Is it just me or is our team flopping more this year?

I saw at least one blatant flop in the game earlier in the year against UW where the player (who shall remain anonyomous) clearly jumped into the air and was not tripped. There have been some other games where players seemed to go down to the ground relatively easily, and the ref called the Gonzaga game pretty generously for us in the box too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ETCv-v80g

That's not to say that none were legitimate fouls. Football is more physical than it usually appears, however, we can have a dominant team without this stuff in my opinion. I really hate flopping. I don't think Clive Charles would tolerate it; that's why I'm bringing this up.

I didn't see any flops in that video - low tackles are the hardest to keep you feet against, and the three or four tackles i saw in and around the box were tackles into the feet of our players on the move - those that missed the ball were called, and those that were made into the ball well weren't. The red card foul was a hard tackle that didn't come close to the ball, and clipped our player low on her trailing foot - which is an impact that is also very hard to keep your feet against (it is also a foul, and in this case an automatic red card). I don't see a problem.

If you want to look for flops, look for players who go down due to upper-body jostling and hip checking. The most obvious example of this from the gonzaga game is when one of our players had a gonzaga player jump on her back. the gonzaga player rolled off, our player kept her feet.

Although I wasn't at the GU game, I got the impression from the video that the refs were a little quick to blow the whistle. I'm no soccer player, by any means, so take my opinion at that but I thought we got some generous calls as well.

Also, I chose to view THIS version of the thread because it had more views. I'm assuming you accidentally posted twice. Hopefully nobody is currently responding to the other thread

I personally think our players are better athletes than that and on occassion they could have stayed on their feet in games and highlights that I've seen so far. Granted, I've only seen two games live, but, there was some flopping in both in my opinion. Even in fouls that don't come against the ball; I don't like any embelishment.

The other thread can be deleted by a moderator. My mistake. My computer is a little slow today.

athleticjames wrote:I saw at least one blatant flop in the game earlier in the year against UW where the player (who shall remain anonyomous) clearly jumped into the air and was not tripped. There have been some other games where players seemed to go down to the ground relatively easily, and the ref called the Gonzaga game pretty generously for us in the box too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ETCv-v80g

That's not to say that none were legitimate fouls. Football is more physical than it usually appears, however, we can have a dominant team without this stuff in my opinion. I really hate flopping.

nice.

Reference the only opportunity where a player went in the air and then say you ain't naming no names...

Ask yourself this. Why would she jump in the air when the result of just running through the play was an open goal from 12 yards out.

Have you ever been tripped?

Yes, I've been tripped in games. It's not fun. But, I had an division II All-American sitting next to the UW game, and we both agreed that this player clearly jumped and fell to the ground trying to draw the foul. There was no open goal 12 yards out; I was actually referencing the UW game there, not the highlights. In the highlights, I tend to agree with Shipstad Pilot11 that we got some generous calls and our players may have gone down a bit too easily. That's not to say that GU was necessarily playing the ball.

athleticjames wrote:Yes, I've been tripped in games. It's not fun. But, I had an division II All-American sitting next to the UW game, and we both agreed that this player clearly jumped and fell to the ground trying to draw the foul. There was no open goal 12 yards out; I was actually referencing the UW game there, not the highlights. In the highlights, I tend to agree with Shipstad Pilot11 that we got some generous calls and our players may have gone down a bit too easily. That's not to say that GU was necessarily playing the ball.

I'll see your D2 player and raise you a reired FIFA ref, who when I asked him cited not playing the ball and DOGSO (denial of goal scoring opportunity)

His words "clear call"

From what I had a good vantage point on in the Gonzaga game, the ref did a good job, letting plays where the tackler was legitimately on the ball slide, and calling bad tackles. I don't see how there could be any argument on the red card - our player beat the keeper, and the keeper tackled hard. Thats a really easy call to make.

There is no denial of goal scoring opportunity anytime a PK is granted. Our players can score those at an 80-90% clip; that's the point. Look, I love our team. I just want the Clive-influenced team that tucks in its shirts and plays a clean game. If you get fouled and you're capable of staying on your feet and the team can still win the game, why not?

The keeper was last man. didn't play the ball.

I agree with you on that call, PG. That one can't be argued. Some of the others were much more generous calls by the ref.

I went to Pilot Nation in the middle of the season and a Soccer City, USA offseason thread broke out.

Carry on. This is all very fun.

Yeah.

While I agree that flopping is bad and players shouldn't do it, I really don't see evidence that is is a problem with the pilots.

I remember playing a game in high school and I was tripped up by the keeper after I had beaten him, not badly though, I was able to take a couple steps but could not keep my feet. If I had it would have been an open net goal. It ended up being a goal kick instead. After the play the ref warned me for taking a dive. So I wouldn't be surprised if people watching the game thought it was...but it wasn't, there was no reason to. Sometimes these things happen.

