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Strategic Acting in Football

Published by marco on

 I caught the last 30 minutes of Chelsea vs. MCI in the Champions League final last week. It showed both sides of football. Both sides played absolutely brilliantly and it was a nail-biter right up until the last seconds.

It also showed what’s wrong with football — the team in the lead started strategically chewing the scenery on several questionable “contacts”. As a long-time hockey fan, I think it’s just shameful and unnecessary to flop around to defend a lead.

The team was obviously better than that—they had several wonderful attempts of their own—but they strategically flopped anyway. It’s like it’s instinctual at this point. Their opponents played basically without fouling, playing brilliant and inventive and offensive-minded football. A joy to watch.

Of course I understand it’s strategic and it might even have helped waste a few minutes to ensure the win, but it’s graceless, taking some of the poetry out of an otherwise brilliant win/defense of lead.