On Fri, 16 Jul 1999, Enrique Diaz-Alvarez wrote:
> use it to your advantage. I don't know where Americans got this notion
> that soccer is a fair play, gentlemanly sport.
Americans don't have that notion. They all agree with you.
You are completely right that the ethic of soccer is that the player should do anything to win. But it's also that the ref should be independent of FIFA and the US.
As for toeing the line being a dead-letter, that's certainly the mainstream American line in the wake of this incident, but it's not true. *Toeing* the line, yes, no one does that anymore. Marching up to the ball, no, no one's gotten away with that anywhere else.
Michael
__________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com