So young, so sophisticated, so cynical
I don't normally deal with teams this young. Part of it is that, outside of the State Cup (which this is) I had been focusing on adult games in order to upgrade - but even when I did youth games, I started out on the U15s and up, because was an adult and apparently had the temperament to deal with them (if not the skill).This year the State Cup is split into two locations, and the older games are far, far away, and it's just not feasible to do more than a couple; so I've been at the U15 and younger fields which is only 25 minutes away as opposed to two hours and 25 minutes. I know they're short of referees, but I've become old enough and cynical enough to state without regret that it's not my fault if they're short referees; if the two-year turnover rate is 70-80%, and the vast majority say they quit because of abuse, then I am quite happy to tell them where to stick their unfilled games.
Speaking of cynical, one of the teams I had was a U13 boys from the new superclub that formed over the winter. The new club merged the two most successful clubs, and added the local professional team. Aside from maybe the residential private school, there is probably little that, at least on paper, stand in their way. And these kids were good - not just in individual skill, but also in tactics and visual awareness. Most of the time when you have kids that age (and often older), you give them a wide berth because they'll kick it any which way; but they all knew where their other players were, had crisp and accurate passing and unselfish teamwork. I was going to put in something totally tasteless involving rabid US national team fans (which usually means rabid critics about how soccer is played in the US) and... well... something tasteless... but I think you're better off coming up with something from your own imagination to make yourself go, "Ewwww!"
However, with all the other professional-like play, there was also professional like cynical play. Lots of grabbing, subtle bumping, and diving. Diving? At 13? OK, sure - I was a real shit at 13 and diving was the least of my problems. But these were good dives; enough to make me go, "Hmmmm," but not enough for the actual call. You hate to call it looked practiced, but... all I can think of was the diving training commercial that was immediately attributed as being a slight to the Italians.
The thing was, he was good enough to wait until there was contact, so when I did book him in the second half (to much complaining by his coach), it wasn't because there was air (unlike the last time I booked someone for a dive), but because he not only went down far too easily, but also at the wrong angle given the "foul". And while he was the only one booked, other players went down in the first half and it didn't take long for me to think they were strategic moves.
After the game, the coach came over and said all the right words about how he teaches them not to dive, to play well and stuff like that. Well enough to make me doubt myself for a time - but the more I think about it, the more I feel better about the card. I know me; I know how much it takes me to book for simulation and this is only the third, maybe the fourth time I've done it. Further, as a team we talked about him at halftime and his play made all three of us think the same thing: we went down way too easily, way too many times. And let's say the coach is right, that he runs on his toes and tries to emulate the pros a little too much - then he know his next job is to teach him to team him to not go down that easily and get booked for it.