{"id":1965919,"date":"2026-06-01T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T06:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1965919"},"modified":"2026-06-01T09:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T06:00:10","slug":"whats-the-question-about-soccer-youve-always-wondered-and-never-asked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1965919","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the question about soccer you\u2019ve always wondered and never asked?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>With the 2026 men\u2019s World Cup kicking off on June 11, we asked some of <em>The Athletic\u2019s<\/em> writers who don\u2019t normally cover soccer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7302827\/2026\/05\/26\/world-cup-the-athletic-roundtable\/\">for the one thing they would like to know about the beautiful game<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s the thing about <em>The Athletic<\/em> \u2014 we have the experts to answer those questions!<\/p>\n<p>We know this summer\u2019s tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico will not just be for the committed soccer fan; it will be a window into the game for casual followers of other sports, too.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>So we lined up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/carl-anka\/\">Carl Anka<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/sebastian-stafford-bloor\/\">Sebastian Stafford-Bloor<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/caoimhe-oneill\/\">Caoimhe O\u2019Neill<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/liam-tharme\/\">Liam Tharme<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/adam-hurrey\/\">Adam Hurrey<\/a> and former Premier League referee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/graham-scott\/\">Graham Scott<\/a> to answer questions from their colleagues <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/marcus-thompson-ii\/\">Marcus Thompson<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/ken-rosenthal\/\">Ken Rosenthal<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/michael-silver\/\">Michael Silver<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/chantel-jennings\/\">Chantel Jennings<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/bruce-feldman\/\">Bruce Feldman,<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/john-hollinger\/\">John Hollinger<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/hannah-vanbiber\/\">Hannah Vanbiber<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Got a burning question you\u2019ve always wanted to know about soccer? Let us know in the comments below.<\/p>\n<p><em>Make sure you don\u2019t miss a thing by following the best of our 2026 men\u2019s World Cup coverage\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/world-cup\/\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><strong><em>Ken Rosenthal: How extra time is calculated!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Extra time is the 30 minutes (15 minutes each way) played in a knockout game if it is tied after 90 minutes. But Ken is asking about additional or stoppage time, the number of extra minutes played at the end of each half to compensate for breaks in play. Here\u2019s <em>The Athletic\u2019s<\/em> officiating expert Graham Scott to explain more\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Graham Scott:<\/strong> In the Premier League, and most professional soccer, some stoppages are recorded accurately. These are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Substitutions, from the moment the game stops to the moment it restarts<\/li>\n<li>Red cards, from the moment the game stops to the moment it restarts<\/li>\n<li>Penalty kicks, from the moment of the award to the moment it is taken<\/li>\n<li>Injury assessments, from the moment the referee authorizes medical staff to enter the field to the moment the match restarts<\/li>\n<li>VAR checks that delay the game, from the moment the match is paused to the moment it restarts<\/li>\n<li>Goals, from the moment the ball enters the goal to the moment the match restarts, minus 30 seconds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The 30-second allowance at goals is essentially because without the goal, there would be a goal kick, and they take 25-30 seconds on average anyway.<\/p>\n<p>Time is also allowed in the unusual event that a decision is changed after a VAR check that takes place while play is continuing. Any time played between the incident and the VAR would be replayed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7321259\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7321259 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/05\/31062209\/GettyImages-2270520734-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A referee holds up a board showing 11 minutes of additional time\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1595\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">It is not uncommon for additional time to reach double figures in soccer games. (Richard Sellers \/ PA Images via Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Other stoppages can lead to additional time at the referee\u2019s discretion. There will always be some allowance if a player receives a yellow card for delaying the restart, or if a team generally is slowing down the match at every opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>The fourth official and the assistant VAR keep a log of all stoppages and feed in the amount of time that should be allowed to the referee, who makes the final decision on how much time should be displayed to the stadium at the end of each half.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The number shown is a minimum, and any stoppages, such as those in the list above, during this period will lead to further time being allowed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; 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img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7319796\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7319796\/2026\/05\/30\/slot-liverpool-tactical-problems-sacked\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7319796\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">Catch Up On The Story<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/05\/30095305\/GettyImages-2244034934-e1780149219965-1024x683.