Upon seeing the events that transpired mid-week between Suwon Bluewings and Al Sadd in the Asian Champions League, I had to ask myself, is sportsmanship dead?
For those of you who haven’t seen the incident, basically, Al Sadd was leading 1-0 in the 79th minute, when a Suwon player was accidently kicked in the face by the opposition.
A Suwon player put the ball out of play, so his fallen comrade could receive treatment, as he was in considerable pain and bleeding from the injury.
Now instead of giving the ball back to Suwon, as is the custom, Al Sadd caught everyone unawares and sent Mamadou Niang through on goal and he duly rounded the keeper to go 2-0 in front.
This sparked a violent repercussion from Suwon and both benches were cleared, a supporter got in on the action and finally two red cards were shown.
Despite being the Asian Champions League semi-final with the stakes being high, this is still an inexcusable act.
I began to wonder if sportsmanship, in football anyway, was dead.
I began to remember Rivaldo at the 2002 World Cup, Maradonna at the 1986 World Cup, Thierry Henry versus Ireland and Klinnsman at Italia ’90; all great examples of filth, but the lines can blur a little.
Was Luis Suarez cheating when he ‘saved’ a certain goal against Ghana for which he got a red card before Asamoah Gyan failed to convert from the spot.
If something comparable happened in the A-League how would fans react?
Let’s say Harry Kewell scores a handball goal to win the Grand Final against Adelaide United.
I highly doubt Melbourne Victory fans will think he’s a cheat or unsportsmanlike; he would more than likely be lauded as a hero.
Moreover, it seems that unsportsmanlike or cheating acts are only deplorable when another team is the one who is guilty.
I, for one, would love to see an A-League player this season emulate what Robbie Fowler did in 1996 against Arsenal, how refreshing would it be to see a player take a real stand and revive sportsmanship in the ‘win-at-all-costs’ era in which we are now in.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
A win for Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham against Manchester City this week could hand the Premier League title to Spurs' arch rivals Arsenal. So be…
There were many disgusted by the overall spectacle at AAMI Park on Sunday afternoon when the Phoenix and Victory played out a cagey 0-0…
Leandro Trossard scored the only goal after 20 minutes, to keep the pressure on Manchester City.
It's going down to the wire. Arsenal have earned a critical 1-0 win at Manchester United, a victory that ensures the Premier League title…
Two more wins. That's all that separates Manchester City from becoming English champions for an unprecedented fourth straight year. The game is up, though,…
The Sky Blues took the lead at home but couldn't hold on as the Mariners came back to claim a 2-1 win in the first leg of the semifinal.
