World Cup Sportsmanship. An Oxymoron?
Just a quick blurb and a question… Does anyone else who watched the World Cup find it offensive that a primary strategy of the game (especially at the World Cup level) is to fake being hurt to get a foul on another player? I would say that at least 50% of the time that a player touches another player during the game at least one of the players is going to writhe on the ground in fake pain until he either gets a call from the ref, or realizes that he will not get a call then gets up, limps for 20 seconds, and goes back to being normal… This does not even take into account the ones who just dive without being touched, or fake a trip, etc… I really like it when two players bump into each other, then both lay on the ground in apparent agony, each trying to out suffer the other to win the prized penalty against the other team…
How can people claim there is sportsmanship in a game that is so thoroughly saturated with players who pass no attempt to blatantly lie and try to manipulate the officials in order to win the game?
Just wanted to get that off my chest.
July 12th, 2006
I hear ya. It is completely uncalled for. However; in some of the cases I think that they are doing it to get a breather in. Since there is no stoppage time it is one of the only ways to pause the play. I think in the final game the ref called less and less fouls as the game went on as he new players were feigning inury. Of course there was the horrible call that gave france the pk early in the match though.I am just curios what the hell they are putting on the ankles, knees and shoulders that make them recover so quickly!
July 12th, 2006
I am interested to see what new rules they come out with. They mentioned this alot this year and want to try to fix it but we will see…