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My new least favorite player in MLS is Dario Sala, goalkeeper for FC Dallas. And it's not because he's old and incompetent--although he certainly is both of those things.

No, Sala earns this elite honor for his theatrical gifts. Did you catch his performance on Sunday against Kansas City? After Dallas managed a one-goal lead, Sala did everything short of defecate on the field to waste time.

Particularly disgraceful in this regard was his mock injury when Josh Wolf inadvertently nicked him while charging in on goal. The contact was exceedingly minimal, the kind of thing a three-year-old could brush off without shedding a tear. But Sala flopped around on the ground like he'd been beaten by the LAPD.

Now I realize that these kinds of shenanigans are an accepted part of play throughout most of the world. But that doesn't mean I have to accept it. I find Italian league matches--despite the incredible skill on display--almost unbearable to watch. The shameless prima donnas and spineless referees make for an excruciating mix. If the refs actually attempted to accurately tabulate the amount of time wasted during "injuries" each game would have at least 15 minutes of added time.

This is one aspect of the game that the U.S. doesn't need to import. If soccer players don't want to be perceived as pansies (as they are by so much of the U.S. sports media), then they shouldn't act like pansies.

Posted by Paul Demko at April 26, 2006 4:19 PM

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