Theatrics at World Cup not popular, at least in Canada

The World Cup in Russia has been rich in entertainment, showing soccer at its best.

But the beautiful game has also been a con game at times, with stars like Brazil’s Neymar frustrating with their theatrics as well as dazzling with their individual skills. Players go down at the slightest touch in search of a free kick or exaggerate a foul to have an opponent punished.

So are today’s crop of young soccer players in Canada going to follow Neymar’s example in attempting to deceive?

“I don’t believe it’s part of our culture,” said former Canadian national team captain Jason deVos, now technical director of the Canadian Soccer Association. “I just think that we’re too honest as Canadians. We view that sort of thing as trying to cheat the game, cheat the referee, try to gain an unfair advantage.”

“The Canadian culture wouldn’t tolerate that sort of behaviour,” echoed Canadian men’s coach John Herdman.

Neymar, who earns 2.7 million pounds (C$4.7 million) a month at Paris SaintGermain according to L’Equipe sports daily, came under fire for his histrionics in Brazil’s 2-0 round-of-16 win over Mexico.

The Brazilian rolled like a snowball going downhill when Miguel Layun, seemingly maliciously, stepped on his ankle when he went to pick up the ball.

KFC in South Africa ridiculed Neymar in an ad showing a player rolling out of the stadium and through town to a KFC restaurant where he finally gets up and orders with a smile to the tag line “Make a meal of it.”

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio, while not naming Neymar, was not so amused as he decried the antics on the World Cup pitch.

“We wasted a lot of time because of one single player,” Osorio said after the game. “I think this is a real shame for football, especially for kids who are watching because this has to be a sport of virility, of determination, a man’s sport, like other games, and not a charade.”

The issue is not always clear-cut, however.

Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney says evaluating incidents like the one involving Neymar in the Mexico game isn’t easy in spite of the bad optics.

“Clearly (Layun) steps on his ankle, but we all know it wasn’t that bad. But how bad was it?” he asked.

Play-acting aside, Neymar regularly takes his lumps when opposing players choose to hack him down to end an offensive threat. Switzerland committed 19 fouls in the opening-round 1-1 tie with Brazil, targeting Neymar 10 times.

And at five foot eight and 141 pounds, the 26-year-old is not exactly built like a brick house.

“It’s a very clear tactic and plan from a player that’s got quite a light frame and is small and gets targeted every game,” said Herdman. “It’s reverse psychology. You kick me, I’m going to roll around, I’m going to try and get you booked.”

Two bookings or yellow cards in the same game means an ejection in soccer.

Herdman remembers robust American striker Abby Wambach looking to get Canadian defender Kadeisha Buchanan booked early in a friendly in Winnipeg in a bid to force Buchanan to pull back on her normally physical play.

“That’s what Neymar does. He’s very smart at it,” said Herdman.