Brazil 2014 has been a terrific World Cup. There have been exciting matches, great crowd participation and minimal referring blunders.
One thing that has irked me severely is the disturbing amount of diving and general carry on that occurs whenever a player is so much as nudged.
Argentina versus Netherlands did it for me. It wasn’t Arjen Robben’s ridiculous flop after having his arm tugged, more the four minute stoppage from Javier Mascherano after having his head bumped with less force then I could flick my finger.
Seriously they brought out the stretcher? A few years ago FIFA as a governing body, and particularly the English Premier League, had a severe crack down on diving. There were yellow cards, fines and attacks on divers from players, fans and the media alike. This tapered off eventually and now here we are again, watching footballers try their best at Olympic diving and synchronised swimming.
I am yet to see a card pulled out this World Cup for diving players. Yes fines exist for blatant dives, but do any of these players even care when most of them are earning several million dollars a season?
There should be a diving review committee to completely eradicate it. Thiago Silva missed Brazil’s semi-final and their defence resembled a turnstile on the way to Germany’s 7-1 massacre. If players knew they would risk being slapped with a yellow card for an instance of overly dramatic and quite simply unsportsman like conduct, or repeated occurrences of diving then I can guarantee you we would see less floundering and more football.
It would also give the world game greater credence with casual football fans, who are often put off by the dramatic actions of the game’s stars. It adds nothing to the spectacle and is one of the key reasons I enjoy watching the A-League – good, hard football with minimum fuss.
James Preston
Roar Guru
You sir, win the internet today haha
James Preston
Roar Guru
@brian I was referring to Robben's unnecessary flop to the ground from having his arm tugged against Argentina, it was a foul and a free kick sufficient but as I'm sure you can agree Robben has unfortunately tarred himself with the brush of a diver as he is often eccentric, will flop to ground and frequently feign injury or clutch and say an ankle etc for the sheer drama of the spectacle. Whilst I agree otherwise I have used Robben as an example as he has (rightly) been widely criticised for doing these things
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Maybe just maybe FIFA should threaten 'reculcerant ' players with Radio-active Yellow Cards - will put them off the idea of fouling for percentage if their survival rate for bowel cancer goes down to 10% won't it ? ;-)
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
Agreed, Brian. The other factor is that even a world class team like the Netherlands, with great attackers, may only get one or two opportunities to score if the defence is well-organised. A tug of the shirt, an arm across the face, a hand on the shoulder, two arms around the chest, or a kick in the shins will all put the striker off. In the case of Robben, or Van Persie, opposition players will impede them 10-20 times per match (rough guess, I haven't counted), but they don't get free kicks for all of them. In the match against Brazil, Robben was knocked over from behind late in the game, and could have easily been given a penalty -- but the ref decided he's already had one in the match, so wasn't getting another.
dasilva
Roar Guru
While you are not so concern about itme wastage if you get rid of time wastage as a motivation (which introducing a stop clock will do) you'll reduce the amount of injury feigns there is due to less incentives to injury feign Now this wouldn't remove injury feigns There are 3 incentives for it 1) Time wastage 2) Stop momentum of the opposition and slowing the tempo down 3) Trying to win a foul or opposition member carded or sent off This will only address one out of the three incentives. Still that is an improvement to what we currently have and if there is a stop clock I believe it would reduce the injury feigns dramatically.
James Preston
Roar Guru
Correct. I have enjoyed the world cup by and large but this game just really did it for me. Its also exceptionally interesting to note that when a team is trailing with minimal time remaining in the game all of the sudden contact which is twice as hard as that which would usually dictate a 'dramatic reaction' does not even remotely phase the affected player...they simply get up move on and try to win the ball back etc
James Preston
Roar Guru
@dasilva Agreed, diving to get a foul I can't stand but even more so when they clutch an ankle etc or there head as if it was a fatal blow then within 1 minute they are up running again. Drives me crazy! I'm not so concerned about time wastage as I am just general stoppage/carry on affecting the aesthetics of the game.
