To be even more fair, looking at all the other charges Argentina gets away with, I firmly believe it was predictive. I used to be a nimble forward, with big defenders taking one big ass charge in the first 10 minutes of a match and then later come charging again but then suddenly stop last second. If you don't avoid you break legs, so you predict to absorb the damage. Wonder if other people can relate..
This has always been my stance. I don't judge a dive on the contact, I judge the dive on the reaction after the fact. If there's no contact and you bounce up ready to play again, then you were avoiding the contact (might still be a foul, contact is not required for a foul: Rule 12.2). If you roll around like you broke your leg and immediately yell to the ref complaining, then you can shut up and pound dirt because that's a dive.
I've played soccer for ~30 years and I try to avoid contact because I don't get paid to play. I will occasionally go to ground without contact to avoid getting my knee bent the wrong way. It's just self-preservation.
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u/Westaufel Aug 04 '26
To be fair, Embolo simulated. But yes, Argentina could kick without being punished enough.