MJDDawg Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I've coached soccer for a long time. I love the game, and follow the major Euro leagues religiously. But even I cringe occasionally at some of the stuff I see. It's hard to justify a player rolling around like he's been shot when we're used to seeing hockey players losing teeth or getting stitched up and yet not miss a shift. Not trying to defend the antics that do occur, but sometimes all isn't what it appears to be. Here's a really good article written recently about the sport I recommend reading. At the end of it there a video which I'll attach here as well that talks about the ingrained nature of diving and why it's done. http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/06/16/in-defence-of-diving-in-soccer-its-more-complicated-than-you-think/ In 2010, Sir Alex Ferguson, the greatest soccer manager of all time, was a guest on Off The Record when Michael Landsberg asked him about the standard of refereeing in the World Cup final that year. Spain had squeezed past the Netherlands in extra time in a match that proved to be a tight, tactical battle. The game was chippy. Maybe the chippiest game I’ve ever watched and I remember thinking that a few players were lucky not to see a red card before the end of regular time. As Ferguson put it: “The players didn’t make it easy on [the referee].” Landsberg thought Ferguson was chastising the players for diving, thanked him and even told him he was glad to finally hear this from someone high up in the game. There was a minute or two of confusion but it became clear that Landsberg and Ferguson had watched two different games. Landsberg had seen a lot of diving and Ferguson had seen a lot of cynical fouling by players desperate not to give an inch to their opponents. This little bit of confusion is typical for soccer fans in North America, because we spend a lot of time watching games with people who are fairly new to the sport. Before I go any further, let me first say: there is diving in soccer. No question. I’m not justifying it, but I’m going to show you how this problem is more complicated and intractable than many people realize. The big problem for new viewers is that sometimes it looks like a dive when it isn’t and sometimes a player has been fouled and going down is his only good option. *** So, you’ve been watching the World Cup and I bet you’ve chuckled at a player rolling around on the grass, grasping his ankle like he’s suffered a gunshot wound. I understand the reaction, but consider what just happened. Have you ever been running at full speed and had someone kick you in the ankle? What about someone who makes millions of dollars because they are really good at kicking things? This is the only protection most soccer players wear. Soccer shin pads are thin little rectangles and a lot of players forgo ankle protection to allow for increased mobility. Ever been walking around the house in bare feet and stubbed your toe? Imagine that pain times ten and you can imagine the average soccer foul. When you stub your toe you hop around and hold on to the painful spot for dear life. Then, in a few seconds, it goes away. The slow motion replays make it all look pretty innocuous but don’t be fooled: these players are running at full speed and getting kicked really hard in the knee, ankle or shin. Players also aren’t allowed to leave the field of play, so an injured player can’t remove himself from the action like a hockey player can. It might look like histrionics, but just remember the stubbed toe pain. *** But what about the real dives? I think there’s an important distinction to make here: sometimes a player is going down when he hasn’t been touched and sometimes a player is going down because he has been fouled and the ref hasn’t called it. I’m much more forgiving of the latter. Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best players in the world, gets fouled about three-and-a-half times per game and those are only the ones that get called. Any defender worth his salt will be sneakily fouling him about triple that amount and getting away with most of them. Ronaldo essentially spends 90 minutes getting kicked. A smart defender will be stepping on his toe any chance he gets. Ever have 200 lbs worth of cleats coming down on your big toe? That defender is breaking the rules every time he fouls Ronaldo. Much of the time he is cynically and deliberately breaking the rules because he knows Ronaldo can beat him easily if he doesn’t. If Ronaldo is getting fouled and the ref can’t see it, one of the only ways to show the referee it’s happening is to go down. There’s a strange double standard here: the defender can break the rules by fouling the attacker and no one raises an eyebrow (and many, many fouls go uncalled over the course of a game) but if the attacker goes to ground too easily it’s a bloodcurdling scandal. Much of this problem stems from the fact that the referee has way too much ground to cover. I’ve seen penalties that looked like a dive from one angle and a blatant foul from the other. Sometimes players are simply trying to avoid leaving themselves vulnerable and are evading a tackle, which can often look like a dive (it’s surprisingly easy to break someone’s leg with a wild tackle in soccer – check Youtube if you don’t believe me). I’ve embedded a video below of former England international Gary Neville explaining how tricky this whole diving situation is. It’s worth watching to the end, where he shows example of players getting booked for diving when video replays clearly show them getting fouled. It’s a good watch and it might convince you. And if you still think soccer players are soft, we can do a test I offer all my Canadian friends: get someone to put on soccer cleats, run towards them at full speed and let them kick you hard in the shin. I’ve had no takers so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazmanian Devil Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Old Brazil: Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Romario, Robinho New Brazil: Fred, Oscar, Jo, Bernard, Hulk What's wrong with Oscar and Bernard? The other 3 have been total garbage though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Just watched replays of the Greece - Ivory Coast and Switzerland - Honduras matches. What I have to question is, how does the Samaras penalty get called, when it looks like the defender barely touched him before he started to roll, yet when the Honduras striker was bodied and went down there was no call? After the penalty in the first game and another one in I forgot which match, these are two more questionable judgment calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Old Brazil: Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Romario, Robinho New Brazil: Fred, Oscar, Jo, Bernard, Hulk (You forgot the wonderful Rivaldo) But isn't that sad? Fred never has been a great striker, Hulk has been poor and occasionally awful (quite frankly). Fred is also 30, and Hulk shouldn't wear the Brazil shirt ever again, unless as a sub or something. the best striker of all time, for my money: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peR6UF3WQlQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kakanucks Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 can't wait for tmr's matches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grape Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 What's wrong with Oscar and Bernard? The other 3 have been total garbage though. Haha nothing. Was just pointing out the difference in the names lol. But yeah that being said I do miss the old Brazil, used to be my favorite team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grape Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 can't wait for tmr's matches Hope Ghana pulls through to the round of 16... