Actors marring the beautiful game-Les Murray

As the World Cup enters its critical third round, it’s evident that some things never change and, as ever, the players are smarter than the referees.

The grubby epidemic of conning the whistlers with thespian simulation is already worse than it was in 2006.

The conmen are getting away with it, getting fellow professionals sent off and there is no retribution, not even retrospective punishment based on video evidence (which FIFA permits itself to practice).

Kader Keita’s disgraceful con to have Kaká dismissed, thankfully didn’t have an impact on the game’s outcome, nor will the Brazilian star’s suspension affect his country’s longer term fate.

But the play-acting has had serious affects on other games.

On Day 11 a Chilean player conned the willing Saudi referee, Khalil Al Ghamdi, to have Switzerland’s Valon Behrami red carded.

Later in the game no such luck for the Swiss when Steve von Bergens tried the same trick after a gentle touch on the neck from Matias Fernandez sent him to the deck, clutching his face.

But to no avail. Fernandez stayed on and Chile duly won the match against ten men.

Earlier, Greece benefited when Vasileos Torisidis provoked a stupid attempt by Nigeria’s Sani Kaita to kick out at him with an air-swing, but to which Torisidis reacted with a dive.

The Nigerian was red-carded, the game turned and Greece won the match.

FIFA has to act to stamp out this moral decadence which inhibits its capacity to further popularise football. With each World Cup football gets millions of new viewers, including Australia. Many of these new customers turn away and turn off when they see players get away with such blatant cheating.

One has to wonder what in the world goes on at those endless seminars and instruction sessions the World Cup referees get from FIFA before each World Cup.

Do they, one has to ask, get any tips on how to be vigilant of the con men who are tarnishing this tournament and the game unabated?

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/les-murray/blog/1010019/Actors-marring-the-beautiful-game