World Class Sportsmanship, and Then There’s Neymar
As with most professional team sports, fouling is an accepted part of the game. A certain degree of unsportsmanlike contact is not only expected, but at times it is encouraged. Soccer is no exception, and with the World Cup swiftly closing in on the finals, everyone can now name a yellow card or continued play that still makes their blood boil.
Personally, I am no different than the thousands of people who have been passing rolling Neymar memes across every page of the internet. We can accept a foul, even an unfair one, that is sacrificed by a desperate player that knows taking a yellow for the team is worth stopping a dangerous counterattack. What we can’t stand, is the pathetically dramatic dive that has come to plague an otherwise amazing sport. Don’t get me wrong, Neymar is by no means the only interpretive dancer on the field, but he is one of the all time greats.
The reason we can’t stand this type of play is because it grates against every single fiber of understanding and appreciation of sportsmanship we have. To watch someone so clearly, and from at least three different high-definition angles, fake a foul in a sad attempt to draw a game-changing penalty kick from the referee is infuriating. Fortunately for everyone’s blood pressure, Neymar was unable to fake his way to victory, like so many others have attempted in this tournament. Thankfully, we have instead seen great sportsmanship persevere throughout the competition.
Sportsmanship like what we saw from the Swedish team, who after the match came to comfort the Swiss player, Ajanji, whose own goal allowed the Swedish team to continue into the final eight.
Or how about when the Belgian striker, Lukaku, did the exact opposite of what most players do and argued with the ref to NOT award Belgium a penalty when he made contact with the Tunisian goalkeeper on a break away in the group stages.
This most honorable conduct is not limited to what happens on the field. Let’s not forget that the the Japanese fans regularly stay behind in the stadiums they visit and pick up trash left behind by the fans, whether their team wins or loses. And we must acknowledge the Japan team who cleaned up their locker room, leaving it spotless and adorned with a thank you note, after suffering an enormous loss to Belgium after leading 2–0 at the end of the first half.
Likewise, the 19-year-old French superstar, Kylian Mbappe, has proven to us all that age has nothing to do with one’s ability to be a class act. Though he has done some diving of his own on the field, he has taken it upon himself to donate all of his World Cup earnings to Preiers de Cordees association, a charity that organizes sports activities for children with disabilities.
Sportsmanship and integrity are not defined by any one action, they are the sum total of all your actions over time. On the field or off the field, world class sportsmanship is what we should demand of world class athletes.
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