Charlie Davies' Tie Dive

D.C. United’s beloved Charlie Davies has taken a small tumble from grace after being accused of taking a dive in Saturday’s game against the Galaxy.

Down 1-0, Davies found himself with the opportunity to draw a penalty, and so he did. While some countries call diving (or “flopping” in other sports) a necessary thing, here in America it is not looked upon so kindly (see James, Lebron).

The resulting penalty gave United a chance at a penalty kick, which allowed them to tie the game and cost the Galaxy a win. David Beckham was less than pleased and some even speculated on whether to call it cheating.

Davies himself looks at it a little more practically.

“I saw Omar Gonzalez and I was one-on-one with him, and I thought this is my bread and butter,” Davies said in a United post-game interview. “I did a step over and was able to get by him, but he put his hands on me and I was able to get a penalty.”

In Europe, diving, or “simulation” as it’s called by FIFA, has become such a problem that they’ve begun to penalize the most egregious offenders. According to new rules, "any simulating action anywhere on the field, which is intended to deceive the referee, must be sanctioned as unsporting behaviour which is misconduct punishable by a yellow card.”

Was Davies’ move smart, or unsportsmanlike? Call it what you will, but when you’re down by one in the 89th minute it’s time to hit the turf.

Davies’ national teammate and Galaxy player Landon Donovan handled the situation with a little more humor with this picture tweeted to his buddy:

"I got @CharlieDavies9 some gear in case he decides to dive again. Couldn't find a scuba mask though."



To be fair, the dive by Davies was fairly innocent and believable... 

These guys have turned it into an art form...
 

What do you think of Davies' dive? Fair or foul?

Questions, comments or tips? Email Sarah at sarahskogod@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@sarahschorno).

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