emerus wrote:HermanHiddema wrote:Players are not trained to dive, they are trained to go down easy on light fouls if they have no other options. That's what Robben does, that's what Messi does, that's what any player worth his salt does.
Please don't say there isn't a difference between those plays. Messi wen't down legitimately with no flair and actually had a chance to get a clear shot off. Sure, Robben
may(he wasn't changing direction the same was as Messi) have had cause to go down. But leaping off the ground and contorting in mid-air? Plus he had no chance at getting another touch on the ball. C'mon man...
I love the game tremendously but I prefer listening to it nowadays. I get helpless laughs at plays such as those.
The only difference is that Robben embellished. Messi also moved into the box, also changed direction by cutting to his left, also lost control of the ball already, was also only lightly fouled by a player who lunged in too late, and also went down when he probably could've stayed up with the hope of getting a penalty.
Robben already went down in the first half without embellishing (
this one), and in that instance he was hit so hard that the defender who tackled him broke his own shin bone (
boom). So I can imagine that at some point you're going to try and attract some extra attention when you've been taken down yet again. I don't like theatrics at all, but I like fouls (and diving) even less.
So how about everybody stops diving, and everybody stops fouling players, eh? Then the theatrics will disappear naturally.
