GOM World Cup Diary #33 – Argentina March On… Again

Whatever Happened To Accepting The Decision?

There are some things in football you can set your watch by.

Supporters celebrating when their team scores.

Managers insisting they were the better side after losing.

And somebody, somewhere, claiming the referee cost them the match.

Last night’s quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland ticked all three boxes.

It took extra time to separate them after Switzerland had a player sent off, and when Argentina eventually found the winner, the Swiss players and supporters were left convinced that fortune – and perhaps the officials – had deserted them once again.

Maybe they had a point.

Maybe they didn’t.

The trouble with football is that once the final whistle blows, nobody ever agrees on the decisions.

One side watches the highlights and sees justice.

The other sees daylight robbery.

It’s funny how that works.

It made me think about how difficult it has become simply to accept a decision.

Not just in football.

In everyday life too.

We question referees.

We question umpires.

We question judges on television talent shows.

Half the country questions the weather forecast if it dares to rain on a bank holiday.

Somewhere along the line we’ve convinced ourselves that every decision we don’t like must automatically be the wrong one.

Sometimes, of course, officials do get it wrong.

They’re human.

They always have been.

The difference today is that every mistake is replayed from twelve different camera angles before the poor referee has even reached the dressing room.

Mind you, had I been wearing a Switzerland shirt last night, I’d probably have been shouting at the television, demanding replays and insisting somebody explain how on earth that decision was allowed to stand.

It’s remarkable how objective we become when it’s somebody else’s team.

Argentina, meanwhile, simply carried on playing.

Whether through quality, determination or a little help from the Football Gods, they found a way through.

Football rarely waits for the arguments to finish.

The game moves on.

Perhaps that’s the real lesson.

Life isn’t always fair.

Neither is football.

Sometimes all you can do is accept the decision, get on with it and hope the next one goes your way.

Anyway, what do I know?

I’m just a grumpy old man.

If you’ve got a better take, drop it below. If not, I’ll assume you’re an England fan.