By Moses Leos III
Let’s be perfectly frank — Arjen Robben should be given an award for his 94th minute dive in Sunday’s controversial Mexico/Netherlands match.
It was a dive that ultimately sunk the burgeoning World Cup quarterfinal hopes of the Mexican National Team.
Robben’s “performance,” which drew a go-ahead penalty kick for Holland, was the greatest acting job this side of Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club.
And no, it’s not “alright, alright, alright.”
What happened on the pitch Sunday in Fortaleza, Brazil brings to light a substantial problem in soccer — flopping (or diving, if you prefer).
Flopping isn’t exactly a new phenomenon in the sport. However, it seems the art of the flop has grown to new heights as of late.
So much so, it’s crossed over into the National Basketball Association. But we’ll save that discussion for another day.
One can’t help but feel empathy for fans of Mexico’s soccer team, also known as El Tri.
After many failed attempts to reach the quarterfinals, it seemed there was light at the end of the tunnel.
And why wouldn’t fans feel that way? El Tri outplayed the Dutch for the better part of 70 minutes. Mexico was the aggressor for the majority of the first half.
But for as beautiful the game is, it’s also very cruel. Sometimes, it’s downright unfair.
Though, Mexico has to take a little bit of blame, too. El Tri had multiple opportunities to take the lead in the first half.
Once Giovanni Dos Santos scored his goal at the 48th minute, Mexico seemed to ease up just a little too much.
Things began to fall apart in the latter stages. The Dutch, fueled by desperation, got much more aggressive and creative on their attacks.
It culminated with the equalizing goal by Wesley Sneijder; a score which saw the premiere player rip a wide open shot with little difficulty.
Despite the tie, fans were well off thinking the match was destined for extra time.
But it was all for naught because of one man and his ability to sell a foul.
It’s difficult to find a professional soccer match that doesn’t have a player flop for a call. It’s becoming all too frequent. It seems players sometimes focus on trying to sell a call, rather than trying to play the game.
And they know how to sell them. Let’s take the “foul” on Robben for example.
Now, it’s not as if Robben didn’t come into contact with anyone. Mexican defender Rafael Marquez didn’t do himself any favors by sliding out of position within the penalty box.
Ultimately, Marquez made slight contact with Robben’s right foot.
Upon that moment, Robben made it seem he were the victim of an assassin’s bullet. Or, from my perspective, made it seem he was thrashed by a 200-pound linebacker.
The Dutch striker flailed in the air, crashing to the ground in a heap.
His move was so persuasive the head referee couldn’t help but call a penalty.
Ironically, FIFA, the governing body of the World Cup, is working to curb the flopping problem. Rules regarding flopping are much more stringent. Yellow and red cards are issued to players who are seen making a dive.
However, officials are human. It’s not easy to determine a legitimate foul from someone who is acting.
In this case, it seems the lead official blew it on Sunday.
It’s little solace for fans of El Tri, who now have four years to ask, “what if.”
