On Friday, the eyes of the football world will turn to Australia, as the best nations in Asia begin to battle it out for the Asian Cup.
Australians, too, will be on edge, but there’ll be one group of spectators who’ll simply barrack, not yet sold as a fan.
I like soccer, okay, we’ll call it football. I’ve seen Liverpool play at Anfield, cheered Boca Juniors at La Bombonera and heard the roar of the Maracana. But there’s something that stops me from loving it, for now.
For those who’ve grown up seeing the one-on-one battles of Australian rules football, the brutal hit-ups of rugby league or the ferocious clean-outs in rugby union, you’ve seen players continually push the pain barrier to stay on the field.
Now, by no means am I suggesting that footballers don’t do this, but the image of players milking free kicks and being stretchered off, only to walk back onto the field after they cross the sideline, is a trait unacceptable to the hardened footy fan.
Fortunately, most Australian professionals are brought up knowing that’s as good as cheating. What’s unfortunate is that some of the best in the world haven’t.
It’s not a new issue, and one which FIFA president Sepp Blatter has spoken big on for years. But it still happens, and while that’s the case, there’s a sector of the Aussie sports community who can’t join the party.
Send-offs and suspensions must be the solution. Yellow cards are by no means a fair punishment when the offender can actually manipulate the outcome of a game. The time for talking is over, and the era of action is here.
I’ll be watching the Socceroos on Friday, as I did during the World Cup, and I’ll be barracking hard. But for now it’s over to you FIFA, which is an entirely different conversation in itself.
Ian
Guest
Disclaimer - I watched league for years and know the ins and outs of how they can cheat. I have wondered to myself many times in the last few years if league union afl players were tackled tripped etc at full pace, or half pace even, the players would be up in arms and the crowds baying for blood and the ref to send a player off. As Fussball mentioned above with AFL cheating or penalty getting tactics in some sports is just different and deemed ok. Players having their legs taken out from under them is common in football and causes a lot of injuries. Football just doesn't have the 'shirt fronting'. But as 'diving' occurs in football it is somehow deemed a massive blight which stops some people from enjoying it compared to blights in other sports - on and off the field which football doesn't have in this country.
ciudadmarron
Guest
I have a great idea. Seeing as aussie rules and rugby code players are so tough and hardened, i think it's about time we changed the rules. I think it should be legal to tackle players with your feet. Just slide in there and knock them over when they are running full pelt.
Justin Mahon
Guest
This author should be booked for simulation. I am sure I have read this article about 1000 times before. World game doing OK despite the claims of doom.
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
Simulation is a hard one to penalise. Replays show that a vicious tackle can look like a simulated dive -- and of course, vice-versa. Let's start with a very easy one to police for the referees and linesmen: hand contact on the opponent. Any shirt-pulling = yellow card ; any tugging at the arms or body of the opponent = yellow card ; any arms around the opponent's waist, shoulders, head, legs in a union-type tackle = yellow card. Incidentally, if you have watched rugby union, you would have George Gregan refusing to put the ball into the scrum when ordered to by the referee ; you would have seen seen league players kicking their legs when tackled to indicate they are being pinned down ; you would have seen lineout throwers throw the ball to their own team ; you would have seen league players who do not ground the ball when playing it ; you would have seen scrum halves throw the ball into their own side of the scrum ; and you certainly would have seen the ball thrown forward dozens of times in every game of union or league.
Jaime
Guest
This has been in football for decades. It is part of it. Some can be clearly cheating, some are genuine, and some are just tactical. Very hard for refs to work it out. Maybe a 2-3 minutes time off should be tried. Still I am not sure this will work. I think is not FIFA fault it is players fault, many times encouraged by coaches. It is football culture that's all. Millions around the world will keep watching...none of them will ever watch Aussie footy or rugby. Viva el futbol!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Never watched Rugby. Never watched Rugby League. Watched a lot of AFL. There is more simulation in AFL than in any football match. At every contest: a) the player in front will throw himself forward to simulate being "pushed in the back"; or b) the player in front will duck his head to simulate "illegal high contact" c) the player in front will throw himself backwards to simulate "illegal holding from his opponent". etc. etc. I don't watch cricket, but from what I read, Aussie cricketers are the biggest cheats in sport. They will try to con the umpire even when they know they are out. They will try to con the umpire into giving an opponent out when they know it's not out. So, please spare me the nonsense about simulation in SOCKAH!. If you don't like the Game, don't watch.
Geoff Smith
Roar Rookie
Spot on lads. All starts with FIFA and they don't look like they're going to change anytime soon. Really holding the game back in Australia.
Pete
Guest
The biggest problem for football "soccer" is FIFA and sadly no one is willing or game to try to clean this sad excuse for football administration up.
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
It is a blight on the game. I have heard that in some cultures it is not thought of as unmanly or cheating. It is considered a mark of honour to get one over on authority or to con your opponent. Just clamp down on it with harsher penalties for a few years. Straight red card, 5 game ban, for example.