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Romo Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Can't wait to wake up USA USA USA!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inthedark Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Old Brazil: Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Romario, Robinho New Brazil: Fred, Oscar, Jo, Bernard, Hulk New brazil Neymar...... Nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apple Juice Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Hope Germany blanks USA at least 2-0 and Portugal scores 4 or more goals on Ghana (highly unlikely) and Portugal advances and USA goes home empty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbox Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 2 more hours... Lets go Germany!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Haha nothing. Was just pointing out the difference in the names lol. But yeah that being said I do miss the old Brazil, used to be my favorite team. I picked up on that. You also omitted my personal favorite: Socrates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuckin_futz Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Luis Suárez suspended for nine matches and banned for four months from any football-related activity The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has reached a decision in the case related to Luis Suárez of Uruguay following an incident that occurred during the FIFA World Cup™ match between Italy and Uruguay played on 24 June 2014. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided that: · The player Luis Suárez is regarded as having breached art. 48 par. 1 lit. d of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) (assault), and art. 57 of the FDC (an act of unsporting behaviour towards another player). · The player Luis Suárez is to be suspended for nine (9) official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup™ fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on 28 June 2014. The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay’s next FIFA World Cup match(es), as long as the team qualifies, and/or in the representative team’s subsequent official matches in accordance with art. 38 par. 2a) of the FDC. · The player Luis Suárez is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four (4) months in accordance with art. 22 of the FDC. · A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suárez in accordance with art. 21 of the FDC as follows: the player Luis Suárez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban (point 3). The player Luis Suárez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension (point 2). · The player Luis Suárez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of CHF 100,000. The decision was notified to the player and the Uruguayan FA today. “Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field. The Disciplinary Committee took into account all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr Suárez’s guilt in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Code. The decision comes into force as soon it is communicated,” said Claudio Sulser, chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2014/m=6/news=luis-suarez-suspended-for-nine-matches-and-banned-for-four-months-from-2386354.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amish Rake Fighter Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I picked up on that. You also omitted my personal favorite: Socrates. Socrates was close to a 3 pack a day smoker (and a doctor), he used to chain smoke during half time just like Al Iafrate did between periods when he played in the NHL. Don't forget Zico and Carlos Alberto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJDDawg Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Wow. The system works. Good job Sep!!!!!!! So not only does Suarez become the butt of jokes worldwide, he's likely cost his team any chance to progress further in this tournament. Barca is still interested in him though and I'd think that the Reds may be tempted to sell him now. Adidas however is now reviewing their million Euro sponsorship deal with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizarre Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I hate that it goes into league play as well. I guess I will have to watch his brilliance in youtube videos until late October. Hope he gets the help he obviously needs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg6J7TvdE3g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amish Rake Fighter Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Wow. The system works. Good job Sep!!!!!!! So not only does Suarez become the butt of jokes worldwide, he's likely cost his team any chance to progress further in this tournament. Barca is still interested in him though and I'd think that the Reds may be tempted to sell him now. Adidas however is now reviewing their million Euro sponsorship deal with him. Suarez is such an asshole, look at all the fans, teams and companies he screwed with his 3rd freakin' biting offence. I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised by the punishment. +1 for FIFA for dropping the hammer. That Italian defender that got chomped really put the pressure on the officials with his post game comments, well played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Wow. The system works. Good job Sep!!!!!!! So not only does Suarez become the butt of jokes worldwide, he's likely cost his team any chance to progress further in this tournament. Barca is still interested in him though and I'd think that the Reds may be tempted to sell him now. Adidas however is now reviewing their million Euro sponsorship deal with him. The good news is, even if Adidas drops him, there's potential for an endorsement deal with Olive Garden... ..."When you have a craving for a bite of Italian!"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJDDawg Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I hate that it goes into league play as well. I guess I will have to watch his brilliance in youtube videos until late October. Hope he gets the help he obviously needs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg6J7TvdE3g Well, since it looks like the Reds may be selling him off to Barca, you were likely not going to be seeing him anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizarre Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Well, since it looks like the Reds may be selling him off to Barca, you were likely not going to be seeing him anyways. It was a possibility they were/still will but nothing was done yet. Even if they do I don't only watch my club, he's fantastic to watch in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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