James Preston
Roar Guru
Pereira's one I agree with 100 per cent. My issue with Mascherano is similar to the boy who cried wolf tale, he has been flopping about all world cup and including in that match, I still maintain from what is offered to me as a spectator of that match that the collision appeared incredibly minimal and I do not believe (from witnessing the incident) he was concussed nor did medical officials at the time, this is why they assessed him as fit to play. Personally for this incident in isolation I would like to see an official medical report for me to believe he actually was concussed, my view is he is an exceptionally eccentric and dramatic player and this was part of it, however again I reiterate my main gripe in this match was Enzo Perez who I honestly think should be barred from the final, his diving was rampant in that match including rolling around on the ground every time he was contacted and clutching at whatever part of the body would make him appear to have sustained some intense injury. I can't stand it, and it is not allegedly achieving I have played the sport and done very well at it and in this country such things do not exist and in the very rare cases in which we have experienced it whether in a match I played or observing no one respects or accepts it, personally I like this stance. Mascherano incident aside the overall point of the article is despite previous failed attempts I think it is something that needs to be looked at as I know MANY MANY people who simply are turned off from watching due to the simulation, players won't care about the financial aspect of penalties so yellow cards and not necessarily suspensions outright are a good way of helping to eradicate it, if you accumulate too many yellow cards from simulating obviously you will be stamped out - offering the yellow card initiative as opposed to an outright ban also means these can be distributed more freely and with less scrutiny from media outlets etc which would empower the governing bodies. If players cannot argue a case they will quite simply do their best to not put themselves in that position.
Brian Orange
Roar Guru
James, countless replays have shown that Marquez's foot actually made contact with Robben and impeded his progress, so there is no yellow card. The referee made a correct decision by awarding a penalty because the contact was within the penalty area. The problem isn't that "soccer players dive a lot". The problem is that casual football watchers don't understand the rules of football. From what they are used to watching rugby or Melbourne Rules they think the contact is minimal and don't understand the level of contact required to unbalance a football player in full flight, particularly when he is about to shoot at goal or make a cross.
dasilva
Roar Guru
Here is Graham poll actually recommending reducing the match to 30 minutes per half but stopping the clock so to maintain the normal time of the game (keeping the game to 45 minute per half will extend the match longer than it's normally is). Although I suspect this suggestion is more radical. However I do like the idea of stopping the clock to prevent time wasting. It won't erase all injury feigns as there are people trying to send opposition players off or trying to slow the tempo and stop the momentum of the opposing sides. However it will reduce time wasting considerably even if it doesn't remove it because there is no time to waste "I believe the reduction to a 60 minute match is because on average there is only about 60 minute of actual playing time in a 90 minute match. The other half an hour is usually used up via natural stoppages in the game. There is a way to eradicate any threat of timewasting of course. The solution is to have an independent timekeeper. Players are always bothering referees about the clock and additional time, but that would be taken away with someone sat up in the stands. Having 30 minutes each half with the clock stopped when the ball is out of play is the way forward, but that's far too sensible to ever be implemented." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2615112/GRAHAM-POLL-Only-way-stop-timewasters-like-Chelsea-independent-timekeeper-stands-play-30mins-half.html#ixzz37Kwyqdwe
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@James Preston If you can't tell that Mascherano was concussed from the footage of the collision - and post collision - then I don't care what you allege to have achieved as a football player. You are totally clueless about head collisions in football. The article I posted was reporting that FIFAPro (the organisation that represents pro footballers) was shocked that Mascherano was allowed to continue playing. There was 1 other incident at this tournament when Alvaro Pereira (Uruguay) had a head collision & video footage shows him twitching prior to losing consciousness. But, he was allowed to play on. No doubt he, too, was "bumped with less force then you could flick your finger"? Maybe you should get your fingers off your appendage? PS: I hope you aren't considering a career in sports medicine.
dasilva
Roar Guru
I'm more concern about injury feigns then diving (consideirng that you mention bringing out the stretcher, I have a feeling you are concern a bout that as well) Here is Graham Poll suggestion of fixing it and it seems like common sense to me. The idea of an indepedent time-keeper who simply stops the clock seems sensible to me. "I would like to see an amendment to the law relating to time-keeping, whereby an independent time keeper actually records the amount of time the ball is in play. Then once that time reaches 45 minutes the referee is informed and the half ends at the next natural stoppage." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1214932/GRAHAM-POLL-Its-time-stop-clock-watching-pressure-refs-Old-Trafford.html#ixzz37Ks6uDAW
AZ_RBB
Guest
"I myself have never taken a dive during my time playing sport and find it a disgusting part of professional football, a sport which in my opinion is the only professional sport that has a very serious problem with simulation. So I dare say I am at liberty to comment on something which greatly detracts from the appeal of an otherwise wonderful event or again is that ignorant?" I would be curious to know if the FFA has looked into this or not and tried to work out how much people are turned off the sport purely by the simulation and if they would all take a greater interest if it was eliminated from the game. Living in rugby league heartland I know a lot of people who ridicule football for the diving element but I don't think any of them will suddenly like the sport if there was no more diving. Like Fuss mentioned above and like I have every time this debate comes up. The FFA tried retroactively punishing divers through post-match analysis. It failed miserably because it was impossible to conclusively determine if it was a dive or not. Also from what you're saying, it seems as though your gripe is with international players rather than A-League players. But most of those divers play in countries where diving has had zero impact on the success or popularity of the sport. So is it really a "very serious problem"?
