After assessing the World Cup through the semifinals and having reached the final, where no player can be on a yellow card suspension any longer thanks to FIFA’s rules adjustments, I do believe that there is a flaw (or at least a bit of a double standard) remaining in the card accumulation suspension system. I am more than pleased with the decision to avoid suspensions for the final. This is a logical and intelligent change to ensure a full-strength contest for football glory. However, the problem I have lies in the lingering period of allowable accumulation from the Round of 16 to the QF. Thus, for 2014, I hope someone at FIFA proposes the following (adjustment in bold/italics):
- Accumulation Rule 1: YC in 2/3 group stages = suspension
- Accumulation Rule 2: +1 YC allowance in knockout phase
- Accumulation Rule 3: Reset following QF to avoid Finals suspension
Rule #2 is key for a number of reasons:
1. Not every nation has the realistic goal of reaching the final.
Why do we need to assist the greatest teams by ensuring a full-strength final but not also allow smaller countries/non-powers the best shot to reach their own realistic high-end goals? Accumulation rule 2 is most important to nations like a Paraguay or a United States or a Japan/Korea — squads that aren’t quite to the elite tier yet but would love to make a quarter or semi. I firmly believe that a suspension should only come if a yellow card is earned in >50% of matches, given the remaining points.
Put simply, why is it fair that these sides who might have reached a Round of 16 match and won their nation’s first ever appearance in a quarterfinal have to play that quarterfinal missing 2-3-4 players? It’s literally appalling that we have a double standard favoring the elite nations.
2. Refs are far too fickle at the World Cup.
Perhaps the biggest instance of this was Thomas Muller’s nonsense yellow in the QF that was a large factor in Germany’s loss to Spain. Card counts are vastly higher than they need to be or should be for flow of game and quality of match (which in turn leads to too many red cards, but that’s a different story). Often times refs come out too card happy or simply remarkably inconsistent, giving out a card once for a foul and nothing for the same exact type of challenge minutes later.
3. Allowances should be being made due to the raised level of play.
World Cup card counts should be more like the English Premier League, not La Liga. FIFA needs to understand that increased determination, desire, and effort of players is not only going to lead to higher quality play, but realistically also to more and sometimes sharper contact. To continue the rather pathetic trend of weakening the power of the yellow card is really counterproductive to FIFA’s aims of fair play long term. It is not only costing teams dearly later in the tournament (see point 2 for why this is not fair), but in my opinion the weakened yellow card is a large reason why simulation is so prevalent in world football. Guys dive because they know they could draw a potentially suspension-carrying yellow card on a fringe challenge or borderline foul. If these weren’t being given, we’d see a much cleaner product overall.
As always, thoughts are welcome — it’s been a glorious month that’s for sure! Here’s to the soon-to-be first-time winners of the World Cup!
Written By Michael
DiAmore
(18 Posts) |
Loading ...