Litmanen wrote:Martin Tyler wrote:
I would just like to say while this is an emotional post, that it is directed at the Italian team, and no one on this forum, so don't take it as a personal attack, but in my eyes,
the more Italy win the way they do, the more the world game suffers, Diving alone is my biggest hatred of the game, and it seems to me that they are biggest offenders of it.
I am happy to be proven wrong on this point. As much as i appreciate the extreme passion Italian people have for the game, and even more so how much Italians have built the game in Australia, i still think the on field antics are disgusting, and FIFA should do something about Diving and time wasting, it is really time for them to step up and do something.
If you're happy to be proven wrong, I'll do it. How anyone can seriously say Italians, or any European soccer nation, are bigger divers than South Americans is beyond me. How many years did we put up with Australia playing South American sides to try and qualify for the World Cup, and see them constantly roll around whenever tackled?
I was also not happy in 2006 when Grosso or whoever it was went down after Neill's challenge, but it was not a theatrical dive, there was contact, and any country including Australia would have tried it in the same situation. It's the refs choice to give the penalty, not the player's and if you say an Aussie wouldn't have gone down like that, you're dreaming.
If you didn't see it, look on You Tube and check out the world's worst dive ever by Rivaldo in the Brazil vs Turkey semi final in the 2002 World Cup. Looked like he got shot in the head, and the Turkish player got a red for it.
Worst divers argument over.
In my opinion the incident between Neill and Grosso while hearbreaking was Neill's fault. Grosso played for it, but there was contact, so while i still think any honorable player would have kept running i can see why he went down, at the end of the day, it's the mindset that the whole team plays by, it's not a once off Klinsmann, it's the whole shiraz team..
Nope sorry, wrong again....sweeping generalisation largely unfounded. Could name many different countries from all parts of the globe accused of adverse tactics - diving, tackles, negative play - in different decades dating back to WW2
It's situations where players like Gilardino, and Totti roll around and complain at one end, and then Materazzi is tackling studs up, pulling shirts and elbowing that i'm talking about.
Objection, more generalisations, Your Honour......every team has complainers and hard tacklers
Personally i don't think you can compare the positive football teams like Brazil play compared to the negative sneaky game that Italy play. I guess it's more than just diving. From time wasting, dirty fouls, complaining, the Italians do more when the ball is out than when it is in.
Personally I think the Rivaldo incident alone justifies my comparison - and my claim all teams do it. Not sure why Brazilians are lauded as the best because the score flamboyant goals. Defence is as much a part of good soccer as attack, and Brazil are certainly no example of the best defences. Some people like Brazilian technique, others the Dutch, others the Italians, some the English. A soccer purist would admire elements of all professional styles, not denegrate Italian football because it can be defensive by nature. No more happens behind play in an Italian game than in any other, and much more leniancy is shown by say English referees for tackles than in the Serie A.
The diving tag is probably not what i was trying to say ( well it is what i said... retrospectively i was thinking something else..), it's the ugly/negative/dirty game they play ( which is a real disappointment for me, because one the ball the Italians are excellent to watch, i won't be writing them off for the WC by a long shot just yet).
Ugly, negative, dirty.......*sigh*
Looking at the world game right now, i'd say the Dutch and Italians are the worst when it comes to diving, but again the Dutch with the exception of Van Bommel are no way near as dirty.
Refer above......every team employs its own tactics, reasonable to one observer, dirty to another. Again wrong to approportion blame for a questionable action to a couple of countries, thereby excluding all others.
My on the spot generalisations from following the game for over 30 years:
Italy - usually sound defence, technical players, low scoring, will pull a shirt when needed
Brazil - good scorers, poor defence, average goalkeepers, fall over a lot
Argentina - roll around, attacking, ok defences
England - big tournament chokers, attacking players, too many long balls, average keepers
Holland - lovely to watch, also dodgy in big games, good tactics
Spain - roll around, technically good, can be chokers
France - whiners, will pull a shirt when needed, technically good
Now these are my opinion and probably not completely accurate, but you can see how someone from each of these countries could get offended by my sweeping statements.
Better to take what you want from every game you watch, dismiss what you dont like, and keep generalised and essentially racist opinions to yourself.