James Preston
Roar Guru
Thank you for following up with yet another IGNORANT comment to make this easier for myself. 2 key facts arise here that completely put you in line from your ridiculous opinion. You have offered an article concerning his head knock and then go on to state that if he is exhibiting these signs he must be withdrawn immediately. He was not withdrawn. I suggest you watch the reply in which he goes to ground has a roll about then stands then another period of time elapses THEN begins to wobble about. I have been concussed several times and I can tell you now you feel the effects immediately none of this delayed garbage which is why I labelled this incident as dramatic gamesman ship. Medical staff came to the field assessed him then abruptly left thus indicating whatever "level of concussion" he was experiencing was not even enough to remove him from the field. Further on the point directly relating to my article, as Im sure being a GURU contributor you would be aware that articles go through editing. This article at the time of submission made prominent reference to Enzo Perez flopping, diving and rolling all over the place on FOUR separate occasions in the match, THIS was my main gripe but I still stand by my comments of Mascherano receiving ridiculously minimal contact. Lastly considering you enjoy labelling people IGNORANT perhaps do some research then. A mere click of my Roar profile would uncover that I have played football at a competitive adult level, I have in fact represented NSW Futsal, been involved with the Blacktown City Demons and played districts Premier League through my 15 years of football before repeated knee injuries forced me to retire. I suffered multiple concussions during my time playing and returned to the field ON EVERY occasion, rightly or wrongly. I myself have never taken a dive during my time playing sport and find it a disgusting part of professional football, a sport which in my opinion is the only professional sport that has a very serious problem with simulation. So I dare say I am at liberty to comment on something which greatly detracts from the appeal of an otherwise wonderful event or again is that ignorant?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
James Preston was upset about the "more the four minute stoppage" because his expert couch opinion was "Javier Mascherano (had) his head bumped with less force then I could flick my finger." Today it was reported Mascherano "displayed every visible sign of concussion, according to FIFA’s own guidelines, which demand an immediate withdrawal of any player suspected of being concussed." Full story: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/the-times-sport/fifa-is-ignoring-a-time-bomb/story-fniiw3ie-1226986179567 ---------- Whenever I hear people talk about sokka players "always diving", "too soft", etc.. I realise the person making the comment: a) is ignorant; and b) has never played competitive football at adult level.
Ben
Guest
?? Faking attacks on his face time and time again?? Perhaps you can find or put together a YouTube compilation.
Kevin
Guest
No, the ref was forced to give that , by line of sight and deduction of circumstance More so his rolling around faking attacks on his face time and time and time and time again
Ben
Guest
Surely you are not referring to the Perth final. BB is a goal scoring machine. He loves to smash goals, he lives for it. He isn't a fleet footed dancer like Robben or Broich - he is a T2000 with an incredible ability to know where the goals are and to shoot off both feet. Desperate defenders foul him to stop him but he rarely milks it....and he certainly doesn't play for it. Melbourne are lucky to have him....may he lead them to a respectable 3rd.
AZ_RBB
Guest
The fine was $5,000. I wouldn't be surprised if he walked down to the shops and spent double that amount in a few minutes. Not a punishment. Suspend him for a couple of weeks and I'll call that proper action. But do you want to be leaving out your biggest stars because they fell over? Not a good business move imo. With the amount at stake nowadays in professional sport, I don't blame players and coaches doing whatever they can to get ahead. Simulation is a bookable offence and that's enough for me. Players who do dive develop a dangerous reputation and get caught crying wolf. Also just on the Thiago Silva thing. His absence is probably the most over-hyped story I've seen in a long time. They replaced him with one of the best CBs in the world, in Bayern's Dante! If anything, having him there should've been an advantage. Dante saw only 7 goals scored against him in the first 11 games of last season. If the likes Luiz and Marcelo need someone to remind them to keep basic defensive structure, they shouldn't be in that team.
Kevin
Guest
AZ Your right about gamesmanship, but my gripe is that it's the perception of doing something about it.. Dwane wade was fined by match review after one of the finals matches for a flop, NBA positive move, I would love the FFA to be pro active about it, I think we need them to be