Flood of red, yellow cards leaving fans blue
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-29 14:57
Whoever wins the World Cup, one definite loser will be soccer's battered
image of fair play.
Combination photo of
referee Valentin Ivanov of Russia showing red cards during second round
World Cup 2006 soccer match between Portugal and Netherlands in
Nur.[filephoto]
| Pius Utomi Ekpei, Getty
Imagespius Utomi Ekpei, Getty ImagesSlovakian referee Lubos Michel shows a red
card during a match Tuesday at the World Cup between Brazil and Ghana in
Germany. A record number of red cards, including four in one game and three in
the first 46 minutes of another, suggests there is something fundamentally wrong
with the world's most popular sport, although FIFA president Sepp Blatter has
ripped the referees for mistakes and inconsistencies.
"I've noted that instructions aren't being followed consistently from one
match to another," he said Wednesday. "When a coach complains to me that
shirt-pulling earned his player a yellow card one night and nothing for his
team's group rivals the next, how am I supposed to respond?
"And then there are the tackles from behind I've seen go unpunished and the
violent conduct that has escaped sanction, not to mention the serious errors
made in applying the rules."
Referees will again be in the spotlight at the World Cup quarterfinals ¡ª
Germany-Argentina and Italy-Ukraine on Friday, England-Portugal and
Brazil-France on Saturday.
It's not just the scything tackles, deliberate handballs, flying elbows,
players feigning injury or diving to get penalties or opponents sent off.
There are all the other ugly components of foul play: shirt tugging, sly
trips, ankle taps, body checks made to look like accidental collisions. A
sinister recent trend is a player going down, apparently injured, while his
opponents are attacking. The attacking team is honor bound to kick the ball out
of play while the downed player gets treatment.
The pushing and shoving that happens at free kicks and corners also suggests
the game is getting out of control.
Usually, such tactics don't warrant a yellow card. But they still happen and
many critics say they are poisoning the game.
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