Canada soccer fans are furious with diving Argentina players
The Canadian Men's National Team shocked the football world as they advanced to the Copa America semifinal in their tournament debut. However, their Cinderella story came to an end on Tuesday night as they were shut out by reigning World Cup champions Argentina.
While Canada was outmatched on the pitch by an uber-talented squad, not everyone was impressed with the play of Argentina, especially when it came to fouls called against Les Rouges.
Referees called a total of five fouls against Argentina throughout their 2-0 victory. In contrast, Canada committed 15 fouls over the 90 minutes.
During the course of the game, soccer fans took to social media to express their frustration, accusing Argentine players of taking dives and embellishing.
"The ref is buying all the shit Argentina are selling," one frustrated fan wrote.
Another urged officials to start punishing diving.
That Canada Argentina game was a great example of why players dive:
— Ciarán (@RealCiarbo) July 10, 2024
Fouls given for minimal contact on defenders.
Nobody getting booked for diving.
Start punishing this nonsense and players will stop diving.
Meanwhile, fan frustration hit its peak when Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul fell on the pitch, exaggerating the extent of tackles, multiple times.
One X user called the player's antics "embarrassing."
Someone else sarcastically asked if he'd recover from a Stephen Eustaquio tackle in which he was barely touched.
One user suggested a rule change based on the repeated incidents, arguing that those caught diving via instant replay should be penalized.
Another jokingly turned the moment Canada midfielder Ismael Kone received a yellow card for tapping the ball into De Paul's back a Canadian Heritage Minute.
I have no idea how players like De Paul can look themselves in the mirror. It's really sad and pathetic.pic.twitter.com/4b2abnrYut
— JABO Vancouver (@jabo_vancouver) July 10, 2024
Even Spanish-speaking users got in on the action, making memes of their own.
With 2021 Copa America winners Argentina securing their spot in Sunday's final, Canada will face the loser of tonight’s Uruguay-Colombia game on Saturday in a bronze medal game.
Finally, one fan offered Canadian players a piece of advice for their next international match, suggesting they use similar tactics. "Canada's soccer teams needs to learn how to embellish and dive more like the Argentina's club," they wrote.
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TSN
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