As you know, my son's brother in law is the national team goalie for the WC. He was telling me that in one of the frigid qualifying games, either Mexico or Canada, the opposing goalie actually got hyperthermia. Soccer should NOT be played in the snow and below freezing. Heading the ball becomes a concussion due to loss of elasticity in the ball. So not just that there is very little protection in soccer, so many collisions hurt and easily result in injury.
If you watched some of the fouls, when someone steps on your foot with hard plastic cleats or steps on your achilles, it hurts, and I have had a broken bones in my foot and a dislocated toe from other people's boots/cleats kicking me or stepping on my achilles. I assume that would you as well, as they are human as well. I was standing next to someone on the soccer field when their achilles broke. Very loud snap.. . surgery required the next day. . .
So some of them are acting to influence the ref, but most of the contact actually hurts a lot.
retired soccer guy
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