Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale: Is He Really "That Kind of Player"?
"3 - Only three of the five yellow cards Gareth Bale has received this season have been for simulation. Mythbusting.
โ OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 1, 2013"
Is it really mythbusting or is it the proof in the pudding? ย Gareth Bale has only had five yellows this season, yet the majority of them have been for that most loathsome part of the game (for some), diving. ย On Boxing Day the Spurs player went in the book for simulation for the third time in five games, earning him a one-match ban which sees him miss the New Year's Day match against Reading. ย After the match, a furious Bale told reporters:
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"ย โItโs the same thing every time. Itโs the third time Iโve been clipped this season and Iโve been booked for no reason again. Itโs one of those things. Thereโs nothing I can do about it. Referees have to look closer I think."
โItโs not something Iโm doing, itโs people thinking Iโm diving when there is actually contact. At the end of the day if there is contact then itโs a penalty or free-kick. If there is contact and I fall over, what am I expected to do, hit my head on the floor?โ
"
Is Bale the victim here? ย Let's take a look:
Is that a dive or a penalty? ย Gareth Bale is 6'1 and weighs about 160 pounds, has been trained at the highest level to maintain body control when running at a high speed, yet he fell to the ground when a defender appeared to brush the right side of his body. ย
You be the ref: ย Dive or penalty? ย Did Bale deserve his one match ban? ย







