So farewell then

[mcquiggd]

Have to agree... I'd rather the England team were known as simply being rubbish, rather than being cheaters, gaylords AND rubbish....

On his and his teams performance, Scolari would have been a disaster for us....


I wish FIFA wasn't so corrupt, and actually took steps to prevent those sort of antics, which spoil the whole event.

[wendigo100]

I wanted them to win tonight and then lose in the final. That would have heightened the pain.

No, it is far worse to lose a semi-final.

[wendigo100]

On his and his teams performance, Scolari would have been a disaster for us....

On the contrary, cheating was the difference between us and them. If we did our fair share of it, and not just Joe Cole out on the wing and once-a-tournament from Owen, that could be us in that final.

[wendigo100]

I wish FIFA wasn't so corrupt, and actually took steps to prevent those sort of antics, which spoil the whole event.

They claimed they were going to cite players caught cheating by the cameras.

So they have asked Rooney to explain himself for his sending off offence, but not Figo for his headbutt against Holland because the referee only booked him for it.

As far as I know the only other player FIFA cited was Torsten Frings, for an incident after the final whistle.

Not one incidence of diving has been cited, despite a mountain of video evidence.

[BoredBloke]

It is not only the national side. Does anybody remeber how Porto played against Celtic in the UEFA cup final a few years ago, or how they played against Man U the following year in the Champions League. They dived and rolled around just like their national side does. Why do they do it? Because it works. If the ref didn't go for it all the time, and booked the cheating feckers, then it would stop pretty much immediately. Because they don't we still get this ballooks taking place.

[snaw]

On the contrary, cheating was the difference between us and them. If we did our fair share of it, and not just Joe Cole out on the wing and once-a-tournament from Owen, that could be us in that final.

Umm, I'd say being crap at penalties was the difference, most likely ... that and just generally playing nowhere near their potential.

I can't stand Ronaldo but the witchhunt against him is getting a bit hysterical - there's been much worse divers this tournament and much worse incidents of players calling for cards, yet somehow Ronaldo has become public enemy #1. All nicely distracts attention from Rooney stamping another player in the nuts ...

BTW Portugal deserved to go out last night, they were a disgrace to the game and the whole diving thing has to be wiped out quickly, it's getting out of control.

[wendigo100]

They all do it Tony. Remember how Italy beat Australia? How France beat Spain? In fact, how France scored against Portugal - biter bit!

You are right, it works.

[Troll]

There should be a oscar type award at the end for the best dive, points could be awarded for number of rolls after going down, period of time before looking up to see if it's been awarded, length of agony etc....

[Francko]

They all do it Tony. Remember how Italy beat Australia? How France beat Spain? In fact, how France scored against Portugal - biter bit!

You are right, it works.

That's an art. The italian player, Henry or the other didn't dive. It happened that they were looking for the penalty and took advantage of the defender silly move. That's experience. The portugueses really dived for nothing, and should have been booked for that.

[ASB]

It is not only the national side. Does anybody remeber how Porto played against Celtic in the UEFA cup final a few years ago, or how they played against Man U the following year in the Champions League. They dived and rolled around just like their national side does. Why do they do it? Because it works. If the ref didn't go for it all the time, and booked the cheating feckers, then it would stop pretty much immediately. Because they don't we still get this ballooks taking place.

It's weird. I have been to a few domestic home games at both Sporting and Benfica. Although there is a bit of ballet goes on it seems to be nowhere near as bad as when playing internationally. It seems as though the doemstic refs are either more stringent or less easily fooled. Of course it could have got worse in the last ouple of years since I've been.