energyman76b wrote:]
If you get hit by a soccer boot, at the speed this guys run&kick, it really, really hurts.
It is sometimes acting, but most of the times genuine pain.
Luckily, as long as nothing is damaged, this pain will go away fast - and with some ice spray even faster, but at first, it hurts like hell...
Rationalize it all you want and try to pretend it's real, but it isn't. I remember a decade or so ago it was very common to see players tumbling several times after falling, until that was cracked down on. Now they tend to flare back and fall straight down. Wow, amazing how they fall completely differently now. It was fake then, and it is now, though they've removed one of the overly dramatic elements of it.
Seriously, watch a US game, or any of the Danish games from WC '98. Are they that much sturdier than everyone else? Bah.
If "simulation" is not such a problem, why is there
article after
article after
article about it?
Whether you believe the pathetic show put on by so many players or not, it does have an affect on how the sport is perceived here in the old USA.
In the wake of our miserable exit this year, there are many failings listed. Lack of true stars, most of our kids playing some other higher profile/paying sport (in the US that is), lack of players in the European leagues, and others. Another that is commonly mentioned is that we are
not good enough at diving. There are writers here who feel our chances are hurt by not acting enough. Unfortunately, changing that is only likely to get the team laughed at.
As long as the rest of the world tolarates and glorifies and justifies such behaviour, you can express no surprise that the sport has no popularity here. Seriously, I am a longtime player and a big fan of soccer (we didn't make that word up so please no pissing about terminology), but the constant lameness of the acting really makes it hard sometimes, and it doesn't help to have someone jump to the defence if the world's sport and tell me it's real. Don't insult me for saying it like it is.
Now, I'm not saying people never get hurt. Just that they play it up a little, and sometimes a lot. And when those times result in the game's only goal.. well, frustrating.
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On a related note, I think it's safe to say Vlade Divac was widely mocked for constant flopping against Shaquille O'Neal. We hate it, and it is a big reason we for the most part find soccer lame. When a significant amount of the very rare goals comes from it, it's unwatchable. At least when Vlade did it it didn't usually alter the course of the game beyond repair.
