They lift the silver trophy. They have a parade. They are referred to as "Champions of England" for at least a year. Heady stuff.
For fans who are gamers, the biggest benefit might well be lionization of the team in pixels by the video game makers.
If you love the Sky Blues, though, it is a lasting tribute to a team that broke a 44-year whammy at the expense of Manchester United.
The default side is Joe Hart, Gael Clichy, Joleon Lescott, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Samir Nasri, Jack Rodwell, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero.
Reading the names without context, that is a fearsome side. But context is everything, and of course video games never strictly replicate the real thing.
Clichy never badly misplays a ball in his own end that leads to the Robin van Persie free kick that loses the derby at the Etihad. (H/T ESPN.com.)
Nasri does not compound Clichy's derby error by shrinking in the wall as van Persie's winner zips by, then fall completely out of favor with Roberto Mancini. (Both links per The Daily Mail.)
Rodwell was not on the team last season and thus his inclusion in the XI is the only inconsistency. If you want to, the video game version would let you switch Gareth Barry in. Given all of Rodwell's injury problems, per The Sun, you might want to do that anyway.
And Aguero does not spend the season alternately recovering from leg injuries and courting a transfer (H/T NESN.com).
Incidentally, Zabaleta is omitted from this analysis because he has actually been much better this season than he was last season.
Which is why FIFA Soccer 14 is probably going to feature Robin van Persie in his Manchester United kit on its cover.
Link: [Live -] Online - TV] Al Sadd - Lekhwia - Qatar Stars League
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