At the end of the 2011 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match between the United States and Brazil, Brazilian forward Erika went down without being touched and played dead for about four minutes before she was stretchered off the field. Upon being carried off the field, she ran right back onto the field to a chorus of boos. In the men’s World Cup last year, the crowd was over players faking injuries by the quarterfinals. In the Women’s World Cup, Erika’s faking was a rare atrocity.
What Everyone Watching The Women’s World Cup Knew, Confirmed: The Ladies Cheat Less Than The Guys
That’s because, as Wired points out, female footballers fake injuries less often than men do. By a lot.
There’s some simulation in the women’s game because, duh, there’s simulation in every sport ever invented, but it pales in comparison to the simulation in the men’s game. According to some folks who watched a bunch of games at Wake Forest University, the ladies go down half as often, and when they do go down, it’s much more likely to be a real injury.
So, next time you see Neymar or Cristiano Ronaldo hit the deck, don’t call them demeaning names that imply that they’re feminine. The girls are a hell of a lot tougher (and more honest) than they are.
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