Gamespot really missed the mark on this one, and surprisingly this is vastly superior than the new one for wii
The actual soccer is fun and fast paced. The pitch is considerably smaller than an actual soccer field, and the game benifits by actually encouraging aggressive tackles which is really fun. There's plenty of difficulty levels, trophies, and the soccer itself is actually pretty deep for a mario sports game.
Multiplayer is superb. I've spent countless hours with my buddies playing this game. Do yourself a favor and buy this instead of the one for wii.