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"Arne Slot could not solve Liverpool\u2019s tactical problems \u2014 this is what went wrong and why he was sacked\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  Arne Slot could not solve Liverpool\u2019s tactical problems \u2014 this is what went wrong and why he was sacked\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  Too often Arne Slot&#8217;s Liverpool ran out of steam and ideas. Many matches were chaotic, and completely at odds with what won the title\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<hr>\n<p><strong><em>Michael Silver: Why the hell the powers that be would allow VAR to infiltrate the sport in such a comprehensive manner?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Seb Stafford-Bloor:<\/strong> Unfortunately Michael, it\u2019s because we all spent decades moaning about refereeing decisions and grew so intolerant of mistakes that we became wilfully ignorant of the issues that VAR could create. Video replays were welcomed as a panacea and that was hopelessly naive.<\/p>\n<p>As you mention, the overreach is dreadful. That\u2019s partly because the vast majority of soccer\u2019s laws were written and codified in the 1800s and were never meant to survive micro-second by micro-second inspection. A degree of human error was built into the game.<\/p>\n<p>To be slightly conspiratorial, one of the reasons why there is so little pushback against VAR at executive level, where it really matters, is because while fans love the bounce-of-the-ball variance in the game, stakeholders, club owners and those with a financial interest in where teams finish each season do not. Essentially, VAR \u2014 even at the cost of disrupting the game\u2019s flow and curbing its natural emotion \u2014 serves as yet another safety net.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><strong><em>John Hollinger: Why do they always use their subs on the forwards when the wing-backs are the ones doing all the running? I\u2019ve asked a couple people who actually work in soccer this question and was never totally satisfied with the explanation.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7321263\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7321263 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/05\/31062531\/GettyImages-2267282072-scaled-e1780223164636.jpg\" alt=\"Harry Kane is substituted\" width=\"1843\" height=\"1228\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">Why would you take off a forward, like Harry Kane, rather than a full-back or wing-back? (Sebastian Widmann \/ UEFA via Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Liam Tharme: <\/strong>This is a fantastic tactical question. The short answer is: goals. Soccer being a low-scoring sport means coaches favor forwards when chasing games because they are the most likely \u2014 or have the best qualities \u2014 to score.<\/p>\n<p>The second part is conditioning. Wing-backs and full-backs tend to be some of the most gifted physical profiles in the game. The same goes for central midfielders who typically cover the most distance in total, but full-backs or wing-backs do more high-intensity, straight-line work.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid3\" data-position=\"mid3\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>They aren\u2019t subbed because they rarely need to be. Clubs employ sports scientists for this very reason and, with their GPS vests, meticulously track the physical output of players in matches and training. They know everyone\u2019s upper limits and when they will redline or be at injury risk. If they are not subbed, it\u2019s because they can keep playing, or because coaches don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to turn the game around.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><strong><em>Hannah Vanbiber: Dumb question that is honestly my most burning one: How badly does it hurt when they do that victory slide on their knees? And don\u2019t tell me, \u201cIf the grass is wet enough, it doesn\u2019t hurt.\u201d I just dislocated a kneecap from just thinking about it!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Carl Anka:<\/strong> Not a silly question at all! A good knee slide celebration is an art form that requires a few key ingredients. Slick turf helps, and most players tend to aim for around the corner flag for their slides, as that area of the pitch hasn\u2019t been churned up by players\u2019 boots as much (at the top level, there\u2019s normally a photographer close by that section of the field too, helping matters.) Many practitioners also take a small gather step to prepare themselves before going for the slide. It takes the edge off before you attempt to jubilantly skim across the pitch.<\/p>\n<p id=\"article-pickem\">\n<p>However\u2026 For all of that advice, players can still get it wrong. Kylian Mbappe, Romelu Lukaku and Darwin Nunez are some names at the World Cup who have previously bungled a knee slide celebration by diving into the ground, rather than trying to sling themselves along it. Towards the end of his time at Chelsea, Eden Hazard joked with club media that he\u2019d stop sliding, saying, \u201cMy knees \u2014 they are on fire! No more of this celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once admitted he tweaked his medial ligament because of his knee-slide celebrations after scoring the winner in the 1999 Champions League final.