Hollands effectiveness would be halved by making sure the ref is aware very early of Robben's diving.
I think they know by now, and there were times in that game when another player would have got something. Diving might win you penalties at first, but I would think you lose a lot of the initial advantage through creating doubt in the ref's mind - you're surely much less likely to get the borderline decisions in your favour once your reputation is widespread.
I am gutted that Holland won. When I was a kid I loved them; they played beautiful football and could do things that no-one else could. It seemed that they could do everything. Everything that is except win. Then, after a while of being the nearly-men, that seemed to change. They became cynical, hardened and dirty. For me they are summed up by Arjen Robben, a dirty little cheat who has the ability to go down in history as a great footballer, but for me will always be thought of as a snidey, temperamental diver who would sell his granny for a sniff of a medal. He is to Dutch football what John Terry was to the English game - in fact, from that point of view I can't believe that he's not still at Chelsea.
Then you have Robin van Persie, a man with more skill than he has a right to, but who still wants to sully it all by stripping defenders' shirts off of them. Sadly, in the world of modern football, it seems that no-one is innocent anymore. But Holland are more guilty that most. I hope they are well and truly stuffed in the next round, no matter who they play.
I hope they go all the way.
Costa Rica or Greece in next round. An evening game too so conditions may be more suitable. Can't see them slipping up against either of these 2.
Hollands effectiveness would be halved by making sure the ref is aware very early of Robben's diving.
Or just snap the cheating runts leg. Martin O'neill in the studio afterwards said it is part of the game but he is one of the worst for simulation and gets away with it. But have to say it was a penalty as Marquez gave the ref the decision to give an easy pen. Robben just loves to make sure by flinging his legs and arms everywhere. 2 or 3 times the ref could have booked him and chose not to.
Just needs the ref to book him the first time it happens - whether its a foul or not - that way, he doesnt do it again. In actual fact, why not book him before the game starts - get it over and done with.
It's just too hot for the players. It's down to walking pace already. You can't play proper football in that heat. At least in Qatar all the facilities will be fully air conditioned.
It's just too hot for the players. It's down to walking pace already. You can't play proper football in that heat. At least in Qatar all the facilities will be fully air conditioned.
You were being ironic, right?
Either that, or Pete thinks Uncle Sepp is being a huge Punka Wallah
get in there mexico!!! 1-0...hola! i live in mexico, well stolen mexico, ie. el-lay, me n the luv are the only pink faces on the street:>) hope they prevail to the end of the match...
I thought you live in LA. Hmmm.
well california is stolen land, and now gradually being retaken by our compadres from the south, so yes, i live el-lay, but where i reside is all mexican.
Robben is a great player - but it hurts me to see his diving antics! If football wanted to sort this nonsense out it could by using video evidence and handing out 2 game bans for cheating! But it doesn't want to - we have to accept that we have lost a bit of the game to the cheats and our only choice is to adopt these terrible tactics ourselves. What a sad state of affairs.
As another poster said in another thread- for a lot of these countries, cheating is not shameful - losing is!
Its sad but I have actually come to accept the diving as part of the game now, we are just not as good at it as the others.
We had a real expert diver in Michael Owen - he won us some critical pens - but not so many in the current bunch.
I wish we could all play the game in the right spirit and not cheat like this but the truth is you are playing with one hand tied behind your back if you do that.
Robben has been doing this for years and has won everything in the game domestically and played in a World Cup Final.
Comments
Hollands effectiveness would be halved by making sure the ref is aware very early of Robben's diving.
I think they know by now, and there were times in that game when another player would have got something. Diving might win you penalties at first, but I would think you lose a lot of the initial advantage through creating doubt in the ref's mind - you're surely much less likely to get the borderline decisions in your favour once your reputation is widespread.
In actual fact, why not book him before the game starts - get it over and done with.
cmon Holland.
As another poster said in another thread- for a lot of these countries, cheating is not shameful - losing is!
We had a real expert diver in Michael Owen - he won us some critical pens - but not so many in the current bunch.
I wish we could all play the game in the right spirit and not cheat like this but the truth is you are playing with one hand tied behind your back if you do that.
Robben has been doing this for years and has won everything in the game domestically and played in a World Cup Final.