Like or loath him, you have to concede that Arjen Robben had made a big splash at this World Cup prior to the Dutch's last 16 game against Mexico.
3 sparkling performances had helped springboard Holland into the knockout stages, yet Arjen is facing a wave of criticism on the twittersphere over his actions in the dying minutes of that last 16 game.
Yet what most that choose to criticise fail to understand is what Arjen provided us during that game was a masterclass in diving, resulting in the perfect dive!
Example 1: the late and un-noticed dive
Late in the first half, Arjen is fed in on goal by his mate Robin and drives towards goal. As he does the Mexican form a pincer movement and attack our man from both the front and behind, yet so focused on the ball was Arjen he failed to anticipate the contact, meaning his eventual finishing dive was off time, rather limp and attracted little to no attention from the onlooking judges. Score 0/10 very poor effort!
Example 2: the tempter
We move into second half with the Dutch trailing and our man in control of the ball in front of two Mexican defenders outside the box.
The first key for Arjen is to get himself into the box and with a quickstep and a shuffle he's in the perfect position with ball moving slightly away from him and defenders legs isolated and stretched out beneath him.
Hoping he can attract a desperation flick from the defender, Arjen dangles himself like a carrot over the defender, but on this occasion he's not attracted by the bait being offered.
Having anticipated some contact would be forthcoming, Arjen realises mid flight he could look suspect and so makes movements so there is contact hoping for either a favourable and very fortunate decision or to at least install sufficient doubt in the referees mind to avoid a booking. Score 5/10 Some clever aspects, but lacking in end result.
Example 3: The perfect dive
Many would have been tempted to have given up at this stage having had 2 failed attempts prior and it being late in the game but not Arjen, no way!
The momentum has now sung Holland's way, he can feel it, he knows the opposition are feeling it which will cloud their decision aiming and he knows that this pressure can also affect the referee. He knows if he can make something happen inside the box, the referee will be more enticed to call it at this stage than any other (after all there's no way he will want an extra 30 minutes in this heat)!
Arjen also uses his previously failed attempts to his advantage. As he approaches the box in his usual power running style, our hero comes across one of the players in example 2, but because he wasn't tempted previously he ignores him and carries on to the byline.
It is then after a look up to acknowledge there is no Dutchman in the box that he spies Rafael MÃ rquez who he knows is an easy target. The guy has previous (not just in this game) and seeing the poor square on position he's taken in relation to himself, he knows all is needed is a simple poor touch inside to nowhere.
Alas, as soon as this touch is made this Rafael begins to lurch forward with a stray leg and the rest is pure poetry in motion. Arjen is so good in these situations he knew Rafael's leg was coming before Rafael did, he was primed and ready for it, ready to take flight into the dive at just the right point.
The contact was minimal, yet very evident. There was enough for the referee to notice, not too much to cause injury. Arjen then lifts his hands and his head in that motion that is well know by referees all the World over, it's that "look at me, I've been fouled pose" but the poise and the form on this from Arjen is something else.
The dive is not over stated, it's not over powering, it's the perfect balance of questioning designed to illicit the right feeling inside the referee to reach for his whistle and blow, it's like tapping the referee on the shoulder and whispering "have you seen what has happened here?"
There was barely a second between the point of contact and the pointing to the spot, the referees decision instant which should leave you in no doubt how good this was by Arjen. Score 10/10 simply brilliant Sir, the perfect dive!
You see the dive wasn't a case of someone just going into the box and falling over, no this was a dive of great skill, it was crafted from years of experience by a man who can only be described as an expert in this particular field, someone who knows his art inside out, knows how to connect with a referee and get the response he's after, whether he's impeded or not.
This was no 'Fred' dive, which was laughable for how bad it was even if it did get the desired result. No! This was a dive worthy of the World stage it was on, it was so good it's divided opinion, it's a dive that should, neigh, must be celebrated for how good it was.
After all it was a dive that got the most out of the given situation and probably most importantly of all, it was a dive that resulted in Holland having the chance to win the game.
The Armchair Supporter
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