ULSAN, South Korea (Reuters) - Brazil's Rivaldo has said he used his 'experience' to get Turkey's Hakan Unsal sent off during the World Cup group C match in which he was caught playacting on the stadium's big screen.
Rivaldo clutches his face and chest in 'agony' after being struck by the ball on the legs (Allsport)
Hakan Unsal was dismissed in the last minute of the match after kicking the ball at Rivaldo, who was waiting to take a corner.
The ball clearly hit Rivaldo, who sealed Brazil's 2-1 victory with a late penalty, in the midriff but the Barcelona player fell backwards in apparent agony clutching his face.
The whole incident was shown in close-up on the stadium's big screen and boos echoed around the ground.
'My experience counts,' Rivaldo said. 'I think he deserved to be sent off, of course he didn't get me in a place where I could be hurt. But you don't do the sort of thing he did so he deserved the sending-off.'
This type of act is more common in soccer, but is found in all sports. It can tactfully be called "bending the rules".
Do you think this kind of act is an ingenious piece of gamesmanship, or is it out and out cheating? If the World Cup was on the line, the game was tied, and someone had the opportunity to win a penalty for their side by making something look worse than it did, should they do it? Or, in the age of "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing", is there still such a thing as "winning with honor"?
You guys decide. [img]smile.gif[/img]