Whether or not Liam Reddy's glove brushed Patricio Perez's boot has become the talking point that has set this season of the A-league afire. But our dear pundits you have been talking about the wrong thing entirely, because Perez didn't cheat until after he fell down.
Whether or not there was contact between Reddy's glove and Perez's boot, it seems pretty conclusive that there was not enough contact to constitute a foul. Incidental contact is allowed in football.
Patricio Perez cheated when he was already on his back, when he turned his head and raised his arm to signal a foul that never happened. Perez may well be the league's first victim of a harsh new reality, but Perez did not shake his head at the ref; he did not signal that there was no foul. He acted as though he had been fouled and Mr Breeze was deceived accordingly. That is the crucial incident. It is important that the FFA acted in accordance with its new rules.
Why is it important? Because the rule against diving recognises the fundamental principle that players, not referees, are primarily responsible for the fair conduct of the match. Diving breaches that fundamental principle. Diving is also a breach of the FFA code of conduct, because it always brings the game into disrepute.
And while debate will rage on about whether Perez should have been given the opportunity to put his case (and I think he should have), it seems likely that, in this case, nothing Perez could have argued would change the outcome. Because the contact was not the issue, his appeal and the converse failure to disclaim the foul was the relevant incident of cheating.
This is harsh, yes, but not unduly so. It's certainly no harsher than sending off and suspending a player who reflexively blocks a goal by raising his or her arm.
And frankly, it's time that all of the players in the A-league played with their responsibility to the game in mind. There is an unwritten rule that is well observed amongst kids and amateurs across the country that you disclaim any incidents that provide an unfair advantage.
If it's good enough for 12 year olds and Sunday leaguers, it's good enough for professional footballers. If A-league players do not observe the spirit of the game, they must accept the consequences of being found out, without complaint.
And yes, ideally that would include incidents such as Chris Payne's second goal in Sydney's 4:2 win against Wellington last season. If the FFA's stance means an unprecedented outbreak of Adam Gilchrist like honesty in order to avoid being labelled a cheat, then that is fantastic.
Our game and our league will benefit immensely for it.
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I hesitate to blame referees, but in this instance, Mr Breeze should not escape censure.
It was not his fault that he was deceived by Perez's dive and appeal, but everything that happened thereafter rests solely with him. There are simply no excuses for an A-league referee to either not know or otherwise ignore the laws of the game. A referee that ignores or cannot differentiate between a "careless" incident and "using excessive force" or between Perez having a clear goalscoring opportunity and Perez dribbling the ball away from goal with a 6 yard box packed with defenders, should not be in charge of a match in the A-league.
By sending Reddy off quite wrongly, Mr Breeze ruined the game as a spectacle. He denied the fans what they had paid their money for; a fair contest between two evenly matched teams. The fans were right to be angry with him.
Hopefully the FFA is as well.
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Now, where does that leave Sydney FC? We sure as hell copped the worst of this deal; we lost a player and 2 points that were looking pretty secure. Perez's suspension hasn't changed that one jot and the FFA assisting the Mariner's next 2 opponents by suspending him doesn't help us either.
But there were plenty of good signs last week and the optimist in me suggests that two wins off first, is a place not so different to where we found ourselves last November after 3 consecutive losses. We all know how that turned out.
I think we might have our back line sorted. After a shocking start to the season, Byun was quite deservedly the man of the match. Didn't he need that! Similarly, the return of Shannon Cole to the starting line up restored much needed balance to our transition and attack. Whilst the prospect of McFlynn and Ryall rampaging down the right wing probably did have our opponents wetting themselves, it wasn't for the reasons Sydney fans would prefer. One suspects that a good defensive performance next week will set the scene for a rapid rise up the ladder in September.
And finally, we have our striker situation sorted out. It's been a right debacle actually and if there is one area Sydney HQ must sort out before the ACL gets underway, it's our overseas scouting. Whoever selected Thiam to trial with Sydney needs a good talking to, but hopefully Bruno is our man. Right now, he'd better be!
Next week cannot come quickly enough. Adelaide and Sydney have history, but for Sydney to have a future this season, 3 points is a must. Get yourself along to the game, because this one should be a cracker.
