Columnist Nick Green has written 100 Percent Soccer
since 2005. A
native of England, he began writing about soccer in
the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat
in the stands for one in
the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home
Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas
USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer.
Married to a long-suffering soccer widow, he has a cat
named Pele.Jesse Marsch, the No Diving Campaign Begins
Jesse missed Saturday's game against the Kansas City Wizards. And he wasn't happy about it. This is his inaugural post:
I was sitting in my house this week contemplating what to write for my first blog entry. I was thinking about the extra time I had on my hands this week because I had been suspended for yellow card points for the game against the Kansas City Wizards.
I became irritated because my last yellow card was for a tackle on Colorado's Colin Clark where I not only didn't foul him, but I didn't even touch him! He took one and a half more steps and then took a dive that Greg Louganis would have been proud of. The attempt to garner a call from the referee was so pathetic that when he took out the yellow card, I was sure it was fixed on Clark. I actually started clapping and demanding that Clark get off his rump, but the ref then pointed at me indicating that I was the recipient. I couldn't believe the ref fell for it.
I have a major problem with diving, and an even bigger problem with rolling around on the ground like someone has been shot.
I grew up in Wisconsin, which needless to say is not a soccer state.
We like brats, cheese, beer, and the Packers.
Most of my friends and family back home don't understand soccer, but they will watch occasionally because they like to see me on TV. (Although I always get the question, "Why don't you shoot more?")
The one thing they do know about soccer is that they hate diving! And I mean loathe it. And because of this reason I have never in my career done the ole' lay on the ground and cry for a card.
It's pathetic.
I mean we are talking about grown men, with families, lying on the ground grabbing their knees (even though the were kicked in the ankle) moaning and whining. So much so that when I go out and play with my three-year-old son, he kicks the ball and then falls to the ground grabbing his foot. That's what he absorbs from watching professional soccer.
The biggest problem is that it works.
I'm not sure if Carlos Ruiz or Brian Ching will read this blog. Or if we can forward this article to every Brazilian that comes to play in America, but I am starting a "no diving" campaign.
Let's get some sponsors and go global with it. Because unless we eliminate diving from our sport, we provide easy fodder for all of the antagonists of soccer in this country.
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So now you know who Jesse Marsch thinks are the biggest divers in MLS.
Who do you think are the worst culprits at faking injury?
My nominee: the Galaxy's Kyle Martino.
If memory serves, he won two penalties in quick sucession by ramping up the drama when he fell in the penalty box. Now referees have caught on and Martino just flails dramatically to no avail.
And looks silly.