Tumbling Exercises

One amusing feature of the World Cup for the occasional soccer watcher is the prevalence of spectacular falls by players who happen to get a foot stepped on or ankle clipped.  I awarded 4.5 points for degree of difficulty to one player who cartwheeled a few times yesterday, and added another 2.5 for artistic expression for his realistic impression of someone rolling about in agony.  Of course he was up and playing again in a few seconds.

Oddly enough, nothing like that happens when players in football or basketball get hurt, though usually they cannot return to the game.

To digress, I thought England looked impressively efficient in its demolition of Panama.  Of course the defense was not the best.  Harry Kane got a somewhat freakish hat trick on the basis of two penalty kicks and a (probably accidental) heel clip on a ball that likely would have gone in regardless.  Have to see how England's sometimes shaky defense will hold up against tougher competition.

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