleys and bicycles, how often does that happen in the champions? And to the same guy? Sure, Zizou might pull it off, but to do it consistently? I think that if a movie is to be made about football, realism is quite important. I do like how they integrate the many stars that real has. It seems that at times santi and gavin are really playing alongside henry, David, zizou, robbie, etc. But I do have to say... what the hell is Nick Cannon doing here? What? It's fine that they put him in a breakdance or basketball or detective movie. But football? I could not stop laughing when i saw him in the finals. Maybe he's got an important part in the third movie... I hope he does... because he seems extremely out of place in goal II. I don't' know if there is a rule about the finals of the champions being played at home, but even if it's allowed, what a coincidence that the finals for that year was played in the Bernabeu. then there is the whole is - she - my - mother - and - why - did - you - not - tell - me - i -am - so - sad - and - confused issue paired with the i - kissed - another - girl - and - my - gf - is - mad - now - i - need - to - make - it - up - to - her issue... and he still manages to score game winning an game defining goals.Now the plot was too foreseeable. as soon as that jordana girl shows up, it was pretty much spelled out that he was gonna have to apologize to his gf. and then the whole mother thing was also very predictable. it was expected that santi was going to get into trouble because of his mom. and last but not least, we all expected santi to be the best player in madrid. He makes all these improbable goals and who could actually be shocked with madrid coming back from 2-0 and beating the gunners all in a span of 6 minutes?Oh... and why is santi and his mom speaking in Englsih? They start in Spanish.. but end in English? They might as well speak in Spanish since they already introduced Spanish throughout the whole film.