It's not about deliberately or even accidentally knocking down players. Robben was not knocked down at all, he chose to go down when he noticed Marquez doing something that might turn into a foul if he runs into that and goes down.
This is one of those moments that requires a shoutout to guys like Miroslav Klose. 15 World Cup goals and not a single one scored by diving. (Unless we're talking about diving headers, which he has scored a few )
Here he actually goes to tell the ref that he scored with a handball. Would have otherwise been the opening goal of the game.
Guys like Robben can score all the pretty goals they want and win all the trophies they want, I'll never give them an inch of respect or consider them great athletes.
Klose has done this 3 or 4 times in his career. The guy is 100% class and fair play
Yeah I don't generally appreciate commentators denouncing games as snoozers. If I'm watching a game, there really isn't any situation where I want the commentators to complain about that game.
For me the commentators job is partly to try and find something interesting about games even when there's not much there. Let me decide for myself if I'm bored or not.
Complaining about tactics is fair game though. But that's still different from complaining about the game itself. (Even though it's obviously implied.)
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Bleh. Only a matter of time aginst 10 men that they'd get a bunch of pinball chances.
Looks like just before the goal that the two benches were going at it.
Robben apologizes for diving but not for the last one.
Quote:
Arjen Robben has apologised for diving during the first half of Netherlands' 2-1 win against Mexico at the 2014 World Cup.
Robben was denied a penalty on two occasions before a late foul on the winger by Mexico captain Rafael Marquez saw referee Pedro Proenca point to the spot, allowing Netherlands to complete a dramatic late comeback.
After the game Robben admitted diving on one of the first two occasions, when fouls were not given, but claimed the third time was a legitimate foul and said it is a tendency he must curb.
"The one at the end was a penalty, I was fouled," he told Dutch television channel NOS.
"At the same time I have to apologise in the first half I took a dive and I really shouldn't do that.
"That was a stupid, stupid thing to do but sometimes you're expecting to be struck and then they pull their leg away at the last minute."