'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Diving, simulation or evasive action – no matter what you call it, it has become a shortcut to success for footballers of the modern era. The rules are simple – if you are successful in deceiving the arbitrator, you gain the upper hand. If you fail to do so, you receive a customary yellow card. The punishment seems quite less if weighed on a scale of significance, hence footballers tend to risk it.
Though a dive is highly disregarded in football, something which taints your reputation, there has been no shortage of dives in world football. Like a disease that’s there to stay, it’s contagious. However, on quite a few occasions, the dive which players attempt may not have ended the way they’d have wanted it to. How can one possibly explain as to why he was seen clutching his face for absolutely no reason, why were his arms flailing in the air as he went down after tripping on his own leg? There are good dives, bad dives and last but not the least, the hilarious dives. And this article all but sums up what we feel are the most hilarious dives in football. Sit back, relax, and enjoy as we ‘dive’ into the world of simulation.
Number 10
Talk about a better way to win a penalty. This dive had elements of genius too. After being clouded by two players, the referee’s angle was completely blocked. As the #18 crosses paths with the striker, his instinct asks him to take a tumble. But the way he goes down is hilarious. Seems more like someone chopped his leg off!
Number 9
Why is it that your instinct always tells you to grab your face and writhe in agony when you are face to face with your opponent? Answers on a postcard please. This is not only shocking but downright hilarious. Oli here has a simple message for the keeper – Please brush your teeth regularly.
Number 8
Patrick Vieira is one of the legends of world football that needs no introduction. But can someone please explain to him how gravity works? If you’re tripped by your opponent, you go flying into the air and don’t tumble to the ground.
Number 7
One of my personal favorites. If you were the referee, how would you react to this? Seeing two grown men down in agony in what seemed more like a kiss. Or maybe this was a kiss gone wrong, you never know! I’m going to leave this one for you, the readers. Caption the 7th one in the comments section below!
Number 6
Talk about a legend going down.. a bit too easily I suppose. Rivaldo stands at the corner flag, clearly exhausted by the Korean heat. A Turkish player decides to kick the ball at Rivaldo out of frustration, which clearly hits his foot. And what does the great Rivaldo do? Knowing that the linesman is RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, he goes down in pain with his hands on his face. Really Rivaldo? Really?
Number 5
I guess the caption apt for this would be, “I must go, the earth needs me.”
In anticipation of the tackle by the oncoming defender, can someone tell Davies here that he is a bit too early to react?
Number 4
This is a recent one, taken from Brazil’s semi-final game against Uruguay in the Confederations Cup. Who else but new Barcelona recruit Neymar stole the show for the ‘dive of the game’! Walter Gargano just shrugs Neymar off, and what does he do? He’s taken aback, realizes he’s on his way down and decides to clutch his face. Perhaps this is just a warm-up routine for his introduction to European football.
So this is it, we’re in the top three. Let’s just ‘dive’ right in shall we?
Number 3
Peekaboo, I see you!
Sergio Busquets goes down clutching his face, and how better to round it up by having the audacity to take a peek at what course of action the referee’s going to take?! He was able to deceive the referee, but not this wily cameraman. All this needs is some nice video editing skills to make it look like a scene from some woods where Sergio acts dead to evade a brown Bear. Well done Busquets, your father must be very proud of you.
Number 2
This is what happens when you decide to ‘take one for the team’. Can anyone explain what made him just shove his opponent’s hand into his own face? That’s one way to draw a foul and give your opponent his marching orders, but once the match is done with, he sure had some explaining to do.
Number 1
This is sure to leave you speechless; at least I am. Captions for this one as well? Please enlighten us in the comments section below.
