Some Things I Still Don't Understand About Soccer

Confession time.

I'm not a soccer expert.

I don't cover Toronto FC because I know any more about soccer than the other folks walking around the fifth floor at 1 Yonge Street. We've got people on staff from England, South Africa, Kenya and Croatia, and any one of them could probably teach me a few things about the sport.

So you're probably wondering how I got this gig.

First, you don't have to be an expert on a sport to write about it. You just have to know enough -- and write well enough -- to make your stories make sense to readers. So I like to think they gave me the soccer beat because I'm a damn good reporter, writer and storyteller.

But the reality is that I cover soccer because the birth of Toronto FC created a need and as the department's sole general assignment reporter, I was the only guy not already tied down with a beat. (Even more correctly, season ticket sales and David Beckham created the need for a beat writer. Otherwise we probably would have covered Toronto FC the same way we cover the Lynx and the Marlies...which is not at all...)

In my first year as a sports reporter at the Star I covered everything from (North American) football to figure skating. My soccer experience consisted of 1) a feature about Romario's quest for 1000 career goals and 2) chronicling the ongoing conflict between women's national team coach Even Pellerud and his (former) star player, Charmaine Hooper.

These days I'm not nearly as clueless about soccer as I was 14 months ago when I flew to Miami to follow Romario. Between GolTV, Fox Sports World and daily conversations with reporters, broadcasters and various TFC folks, my soccer IQ has increased exponentially since January.

Still, after seven months, half an MLS season and one round of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, there are still some things about The Beautiful Game I don't understand, and I'm hoping some of you readers who grew up with the sport can help me out.

1. Extra/Stoppage/Injury Time

Because the game clock runs continuously, the ref keeps track of stoppages in play for injuries, etc, and adds the time at the end of each half. That much, I understand.

RYAN REMIORZ/CP

Why are people giving up on Freddy Adu?

Why, then, do teams stall? Don't read what follows as a rationale for why Canada lost to Congo on Sunday -- they got beat, straight up and down -- but I noticed Congolese players milking inuries after their team took a 1-0 lead. Sprawling to the ground after fouls, writhing in (I think) pain, for seconds...moments...minutes. Not even attempting to get up until trainers and the stretcher crew had been out to see them. It happened more than once, and I'm not trying to single out Congo here. I noticed Austrian players doing the same thing after they scored against Canada.

I just don't understand why. How does it make sense to kill the clock when the ref will just tally that time up and add it to the end of the half? Seems illogical to me but clearly it's natural to soccer folks, since so many teams do it.

To this North American sports mind, stalling is a waste of time unless you do it during...

Extra time.

Think about it, soccer folks. Why is there no stoppage time for stoppage time? If my team is nursing a 1-goal lead and the ref signals two minutes of stoppage time, I'm flopping. If somebody even gives me a dirty look I'm collapsing at midfield and clutching my ankle, and I'm making them bring the stretcher. Ninety seconds later, when they finally bring me to the sideline, the game's just about done because, for some reason there's not stoppage time for stoppage time.

Why not? Don't you need it even more during injury time to prevent teams from stalling for real? Common sense seems to dictated doing that in a sport that refuses to stop the clock, but soccer sense says it's OK to stall.

Why?

2. What's in the bottle?

Early in the second half of a first round match against Canada, Austrian midfielder Markus Suttner takes what soccer people call "a knock." In everyday English it means somebody bumps into him. Hard. Incidental contact. The Canadian didn't mean to hurt him, but Suttner crashed to the turf and lay motionless a few moments.

His team's trainers came to see him, and eventually the stretcher guys scooped him off the grass and trotted him over to the sideline, where he lay in agony until...

...a team trainer produced a yellow bottle and squirted a clear liquid onto Suttner's shinguards.

The bottle looked just like the water bottles on the sideline, and from the press box that liquid looked a lot like H2O, but it couldn't have been. Moments after the squirt, Suttner rose, suddenly invigorated by this quick spritz with a mysterious liquid. Thirty seconds later he returned to the game. Plain water can't do that. This stuff didn't even touch his skin!

Again, this isn't to single out Suttner, or even the Austrian team. They're just the most recent example in my mind, but you see it in soccer all the time. Player takes "a knock" and appears near death. Trainer runs to his aid and squirts him with "water" bottle. Player expericences a lightning quick recovery and returns to the game.

So what kind of miracle potion is this, and where can I buy some?

Who wouldn't mind some of that during flu season? Or to cure the soreness after your first day back at the gym? Or maybe after a split with your significant other, to soothe the pain of heartbreak?

It's tough to believe a solution this potent wouldn't cause you to flunk the post-game drug test. Does Dick Pound know about this stuff?

I mean, it can't be just water. Because if that stuff is just water, it probably means those players are embellishing their injuries, either to draw fouls or to waste time.

And we all know that never happens in the beautiful game...

Right?

3. Why the heck have people written off Freddy Adu already?

Was he overhyped when he first entered MLS? Of course he was, but that wasn't his fault. Blame the league for pinning all its marketing hopes on a 14-year-old kid that even they knew was still a long way from the top of his game.

