Why do soccer players continue to dive at the slightest touch? ...

[aggiesal]

I say that 80% of all fouls are not fouls. The zoomed in replays show this constantly.

Don't the players know that video replay exposes them for their phony injuries?

I've seen 50/50 balls where players hit each other's foot and one goes down holding his shin.

Or a players goes down holding the back of his head like he was hit, yet replays show nobody coming close to hitting the players head.

And the better teams like Brazil, Italy, Argentina, ... do it more often.

The Italy/Uruguay game was ridiculous, bordering on the embarrassing.

Just an observation.

[T_i_B]

1. Why do it?

Because more often then not the referee on the pitch falls for it.

If anything, it's been less prevalent then normal at this world cup.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-world-rankings-of-flopping-1403660175

[VWolf]

2. Agreed. This tournament has been a breath of fresh air by comparison.

The second half of Germany-Ghana was an example of how football should be played at the highest level.

That said, we're getting into the knockout stage, and that's where things usually start going negative.

BTW, I'm a fan of the Azzurri (and the US), but even I couldn't stomach their performance against Uruguay.

[truebrit71]

3. The Germany - Ghana games was one of the best games of footy I have ever watched...

...and yet you tell to that to the average Yank and they'll laugh at you and point to the 2 - 2 score as proof that it is a boring game...

[aggiesal]

5. Brazil/Mexico 0-0 game, for me n/t

[truebrit71]

6. True, that was a classic as well...

[aggiesal]

7. I found it the most exciting 0-0 game I've ever watched ...

Scoring chances by both teams with the Mexican goalie Ochoa stopping
at least a half dozen quality chances with a few from point-blank distance.
Definitely the man of the match.

[VWolf]

8. I may get flamed for this, but

the 0-0 final in the women's world cup between the US and China ranks as my favorite scoreless draw.

(I say I might get flamed because some think women's soccer is inferior. I don't.)

That said, the BRA-MEX match was definitely a classic.

[aggiesal]

4. Based on your article ...

97% of the players that go down did not leave the game.

Of the 302 players that fell I believe that approximately 60 were legitimate fouls
while the remaining 240 were in part some sort of embellishment(s). And at times
these players sacrifice a real scoring chance to try and get a cheap foul in the
penalty area.

Until a real penalty is given for embellishment, like a yellow card or removed from
the game for a period of time, the players will continue to do it.

I believe that any player on the ground screaming of injury, should be excused to the sideline
for 90 seconds for "treatment" (hey you're on the ground screaming in pain, go get treated),
unless the offending player is issued a card.
The 90 second clock starts when the player crosses the sideline.

A player that gets knocked down and gets back up should be just a foul, and play continues.

I think that would limit this nonsense.

I'm sure there will be people that disagree, but soccer can be a beautiful game,
like the Brazil/Mexico game, which was the best 0-0 game I've ever seen.

[Codeine]

9. Simulation is part of the game.

It's a tiresome talking point that's been long since beaten into the dirt. Nobody is going to institute a "90 second clock" or similar nonsense; the sport is doing just fine without such proposed fixes.

Besides, flopping and diving are on the wane as far as I can tell.

[BeyondGeography]

10. It used to be much worse and most of the fouls at this Cup have been fouls

The refs have even "let them play," from time-to-time, as in today's USA match where he was very hands off, imo. There have been a lot of hard fouls as well and no shortage of blood.

Italy-Uruguay was one of the only stinkers thus far. I do give Balotelli the award for the most embarrassing performance at the year's tournament, and I doubt anyone will come close. He was such a mental and emotional mess his coach wisely pulled him out at halftime.

[Codeine]

11. He's an amazing player when he pulls his head out of his ass

long enough to perform, but god is he a trainwreck when it comes to his mental game.

[BeyondGeography]

12. Maybe Italy's goalless draw strategy was making him extra crazy

It was certainly driving me up a wall, and I'm not a world-class striker on the pitch. All Italy had to do to advance was score a goal and they didn't even try until it was too late.