US - Women's soccer gets dirty

Totally totally agree. These people are professionals (or at least adults) and young children look up to them and try to emulate them. I'd rather my son emulate David Beckham than Vinnie Jones (ok maybe out of date but then I am).

But illegal moves are illegal for a reason. They can cripple people. And that ain't sport in my book.

If they want to beat 6 bells out of each other, then they should take up something like boxing or cage fighting.

I witness this on a weekly basis as my DS plays footie at a high level.  After seeing him being carted off in an ambulance twice last year (first was a deliberate, two footed leg breaking tackle which broke his leg requiring surgery, and the other was just an unfortunate tackle that saw DS hitting his head on the hard ground - no fault for that one as DS instigated the tackle.) I have no desire to watch football at all.   I've seen head butting, punching, hitting, kicking while the player is down and bench-clearing brawls.  Sometimes, the ref is on top of things and it is tolerable but other times, the ref might as well ring a bell and let them go at it, for all the good they do.  I have no faith anymore that my son's safety is assured so I'd rather not go and watch.   It's just too stressful.     

Wow MrsPink! I don't blame you for not watching. Stressful just reading your descriptions.

I realise the refs can't see everything but the coaches have a lot to answer for. They know.

I remember one of my coaches, oh so many decades ago, that would bench us if we pulled some stupid stunt on the field.

I remember one of my coaches, oh so many decades ago, that would bench us if we pulled some stupid stunt on the field.

Sadly, that just isn't done here.