There is a cloud hanging over this World Cup and Fifa must not ignore it | Stuart James | Soccer

T We used to make fun of the antics displayed by the nations of South America, or the histrionism of La Liga, wondering how the supporters supported all the game, but everyone was there. now including – and let's not kid ourselves – players from England. "Shithousery" is the word that circulates around these days. Others will simply know it as cheating and, unfortunately, it's the only cloud hovering over an otherwise brilliant World Cup in Russia.

Many people will have seen comical clips of Neymar on social media, showing him driving on highways and mountains and along country roads, following this series of exaggerated tumbles against Serbia. Yet, the Brazilian is far from being alone when it comes to feigning injuries and trying to deceive the officials.

The game was commonplace at this World Cup. It's become a cancer in the game, and not just a blemish, and Fifa needs to find a cure. One or the other instance of the world football confronts it, introducing harsher penalties and encouraging the referees to adopt a zero tolerance approach, or giving control to the players and resigned to the fact that the shithouserie is now an integral part of the game. What a depressing thought

What is clear at the moment is that it is the players and not the officials who are in charge. It was a crush at times in the hideous spectacle that happened as a World Cup knockout match between England and Columbia, especially the ridiculous – which lasts four minutes – time between Mark Geiger, the referee, penalizing Carlos Sánchez for what was a stonewall penalty and Harry Kane, showing nerves of steel, converting from the spot.

Half a dozen Colombian players surrounded Geiger, much like the way bullies harbad the vulnerable kid at school. There was no respect for the referee, and keep in mind that Sánchez, struggling with Kane in the area with the ball away from him, had been caught red-handed. Maybe Geiger should have been stronger and booked this band of Colombian players, one after the other. "I do not understand why referees endure violence in the face," writes Gary Lineker on Twitter. "Give them yellow cards and stop nonsense."

Why can not the referees do that? If players know that a warning is the mandatory answer to any officials' harangue, then the unacceptable scenes were played out in Moscow on Tuesday night, or at the end of Portugal's last day against Uruguay , while Ricardo Quaresma was nose to nose. nose with the Mexican referee and Cristiano Ronaldo shouted in his face, will surely disappear. If this is not the case, some of the players are bigger than we thought.

As for the game, this should be at the top of the Fifa agenda. The simulation is nothing new – the image of Rivaldo clinging to his face in 2002 after the ball hit him in the leg, or Jurgen Klinsmann jumping into the air during the World Cup final in 1990. Unfortunately, we have the impression of having dug new depths in Russia.

We can all shake Pepe's head when he collapses shamelessly after Moroccan Mehdi Benatia tapped him on the shoulder, but the reality is that international Portugal is just a clown in a circus much bigger. Colombia, for sure, was a shame against England, unrecognizable to the team that lit up the World Cup four years ago.

But take off your three lions shirt for a while, put down your jack union flag, look at the game again and the England players were not angels. Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire (and, yes, the Leicester defender at least raised their hand after making a fall) were part of those exaggerated or feigned contacts.

Gareth Southgate was interviewed by a Russian journalist on the conduct of England. who suggested to him that the current generation of players, unlike the team whose manager had been part of in the 90s, "falls every time the wind blows". Southgate, a dignified man working in an outrageous game, responded, "Maybe we're getting a little smarter.So we're playing now by the rules of the rest of the world." I thought there was many, many mistakes in the game and I do not think we conceded anywhere near the number of our opponents.If we went down, that's because we were fouled. "[19659004LeavingasidethelastcommentwhichSouthgatehastosayinthecircumstancestheEnglishmanagerwasbrutallyhonestIt'sagamewhereeverythingishappeningnowwhereperfectingthedarkerartsisasmuchaskillasperformingaprettytwoandwherecheatingispbadedasbeingstreetwiseAsSouthgatesuccinctlyputsit:"Weplaynowaccordingtotherulesoftherestoftheworld"

In fact, it sometimes follows a lawless skulduggery game. And, quite frankly, who can blame England for getting your hands dirty and feeling that the next round is a better place than high morals. If you can not beat them, join them.

What is more and more clear now is that there are a lot of players – Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Neymar immediately come to mind – who do not care about their cheating. watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world, badyzed in television studios by international alumni, and highlighted and ridiculed on social media.

To be clear, these are not models. , not the footballers. But are not these players proud of the way they behave on the pitch?

This same video is also watched by 13 officials who have access to 33 cameras in a control room. in Moscow, where they play the roles of video badistant referees – and you can probably see where this line of thinking goes. Does not it happen to a point where the only way to counter a blatant cheating is to extend the field of video technology beyond fixing 'obvious and obvious mistakes' in the changing situations "and intervene in the game?

The difficulty, of course, is that the interpretation of some incidents – whether at the time or even retrospectively the next day – can be highly subjective and there are occasions when only the player knows it's fake

Anyway, something needs to be done. Fifa, at the very least, must show a determination to fight the disease. Public servants must be stronger. And here is a revolutionary thought: what would you say that players also take some responsibility in their actions.