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“Trying to win a penalty is the new Route 1” wrote FourFourTwo’s online editor Kevin Airs on Twitter, and the always humourous Airs was right on the money. When two matches out of five are defined by dodgy spot-kicks, the anti-football elements among the mainstream media score a free-kick to boot.
The dive from Central Coast Mariners midfielder Patricio Perez looked to be the flop of the weekend until Perth Glory striker Michael Baird pulled off an outrageous piece of simulation to rob Melbourne Heart of their maiden A-League victory.
In the opening instance Matthew Breeze was officiating in his 100th A-League match, while rookie referee Kurt Ams was taking charge of just his first, and the fact that both men in black missed the acts of simulation is testament to just how hard it is to spot the fakers.
However, the Fox Sports cameras certainly spotted them, and if Football Federation Australia wanted to send a strong message that diving will not be tolerated, they’d throw the book at both Perez and Baird for acts of con artistry which changed the complexion of two matches.
That’s unlikely to happen though, which is a shame because it’s impossible not to talk about diving in the wider context of the Australian sporting landscape.
Forget about the capped crowd of 3,624 fans who turned out to watch the farcical Gold Coast United in action, how about the fact only 10,000-odd fans turned out to watch a local derby between defending champions Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners?
It’s all well and good to say the A-League doesn’t need to appeal to the wider sports community given the number of football fans in this country, but we’re struggling to attract even those fans through the gate.
And when potential new supporters are turned off by an element of the game they find particularly unpalatable – and there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence around to suggest that’s the case – then it’s incumbent upon the game itself to stamp that element out.
It’s such a shame so much focus from another pulsating round of action will be fixed squarely on the issue of diving, because there’s no doubt the standard of football we’re currently seeing in the A-League is the highest yet.
Argentine import Marcos Flores registered an early contender for goal of the season for Adelaide United, while Kosta Barbarouses, David Williams and Robbie Kruse all scored goals of real quality to thrill fans inside the grounds and watching on TV.
But the feel-good factor disappears seeing Michael Baird flop to the ground like a fish out of water, so it’s no wonder Kevin Airs likens it to the eyesore that is Route 1 football.
“Players are playing for (penalties) instead of trying to score” writes Airs, and video footage of Baird’s outrageous dive confirms that’s precisely what he’s done.
His act of cheating not only cost Melbourne Heart two points, it likewise provided ammunition to every Peter Fitzsimons and Rebecca Wilson out there just itching to stick the boot into a league they can otherwise barely bring themselves to acknowledge.
I’ve seen plenty of diving in other codes as well, but that’s not to say we should turn a blind eye to acts of simulation taking place in our own backyard.
Patricio Perez and Michael Baird might be new signings for their respective clubs, but they’ve done little to thrust the A-League into the spotlight for the right reasons.
They say winning isn’t everything, but a draw isn’t particularly enjoyable either when it’s achieved by means of play acting, and no doubt there were some folks who walked away from the latest round of action questioning their commitment to the A-League.