Would have been an impossible call to make, but sure seems like Portugal would have been better off not sticking with Ronaldo all tournament long. Just doesn't seem like he's got the legs anymore to really shine at highest level. Better options sitting on the bench while they are dying for a goal.
No, diving will only get you so far. You still have to be highly skilled and have an elite understanding of the game to be a great soccer player. There are dive artists but they often get calls in the first half or so of a game until a good center figures out they are being duped and then they give the benefit of the doubt to the defense.
I concede that there are a lot of not so good refs who don't figure it out.
There already is a rule in soccer that a dive results in a yellow card. How consistently it's enforced is of course another matter but I can recall multiple occasions where it's resulted in a second yellow and gotten someone sent off.
Really, who besides Konrardy even has an argument? Even with the ones that left, there were few who would have been 1st team based on last year's production. Brahmer and Hansen would be the closest with perhaps Means on defense? The CB's and Safeties were all coming off injuries.
We don't have successful Big 12 talent returning and, really, wouldn't have had a lot of first team returning with no turnover. We would have ad a lot more 2nd and 3rd teamers, however.
