 |
| Hand of God |
- Diego Maradona, on scoring the infamous goal in 1986
June 22nd 1986. Argentina vs. England. Quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup. Mexico City. The score was 0-0 at half-time, but the most dramatic turn around in football was about to occur. Six minutes into the second half, Argentina's Maradona somehow manages to use his hand, disguised as a header, to score a goal; outsmarting the referee, and outraging the English.
Spectators and players couldn't believe their eyes when the 6ft 1 England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, came out of the goal in order to punch the ball away, but meanwhile Maradona beat him to it, punching the ball into the net. After the game the Argentinian confessed: 'I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came... I told them 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'' The whole scenario exposed Maradona as quite the Sneaky McSneakerson, and England's 1986 manager exclaimed the so-called 'hand of God' was actually 'the hand of a rascal'. However some would say he redeemed himself with the 'Goal of the Century', a title voted for in 2002 by Fifa.com, which he scored a mere 3 minutes after the controversy had kicked off. Having dribbled around 6 England players, and lastly Shilton himself, Maradona secured the winning goal of the match.
The inaccuracy of the referee's decision to give that goal, and the dishonesty of Maradona, cost England a shot at World Cup glory. Needless to say, the nation felt cheated out of their chance to win, as Argentina then went on to win the final against West Germany. This is a classic example of where football is going wrong. It seems to me that it's one of the only sports that lacks simple sportsmanship and polite etiquette towards other players, the referee and the actual rules. A player who is willing to cheat his way through the World Cup is not a team-player, never mind a true sportsman. Years later Maradona admitted: 'I don't for a second regret scoring that goal with my hand', proving to the world his fraudulent attitude to the game. The common football tactic today is to dive and fall over whenever a player so much as comes within a metre of you: a technique which, to me, seems to be neglecting the fair competition of sportsmanship.
Maradona's 'hand of God' goal highlighted the notion of playing football in a way that disguises cheating from the referee, but it received so much publicity and some fans even recognize his conduct as legendary. Either way, the Argentina v. England quarter final on June 22nd 1986 only encouraged future rivalry between the two nations, arguably bringing more excitement to football.
What do you think? Is football in need of some manners? Or are players, like Maradona, just adding a more stimulating dimension to the game through sly and deceptive tactics?
Spectators and players couldn't believe their eyes when the 6ft 1 England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, came out of the goal in order to punch the ball away, but meanwhile Maradona beat him to it, punching the ball into the net. After the game the Argentinian confessed: 'I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came... I told them 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'' The whole scenario exposed Maradona as quite the Sneaky McSneakerson, and England's 1986 manager exclaimed the so-called 'hand of God' was actually 'the hand of a rascal'. However some would say he redeemed himself with the 'Goal of the Century', a title voted for in 2002 by Fifa.com, which he scored a mere 3 minutes after the controversy had kicked off. Having dribbled around 6 England players, and lastly Shilton himself, Maradona secured the winning goal of the match.
 |
| Wayne Rooney diving: Is honesty the best policy? |
Maradona's 'hand of God' goal highlighted the notion of playing football in a way that disguises cheating from the referee, but it received so much publicity and some fans even recognize his conduct as legendary. Either way, the Argentina v. England quarter final on June 22nd 1986 only encouraged future rivalry between the two nations, arguably bringing more excitement to football.
What do you think? Is football in need of some manners? Or are players, like Maradona, just adding a more stimulating dimension to the game through sly and deceptive tactics?
No comments:
Post a Comment