The unfriendliest friendly in recent memory
 

Just got home from the Sporting Lisbon (portugal) vs New England Revolution game...

Wow.

What a bunch of cheapshot artists, diving bastards and all around maggots Sporting Lisbon is. They tried the dive about 8-10 times early in the game, and the ref was pretty smart, and didn't fall for it. So, they figure that the ref's going to let em play, and they turn into a bunch of thugs.

Before the game was over (refs ended the game before the final whistle), FOUR Sporting Lisbon players had been sent off, one of the coaches of Sporting threw a punch at the referee, and there was a near riot brewing in the parking lot (the police were FLYING in to make sure it didn't break out as I left.

The Revs won 2-1, but wow. Just wow.

Quite a misnomer.

Ooo...that's a big word

A riot???

At a friendly???

In America?????

Boys, we have indeed finally arrived. :)

Well done!

Not too surprising. The Portuguese League teams are noted for their diving. They have perfected it to an art form. Porto used it to drive opponents crazy in their CL run this season.

Hell yes!

I haven't seen Porto yet this season but watched them a couple times in their UEFA Cup run last season, and they frustrated the hell out of me with all the diving. Looked like they were stealing tactics from an Argentinian team or something.

The Portugese make diving an art form... it's not just the domestic teams. Cristiano Ronaldo has been booked a number of times this year for Man Utd (and probably should have been a few more) for diving. Figo is impressive as well.

The Italians and Argentinians are pretty good, but from what I've seen nobody steps to the Portugese.