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A not-at-all merciful article from ESPN:
Dida - Can he be taken seriously?
I've touched on players cheating in the past, but what I witnessed at Celtic Park in the UEFA Champions League simply stunned me. Along with Shep Messing, I was fortunate enough to be ESPN's commentator as the Bhoys took on the European Champions.
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Dida: Time for a nice lie down after a hard night treading the boards in Glasgow.
The game can be summarised in three parts, an uneventful first half, a better second with a great finish and that moment of pure theatrics in the 90th minute. I will never forget the two minutes which followed.
AC Milan keeper Dida's sublime piece of acting would have made renowned Scottish thespian Sean Connery proud. The only thought spoiling the sheer entertainment value of the whole farce was an underlying fear that German referee Markus Merk may actually buy the thing, and abandon the game. After all there was previous form.
Let me take you back 30 months. A Champions League Milan derby. Dida was hit by a flare thrown by an Inter nutcase after Merk had just disallowed Esteban Cambiasso's goal for no obvious reason. Dida was substituted and the game eventually called off. Milan were awarded the victory.
Before I return to the Samba Star in Glasgow, let me qualify. 27-year-old Celtic Robert McHendry was stupid to run on the pitch after Scott McDonald had hit the winner. I understand the emotion of the Celtic 'fan' as I too have been 'right in the moment'. Just two years ago my beloved Middlesbrough pulled off a remarkable four goal comeback after trailing Steaua Bucharest 3-0 in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final.
All professionalism was lost when I jumped onto the press box desk, crying and dancing like a babbling buffoon as Massimo Maccarone wheeled away in celebration at completing the breathtaking 4-3 victory in the dying embers of the game. But I didn't run down the stairs, onto the pitch to commiserate keeper Alberto Carlos with a playful tap.
Thinking about it, I probably wouldn't have been fast enough to get past the portly security man.
It is against the law in the UK for spectators to enter the 'Field of Play' during a sporting match. McHendry has been banned for life by his beloved club and he'll be hit hard in court. He deserves it. But punishment must come the way of Dida's defence. How Massimo Oddo failed to pick up the meandering invader or why Daniele Bonera left his keeper so exposed is beyond belief. Rank bad defending.
Seriously though, what really concerns me are Dida's actions. I watched the incident live; I have also watched countless replays from four different camera angles. Add to this the amount of close scrutiny Georgie Bingham and I gave the incident as we anchored 'Sportscenter'. It is clear to me that Dida was caught by a 'playful tap' no higher than on the base of his neck.
His instinctive reaction to run after the guy and throttle him gave the game away - which had he done, by the way, would have resulted in a red card for the keeper, but my refereeing background makes me digress. Only when the brain kicked in did Dida go down, but unfortunately go down holding an area six inches too high.
When the emergency services arrived the ice pack was hilariously applied even higher, to the temple. Fantastic samba slap-stick stuff. And when the stretcher was called for, I nearly wet myself with laughter. I was just waiting for the four circus clowns to arrive in the ambulance, apply the brake only to see the doors fall off in a puff of smoke. This stuff really should have been saved for the Theatre Royal, not wasted on Celtic Park.
Okay, I know it could have been far more serious than it was. What if the guy had intended to hurt him? What if he had been carrying a weapon? As I've said, Mr McHendry deserves all that is coming his way. But without wanting to sound like I condone his stunt, it was only a mere flick to the collarbone.
Empics
Acting 101: Dida gives us his 'confused' face.
So what about Dida? What I am not saying is that his thoughts went back to the Milan derby in 2005 and he deliberately tried to have the Glasgow game called off. However, there are major doubts to the integrity of his actions. His mind must have been full of all kinds of stuff ticking over at a tremendous rate. 'Has that just really happened?' 'Should I get him?', 'Do I fall?', 'Have I just lost the game for my team?' And, of course, 'We did get the three points awarded at the San Siro before, didn't we?'
There's no mistaking the fact that Dida is one of the world's great keepers, and, hey I would certainly have him at Boro as a number two to Mark Schwarzer. But I am now left with a few questions of my own. 'Can he now be taken seriously?' And, 'Will UEFA do the European game justice and hit him hard?'
They should. After all it was an act of simulation, and referees have had it hammered home by the very same body to clamp down on cheating!
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As a milan fan, I think we should all support Dida. Ok, he did it wrong, and perhaps it may be worthy to write a column on it.
But don't just forget what happen to him before that guy hit him. Boy, Dida feels to certain extent guilty of the conceded goal, and he thought that the best way to win it is by stimulation!
Out of positive: He loves Milan to the extent of even going for simulation!
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Then there is this question: Why is that fan allowed to provoke in the first place? Umm.. this is something we should EQUALLY focused on, yet people like to pick on Dida, AGAIN.
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