IU Soccer Team Loses to Denver: the Sport is Not very Fair, therefore Wrong

    I have sour grapes for this result, for sure. I love it when we win, but it does not seem fair too often, especially because Indiana men tend not to foul as much as their opponents. 

    I thought that the men were playing today, Sunday, instead of yesterday Saturday. Yesterday was a big day of American football. My Indiana Hoosiers finished out a historical season, pounding Purdue 66-0, to get to be 11-1 and likely earned a place in the College Football Championship. Top twelve teams! BYU held on to beat Houston, 30-18, and even though they came up short of the Big Twelve Championship, the Cougs were a couple of errant passes away from perfection; they rocked a few boats around the country. A very good year at 10-2. They should get a respectable bowl and opponent, even though they came up short of what many of us thought they could accomplish by mid-October. But, there were too many close wins and close losses. They maximized a few good wins, I would say.

    But this post is about Indiana men's soccer.

    Alas! We lost to Denver, not sure what their nickname is, as they do not have a major football team, nor a very successful basketball program. They are doing well in soccer, now in the Elite 8, but here is my problem with the game that they beat IU: fouls disparity.

    I was chagrined, non-plussed, disappointed,  because I followed this team somewhat closely this fall. They had some really good players that were hoped to come out on top.  They started slow in August and September, then they came on strong as expected, gangbusters, winning a Big Ten Championship, or at least tied for it, although losing in the conference tourney to ... Michigan. But no worries, they proved they could beat any of them.

    They started out the 48-team tournament with a bye, then came back and beat regional foe Akron, I believe coached by a former IU player and maybe assistant coach. 

    Then: Denver.

    Here's my problem. Both teams had few shots on goal, and only Denver got the one. I checked the fouls per team. Denver 18, Indiana 3.

    Not 6-3, 9-3, or 12-3. Not two to one, three to one, four to one. SIX to one ratio of fouls

    Uhh... Am I supposed to think this was a fair result?

    In a game that has yellow and subsequent red cards, removing people from the game field?

    Another year with no championships, Todd Yeagley, a year or two younger than me, still has time to win a few more.

    But with the disparity in fouls as it is now? I have blogged about this unfair problem in the game before. Can we stop this?

    I hate it. I wish Indiana could win, of course, but I wish the game would reflect the quality or poor quality of those that play it. IU tied Evansville earlier a month or so ago, and the disparity was glaring. Not right!

    Anyway, maybe next year.

    Go Hoosiers! We shall see if Stanford or a traditional favorite will win the College Cup. Maybe Denver? I hope that they do not have to foul that much to get there. Dirty dirtiness...

    That was it for 2024. Goodbye, but not so good as it turned out.

    Something needs to change.