The World Cup of Amateur Dramatics

So the 2010 FIFA World Cup (of soccer, for those who are unaware) is over for another 4 years. It was quite eye opening watching it for the first time in the USA, where it was viewed with a certain amount of interest, but also a little skepticism.

For me personally it was interesting to be able to watch a month of soccer (I'm going to call it that throughout this post, so as not to confuse it with what Americans call football) given that I have watched far more football, basketball and baseball over the last 3 years.

I think the main problems the Americans have with International soccer are very understandable. The lack of technology to help correct decisions to be made is baffling even to most Brits, and the excuse that FIFA gives of preferring to keep the "human" element in the game because it is a tradition, is becoming lamer and lamer.

I think the main frustration I have, and one which is shared by my American friends is the diving, the time wasting and the conning of referees that has become a part of the game - apparently accepted in recent years. Except that it is not a recent development. The Brazilians were the target of constant fouling back in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

There was also a legendary confrontation between Argentinian skipper Antonio Rattin and German referee Rudolf Kreitlin in the 1966 England World Cup Finals, when the Argentinian was sent off but refused to leave the field for a long time. The Uruguayans have long held a reputation as persistent foulers.

The problem is that these things have been ALLOWED to become a part of the game to the extent that they now appear accepted, and it is far too late to be able to do anything about it, since they have become a part of the game even at grass roots level.

All this left me very disillusioned as I watched this year's World Cup Finals, because I realized that I now preferred football (American, remember) to the game I was brought up with for over 40 years of my life. Football is by comparison a much more honest game, and although a lot longer and punctuated by clock stopping, it is a TOTAL SPECTACLE, and as such, a blast to watch.

I cannot wait for the new football season to start, but the thought of watching soccer sadly leaves me pretty ambivalent (and this has nothing to do with the currently miserable state of Liverpool FC).

I have long been calling for a running clock to be stopped in soccer every time the ball goes out of play. I know that would lengthen the game, but it would also eliminate the vast majority of the time wasting techniques, such as fake injuries and "tactical substitutions" that plague the game now. Of course it would not cut out ALL time wasting, but I do believe that 90% could be stopped with a running, and stopping clock. The purists will hate it but sooner or later something will have to be done to maintain the credibility and high profile worldwide of soccer.