Game fixing

"Both teams were through pretty much, so there was nothing to play for," he said. "We just told our players, if the other team has the ball at the back, just don't press them. There's no reason to run around and kill yourselves during this event.

"I do understand that in terms of the event, you have to play the game. But the result was meaningless. We weren't match fixing."

Did the scores from their match matter to other teams in terms of their placements?
 
Wez said:
"Both teams were through pretty much, so there was nothing to play for," he said. "We just told our players, if the other team has the ball at the back, just don't press them. There's no reason to run around and kill yourselves during this event.

"I do understand that in terms of the event, you have to play the game. But the result was meaningless. We weren't match fixing."

Did the scores from their match matter to other teams in terms of their placements?
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Of course they did, it helps to read the whole article ;)
 
Both teams should be thrown out of the competition!! They denied the possibility(a very slim one) of Syracuse Development Academy to overtake them. All four teams played at the same time and with the "head-to-head" being tied for both (Ambassadors FC and Syracuse Development Academy) the only way Syracuse Development Academy to advance and overtake (SDA)is to win their game (which they did 4-1) and for Ambassadors FC to lose and have a final result of a goal differential that would equate to a -4........That would mean a loss by Ambassadors FC could have possibly been score of 0-6. Slim as it may be of that possibility...we will never know cause the two teams decided it would be in their best interest to do what they did....."match fixing".
 
Both teams should be kicked out of the competition. The coaches from both teams should get a lifetime ban from nationals and USSoccer should pull its girls academy allocation from Carlsbad.
 
how many parents would really want their kids to work that hard to beat a team 6-0 when they're already through? Oh, and in 109 degree Texas heat... After all of the thousands of dollars to get a kid good enough to get to a national championship.
 
PaytoplayinLancaster? said:
how many parents would really want their kids to work that hard to beat a team 6-0 when they're already through? Oh, and in 109 degree Texas heat... After all of the thousands of dollars to get a kid good enough to get to a national championship.
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People still call it a "National Championship" when all the top teams are in ECNL?

How many parents want their kids to stand around and do nothing for a hour and half when they are supposed to be COMPETING? It's not like LA Galaxy SD gave little effort, they gave zero effort.
 
Wow. That's just awful. What's funny is watching the ref in that clip. Hustling to get in position and running around like he's calling an actual game while the players stand and roll the ball at each other (one of them is practically sitting in the background).
 
And Duggan is the club director (LA galaxy San Diego)...not very nice to the girls either. I don't understand why US soccer would want a man like this representing. Who pays the fine? Duggan? Or are the parents supposed to cover this too?
 
Makes perfect sense to me they did that. I have no issue with it. The tournament is/was the goal, not the game. The game was like a play in a regular game.

I also would not calling it fixing. It was obvious what they were doing and withing the rules. Fixing is not obvious, and generally matters only when they are betting.
Still - it was the tournament win that was the goal. They used what they thought was the best strategy to win the tournament. No one wanted to give that up.

This has been going on for a while in SoCal and I expect the world. Throw your game because you prefer one opponent over the other.

Sometimes you back off - on purpose so you are stronger another day. Going full gas all the time is a mistake in many sports.
 
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Zoro said:
This has been going on for a while in SoCal and I expect the world. Throw your game because you prefer one opponent over the other.
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I thought this was all about development for the kids and I wasn't aware there were multi-billion dollar revenue deals riding on the results, that would compel you to stage a bogus game.
 
Wez said:
I thought this was all about development for the kids and I wasn't aware there were multi-billion dollar revenue deals riding on the results, that would compel you to stage a bogus game.
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It is not a bogus game. It is a step on the way to the finals. If you want to win the trophy/the title - you play for the trophy, not the steps along the way. If the kids had thought of this, I'd be more impressed. It also happens all the time. Teams will play bench to keep fresh players for later (like final). It sometimes backfires. But it is not about playing your hardest at all times as much as it is playing your best - and that involves the brain.
 
Makes you proud to be apart of those organizations...NOT!

I hope with all that heat there was enough of that good ol' LAG Kool Aid to go around.
 
How'd that strategy work out for Duggan? Rubbish. So Zoro, the goal is not the game? The goal is the tournament?
How about you test yourself every time you step on the field? The fact a coach would promote or even allow that mentality is shamefull.
 
Yes the goal is the tournament.

Just like while clean sheets are nice the goal is win the game. A GK might want a 0-0 over a 4-3 win, but a team player GK will take the 4-3 win. I can, and DD can tell you stories about that choice being made. Play to allow more goals so that your team will score even more goals. Same with games. Give one up, tie, rest best players, work on touches, make your opponents over confident, even lose so you can beat them later - finals maybe.

You test yourself every practice. Practice was far harder than games / races for both my kids. In a competition - you play to win. Just because you are on the field you don't gain rights to do things that were wrong anyway (like spit, be offensive, be violent). But at the same time the outcome and what should happen is left to the referee. Players and coaches should figure out how to win. Players should be kind, polite and play for whatever the prize is.

If it is a World Cup - you play for that. No one cares about pool play. If it is a season game where every game counts - win that game. If the games are back to back, same day, maybe take it a bit easy on game 1 so you just win by 1 goal and have the energy to win game 2.

None of this is an ethics, moral or character thing. Don't cheat, be honest and use your brain. Lose, tie, or win when needed to get that trophy.

This happens all the time in elite club soccer.

Again - don't cheat, don't do things not allowed outside of soccer. But once in the competition - just win and leave the judgement to the officials.
 
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