Well, Geezer, or any other soccer knowledgeable posters, can you please offer your opinions on whether you think Kendall Johnson's spill in the box--also on the highlight video-- was indeed a foul and should have resulted in a penalty kick. My bias notwithstanding, I think it was a foul as the Zag defender appeared to trip Johnson and arguably, at least, was also not playing the ball.

I'm going to drink a Pliny and forget about these posts. I think I over-reacted. Peace.

I personally think Kendal was fouled but didn't sell it, which is what refs seem to demand. You can't just be fouled, you have to follow the form script or you won't get the call. It's the same in most sports.
I also think that (non) call was wrong on two counts. If the defender got the ball, then it went over the end line on her touch, because Kendal never touched it After contact. Gonzaga was awarded a goal kick on the play.

I think this is all misplaced. In some sports flopping is considered an art form and rewarded as such

I take it there exists a moral difference between a player's sale of a foul and a marketable flop. Should a self respecting player avoid selling a foul so as not to be accused of flopping? Aren't you suggesting histrionics by the players is likely to be rewarded by the refs? Is the games integrity implicated even by the sale of a foul, let alone a flop?

I, too,was at the UW game. I did not notice anything I thought was flopping, but I wasn't looking for it either. I also looked at post-game comments by UW fans on BigSoccer. They were unhappy with the officiating and thought UW should have been awarded a PK on a foul (called) by Olivier, but they made no claims about the Pilots' flopping. Harry R was at the game too, so I wonder what he thinks.

At the UW game I remember the Olivier challenge but never saw it again on replay or video. I love Michelle O and think she's a great defender so always give her the benefit of the doubt. I trust her to make sure that she gets the challenge in before she gets into the box. The ref was a lot closer than me and called it oustide the box. I remember taking a deep breath when he called it, though.

As to the rest of this topic, UP plays a finesse game. Players running at the defense with ball at feet (Enyeart, Johnson, Chandhoke, Reed, in particular) and a lot of teams struggle to keep up with that and with the one- and two-touch game that UP plays.

We've seen several teams this season try to close the gap in skill and pace by being physical with the Pilots. The chance you take with that is that if the referee calls it tight or even fair, you'll get fouls and PKs.

IMO both the PK and the red card against Gonzaga were clear calls. Danielle was round the GK and taken down in both cases: and both would have been goals without the fouls. The Kendall Johnson play that is shown on video is a clear miss by the ref - either the GU player played the ball = corner, or played Kendall = foul. No way it's a GK.

Against UW I don't think they had any cause for complaint, they were whacking away at UP players and paid the price. When Sophie played up front she got knocked around all game - it was almost a disadvantage to be as strong as she is because she didn't get all the calls she could have done.

I agree with a james in that I don't want to see anyone diving. I haven't seen that yet.

I agree with AthleticJames. There has been some flopping this season, but it hasn't resulted in any pks. The pLayer I'm thinking of is embellishing contact and it has resulted in more fouls called than might have. I don't like seeing it, but I'm old school. There are club coaches that actually instruct players to fall if there is any contact in the box. Most of the UP players do not flop. They try to continue if possible. Many more yellows are being handed out in FIFA play now for flopping, but sometimes the ref gets it wrong the other way. When you're running full bore, it doesn't take much of a clip to send you sprawling.

I happened to be overhear the Gonzaga keeper (who had been red-carded) chatting with Stephanie (Lopez) Cox after the game. Stephanie said something like "tough break", to which the keeper responded with words to the effect that "I'm not a dirty player. I've never been carded before in my life. But I did clip her pretty good."

The sense I had from her tone of voice and body language was that it was one of those things that happens from time to time in soccer. She didn't intentionally try to clip Danielle, but that she was not disputing the call.

I didn't think she intentionally clipped Foxhoven. I thought she was trying to beat her to the ball and Foxhoven was faster. The ball was out of the box and she would have had to play it with her feet. While not intentional, I believe the correct call was the red bcs she was the last defender? Correct me if I'm wrong...I'm not a ref.

Yes, I believe that that was the correct call--and the Gonzaga keeper seemed to be acknowledging that it had been the correct call.

athleticjames wrote:I agree with you on that call, PG. That one can't be argued. Some of the others were much more generous calls by the ref.

are you talking about the gonzaga match in your statement??? if so, i did not see one dive all match... the only dive i have seen since i have been back on the bluff was at the men's lmu match... the guilty party even dived three times...

BigBro wrote:While I agree that flopping is bad and players shouldn't do it, I really don't see evidence that is is a problem with the pilots.

this...