Before the '07 MLS season started CNBC analyst Darren Rovell had already labelled Adu a failure, and ESPN soccer expert Eric Wynalda said if Adu didn't put it together this year he probably never would.

Even last week the "experts" on Pardon the Interruption (not Wilbon and Kornheiser...J.A. Adande and another pinch hitter) said (and I'm paraphrasing here) that in the big picture Adu's nothing special.

Huh?

Did they see goals number one and two of his hat trick against Poland?

That's what soccer people call "class."

How about the two Jozy Altidore goals Adu set up in the US' first round win against Brazil?

Chile's Mathias Vidangossy creates beautiful goals against Canada and we rave about his future with Villareal. Adu turns the same trick against Brazil and some folks still talk about how he's not living up to his past.

Insane.

Forget for a second that he's Freddy Adu. Forget the praise and unhealthy expectation MLS and the media heaped on him when he was 14. Any other kid in this tournament does what he's doing -- scoring goals, setting them, and turning the best 20-year-olds on the planet into pylons -- and we start a pool on how soon he goes to Europe.

Adu's no different. He's the truth. Let's face it.

Morgan Campbell

Comments

[sarah granatowicz]

Mr.Morgan Campbell
If you want to learn more about soccer please send an email to sarahgran@hotmail.com.
Soccer is the most enjoyble game. Isn't violent like hockey.
It's a real "team" game.It's 90 minutes of excitment.
Since I was 5 years old I start loving soccer( football).I'm 50 years more now and I'm still in love with football or soccer like north americans use to call it!
By the way Im a brazilian lady.
SG

[AD]

My two cents..

On Extra Time: Man, it goes beyond the rational..your comments ofcourse remain valid and we ALL know players take advantage of the "no stoppage time for stoppage time" practice.BUT extra time creates opportunities and moments, moments that make the game what it is:Beautiful.It is all about heightening the pressure and messing with your opponent mentally (and of course taking a few moments to catch your breath when you can)..but I digress, all I meant to say is this:if indeed there was "stoppage time for stoppage time" soccer will be missing W.Germany V. France (1982)Italy V. West Germany (1970) and more recently France V. England (Euro 2004), just to name a few.Besides, i "read" somewhere in the unwritten rules that it would be "unethical" to collapse and ankle clutch with a min or so to go...

On the Bottle: Heck if I know...I've always wondered about what's in there..sit tight, will get back to you as soon as I find out what it is and where you can purchase it.Who knows, it might even eliminate the need for chip butties..

On Freddy Adu: Poor Kiddo--well not so poor anymore..Paint me dark , but I remain curiously apathetic to his cause.Notwithstanding, if he continues hat-tricking it like he did with Poland, he just might be the American "Geoff Hurst" minus the controversial goals..

[JC]

The reason people aren't buying into the Adu hype despite his excellent performances against Poland and Brazil is because he's done absolutely nothing this year in the MLS to merit praise. Plus he's always performed well in big tournaments, minus the 2005 U-20 World Cup. But if you put aside the performances against Brazil and Poland, and factor in the South Korea and Uruguay games, where he was completely invisible for large portions of those games, you'd realize why people are still not sold on him yet.

The kid is still inconsistent and hasn't shown that he can perform well when heavily marked or playing against physical teams. Once he starts turning on the Poland/Brazil type performances in the MLS consistently or at all, then people will be convinced. Until then, he will be seen as a bust.

Personally, I think Giovanni Dos Santos has been the tournament's best player so far. Not flashy by a long shot, but smart on the ball and effective in almost every play that he's involved in.

[Robert Picken]

If you really want to learn anything about soccer,the most important thing by far is that it is football.
All forms of rugby have been called football in pathetic attempts to insinuate that this garbage is comparable to football.The same moronic behaviour is being applied to the World Cup.Some specimens are simply green with envy.
Football is not a beautiful game or something from another planet.The awful truth is that football is the simple,truthful description of a game played with the feet and a ball and this totally natural activity evolved worldwide into the phenomenon it is today.

[Jane]

Answers to your questions:

1) bad, illogical habit that sometimes pays off and sometimes doesn't, much like diving.

Notice, also, that even though they announce the amount of injury time at the end of each half, the clock does not count it down. It is entirely at the refs' discretion to call the game, whether the amount of time announced has elapsed or not. This gives the refs extra leeway for stupid, time-wasting plays in overtime.

2) Magic spray. At any point in World Cup last year where a player went down on the field and the coach/medics came out to assist, my friend Steve yelled, "Bring on the magic spray!!!"

Magic spray: http://www.slate.com/id/2144194

3) Adu will be back - he just ended up in the spotlight a tad early.

and one more article you may find of interest, which explains why soccer hasn't descended into a brutish, thuggish sport: http://www.slate.com/id/2144625/

[Luis Filipe]

The issue concerning killing time when the referee will only tally it and add it on at the end of a half has as much to do with interrupting momentum as it does with wasting away another few seconds on the clock. It's difficult to turn on an offensive surge after watching another player waffle around on the floor for 70 seconds. Everyone else has time to get back into position and catch their breath. These time wasting tactics don't happen randomly - they usually follow the other team's offensive surge or continuous pressing. The other team loses their flow, gets frustrated, and goes nowhere.

