How about honest soccer for a change?

[Whitey]

I hate playing some of these so called "high power" teams with a lot of players that play select soccer and have learned to do anything to win. We played a team the other day and they got a penalty kick on a ridiculous flop in the box. We had an inexperienced ref who did not have enough understanding and experience with the game to recognize the flop. On top of that, they were doing every little dirty trick to get an unfair advantage. Such as grabbing players shorts and jerseys, holding players down on the ground to keeping them from getting up, obstructing on through balls to keep our forwards from running on to them, kicking the balls away when they were called for a foul to keep us from ever getting a quick restart, etc., etc.

 

If we would have had a more experienced ref, he would have been able to know that these guys were cheating their collective rear ends off and warned or cautioned them for their continued inappropriate actions. They were too coordinated and automatic and it was not just one or two players because their whole team was doing it. My opinion is that this type of soccer is dirty.

 

We got a PK when one of our forwards beat their keeper and their keeper to prevent the goal tackled our player from behind with his hands like he was playing football. The ref did not warn or card the keeper.

 

It is just a shame that some teams are so hung up on winning anyway they can even if it means cheating. In my opinion, players that take flops or do the things I descirbed above are a bad influence on the gamel

Edited March 10, 2005 by Whitey

[popefan 21]

that is not cheating what do u think the pros do..

[Jhones]

i don't think you should judge a team because they have a foreign coach. your statement about that is very racist. also, that's not really cheating...you see that all the time in games...its just part of the game. sure, its cheap but not cheating. its part of the game that you have to deal with.

[Whitey]

No, it is not part of the game. It is cheating. That is why experienced refs card and send off those players who cheat like that. It should be corrected and not condoned.

[popefan 21]

well thats how we lost last year to usn in the regionals a kid took a flop in the box and the ref awarded a pk. we lost 2-1 and usn ended up goin to the state finals...it is part of the game u just have to deal with it

[BigG]

I also agree with Jhones... leave the foreign thing alone. I have known some awesome foreign coaches at the same time that I have known some awful "non foreign" coaches.

 

That stinks that you had a bad experience with another team. Hopefully you will have a better ref next time.

[Readthefield]

I believe that there is a fine line between cheating and using the rule book to your advantage. Using one's hands to grab and slow a player is a foul by the rule book but often I think refs don't call games too closely or they are accused of stopping the game too often. I think that the refs should be well versed on their job, be not affraid to call a game close and well and that the players, fans should let him make the calls and accept them. Players that blatently disregard the rules should be carded and or removed from the game.

 

In response to popefan: The team that I follow has been eliminated from the regional and state tournament for the past two years in a controversial manner and so I can understand where you are coming from.

[ostornadoe]

I believe that it is the job of the referees to stop cheating, fouling, etc. I have been a ref for a few years, and I know that that is one of my jobs. As a player, I will pull a jersey, or obstruct a player if I think it will help my team win. If the referee is not going to call it, then it is fair. Are you telling me that you have never gotten in the way of a free kick and made the player about to take the kick ask the ref for 10 yds? According to you that is cheating and nobody should do it. Watch an English Premiere League, or any other professionl game and you will see tons of cheating. It is part of the game.

[feverfan]

Whitey... I attended the game that you have referenced and know of some of the actions you have explained...

1) Yes the goal keeper did take down the man in the box from behind and should have been red carded... He was not coached to do that... He is not a select player... he is in fact a recreation player that has been drafted to play goalie. He panicked as he got beat and reacted. I assure you there was no malice intended.

2) I believe the card count showed your team having a few more cards than the other team. All in all I thought it was a very good game and was not a dirty game.

the only thing that maybe was malicious was a takedown from behind by one of your players that was carded.

3) The foreign coach you are talking about is in fact the Assistant Principal for Student Affairs at the school and a Sophmore History teacher... He is a class guy who played professional soccer in Germany for several years... Was in the Royal Air Force and played Soccer For the RAF for nine years. He has been a educator in the U.S. since 1984 and has coached club, high school, and rec for a number of years. He does not teach players to pull shorts or jersey's.

4) Yes .. There is a player who pulls shorts and jerseys...I do not know why he feels it neccessary to do this. He is an outstanding player. I think he picked it up playing select on a very high level where everyone does it. Does not make it right.

5) Obstruction A very hard call to make...If the player is in fact playing the ball and happens to block the opposing player ..so be it.. If he blatantly blocks and is not in line to play the ball it is obstruction. Outstanding defenders, such as you went against on Tuesday night, no how to use their bodies in a legal and fair way to gain advantage over a forward. Yes, coaches teach this technique.

 

I thought your team played an outstanding game...You had several great shots that did not find the back of the net. The other team did not finish about twenty scoring opportunities as well. Accept the game for what it is and be proud of what you accomplished. The ref was not the difference in the game and both teams played hard and clean soccer. If you thought that was rough or dishonest you need to go play baseball.

[popefan 21]

honestly u shouldn't be complaining it should have been 5-0 we missed 3 breakaways and 1 wide open goal that he his missed by a header....

[Whitey]

We'll just have to agree to disagree on our assessment of the specific game and the principle of players bending\breaking the rules to get a win.

 

I agree with the 5 to 0 score though - but in our favor as we missed more opportunities especially in the first half and totally dominated play in the second half.

[BigG]

What two teams were involved in this scrimmage?