@JMCDS45 specials are part of the game. Have you seen Dry Bones's? It's basically the same thing.
GOOD (So Far)
-Fast paced
-Action Packed
-Entertains both soccer and non-soccer fans
-Great for the whole family
-Great combo opportunities with well-timed hits
BAD (So Far)
-Some moves are cheap but that's part of the game (i.e. Dry Bones's Special followed up with a second hit)
-sometimes trying to switch to a certain character can be a pain
-some characters are a little unbalanced (i.e. Mole)
I have yet to touch the multiplayer so I cannot include a valid opinion on it.