[Julian]

The time-wasting during the 90 minutes is done because the ref will not add one second for every second wasted. Taking an extra 15 seconds on a throw-in or letting a ball run down the line will kill a lot of time as well.

Extra time is a minimum of time that will be added. Any time-wasting during extra time can be tacked on at the end.

As for the spray, it's a freezing spray. Since so many knocks just require some time to improve the spray helps dull the pain until the player can walk/run off the pain.

[Daniel Stott]

1) The amount of time added to each half is advised by the 4th official, but ultimately its at the discretion of the referee. There are standards (I don't remember what they all are) but for instance each substitution will add 30seconds, so if there were 4 substitutions in the half this will add 2 mins. This is regardless of how long the player actually took to leave the field. Thats why players will sometimes walk off slowly and try to milk the extra seconds. It's the same thing for injuries, thats why players will try to milk seconds. It does actually kill real time...
2) The bottle is magic spray, similar to the magic sponge in the 90's
3) Freddy Adu rules!

[PER]

1. Extra/Stoppage/Injury Time - I agree, not ever second wasted is added at the end. Players waste time rolling around on the ground as though they have been shot for a number of reasons (break up the rhythm of the other team, allow teammates to catch their breath, attempt to raise the 'seriousness' of the offence to the ref in hopes for a yellow or red card-this sometimes backfires and they find themselves on the receiving end, draw attention of the ref to a player that may be getting a little carried away). They wait till the stretcher cause one it's on the pitch, they must leave the playing field. Usually refs don't wait too long before allowing the stretcher/trainers on the field. If the player doesn't get up fairly quickly... they're off for attention to the injury. That's why they're ready to come back on in 3-4 seconds after play resumes with them on the sidelines.

2. What's in the bottle?
Water. If the trainer is going to run out to a player rolling around from a little bump, he better attend to him somehow. Squirt a little water to "make it all better" as mom would say and off you go! The spray bottle, no idea. In all the years I've been playing you're either hurt too much that a spray bottle ain't gonna help or you're hurt just a bit so get on with it!

3. Why the heck have people written off Freddy Adu already?
I'm not a huge follower of Adu. I agree completely with your point about goals 1 and 2 vs. Poland. That proves he has got it in him. I think it's his inconsistancy. As AD mentioned, he stands out sometimes and not others. I thought he did a pretty good job for the US in the U20's. He really showed signs of leadership (not just with the goals). I'd take him on my team!

Best way to learn the game is go to see them at all levels. It gives you a good indication of how player development works and just how amazing these guys are as athletes. Stamina, coordination, speed, and the entire thought process that goes on simultaneously. Weeknights watch the kiddies in your neighbourhood. Weekends watch the adult rec leagues. TFC nights... watch TFC of course. And top it all off with some international play when available.

[Alexandre Costa e Silva]

Soccer? No, sir, the name is football. You can begin learning its real name.

Nonsense question: why americans call football a game they play with the...hands?

[Harry Nordwel]

Freddy Adu.
See you soon in Madrid or Manchester.

[Zarar Siddiqi]

You're right, it is somewhat unfortunate that the reporters in this town don't really know the sport they write about. That holds true for basketball as well so don't feel too bad about it.

I'm going to answer #1 for you. Teams stall because they know the maximum the ref will add to the end of the half will be 3 or 4 minutes. In the case of something extreme, maybe 5. The time wasted stalling is always greater than the time awarded at the end of the half so the stalling team is always at an advantage.

[maggie mcnicoll]

I am so glad to see someone finally writing about the diving and game delay tactics in soccer... It drives me nuts....Some players act like little kids when they are tackled.. grow up boys we dont believe you are hurt ... you get on our nerves.... most referees are intelligent enough to know that its acting... Soccer is a fast paced skilfull game which is played properly by the greats...I dont think I ever rember George Best diving...

[FCGroningen]

Everyone - or rather almost everyone - knows that extra time hardly ever exceeds 3 to 4 minutes, even if the fourth official indicates otherwise.

So stalling DOES help, if you're any good at it that is! In fact, the true art of stalling remains very much unappreciated, probably because there are so few players let alone entire teams that are proficient at it.

Indeed most attempt at stalling actually produce the opposite or otherwise include faking injuries, which isn't proper stalling at all! For truly great examples of stalling, check out the teams that have to rely on wit rather than talent: The post-winter UEFA cup fixtures are a safe bet.

As for Adu, either leave him alone or send him to Europe to play a decent club in a league in which he may be able to develop himself further: the English championship, the Dutch eredivisie, Spanish or Italian lower leagues or even with some Scandinavian outfit. If he ever wants to play for some European powerhouse, he'll definitely need the sobering experience of what European football is mostly about: boring and exceedingly physical games, soaked pitches and malevolant fans. Notwithstanding his obvious talent for the game, for a guy that's been hyped since childhood there's no other way to go about it.

[gr]

They have a few hundred kids like Adu in Brazil. If he were any good by international standards, he wouldn't be playing for an MLS team.