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI missed two or three weeks and a couple of internationals for Norway,\u201d he said in a 2019 interview with ESPN. \u201cBut it was worth it. The celebration was worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7321234\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-7321234 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/05\/31061117\/GettyImages-107557941-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Ferguson and Ole Gunar Solskjaer hold up a montage of pictures\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1728\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson presents Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a print of his winning goal celebration from the 1999 Champions League final in 2010. (Alex Livesey \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<p><em><strong>Marcus Thompson: Why can\u2019t players who sub out come back in?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Adam Hurrey:<\/strong> The first thing to note here is that substitutes are, relatively speaking, a recent innovation in soccer since its laws were first drafted in 1863. They weren\u2019t formally introduced until the 1950s, the English league didn\u2019t embrace them until the 1960s, and the first World Cup substitution \u2014 Anatoly Puzach for the Soviet Union against Mexico \u2014 didn\u2019t happen until 1970. Before then, the custom was simply to play through the pain and the fatigue; most notably, German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann continued with a broken neck in the 1956 FA Cup final.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid4\" data-position=\"mid4\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Over the last 30 years, during which time the permitted number of substitutions has increased to three and then five (a mid-Covid measure that has been adopted permanently), the tactical aspect of a coach using their substitutes effectively has been as important as the physical side.<\/p>\n<p>I would say the idea of allowing a substituted player to return, refreshed, to the game is some sort of unconfronted taboo, but they actually do allow it at the very amateur depths of the sport. At the elite level, though, once you\u2019re out, you\u2019re out \u2014 and we have enough stoppages of play as it is.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, even worse than being substituted is the ultimate soccer indignity: a player being substituted after they have come on as a substitute themselves. It\u2019s rare and it\u2019s awkward.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><em><strong>Bruce Feldman: There\u2019s two things that always bugged me about soccer: all the flopping and stoppage time\u2026<\/strong><\/em><em><strong> So, why don\u2019t they give out more yellow cards to discourage it?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Carl Anka:<\/strong> Being a referee has, at times, been compared to being a schoolteacher. You don\u2019t want to hand out punishments too early, as that can spoil your relationship with those you\u2019re in charge of, but you don\u2019t want to let too many things slide, otherwise you risk letting things get unruly.<\/p>\n<p>At this summer\u2019s World Cup, you will likely see referees hand out sanctions for the most egregious attempts at cheating, such as deliberate handballs to score (or prevent) goals. Anyone caught diving in an attempt to win a free kick or penalty will be given a yellow card.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, referees have the power to give yellow or red cards for every infraction, but such is the way of things that you run the risk of handing out a dozen cards per game and sending off multiple players, spoiling the matchday spectacle. Again, like an experienced teacher, some referees prefer to have a calming word after the first offence rather than hand out early sanctions that could escalate things.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid5\" data-position=\"mid5\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>We must also admit that, over time, you get used to the diving or simulation, especially when performed well by a player on your team. If you\u2019ve seen the David Beckham documentary on Netflix, you will have seen Diego Simeone explain why he exaggerated his fall after Beckham kicked the back of his leg during a knockout match in the 1998 World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFootball is about deception,\u201d said the former Argentina midfielder, now the long-time head coach of Atletico Madrid.<\/p>\n<p>There are particular moments where very particular players will decide it is better to deceive match officials, rather than risk cheating their team out of a chance to win.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 0.01px;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 3;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-imperial;<br \/>\n    font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 400;<br \/>\n    line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/<br \/>\n    color: #323232;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 4;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 12px;<br \/>\n      line-height: 121%;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>.showcase-link-inputs {<br \/>\n  .showcase-link-input {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    font-size: 1rem;<br \/>\n    background-color: white;<br \/>\n    margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-indent {<br \/>\n    margin-left: 25px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  option {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {<br \/>\n  .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n    background-color: #121212;<br \/>\n    color: #f0f0ee;<br \/>\n    .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n      color: #c4c4c0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>            \/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click<br \/>\n            document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.showcase-link-image&#8217;).forEach((img) =&gt; img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7260882\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7260882\/2026\/05\/11\/liverpool-slot-anfield-boos\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7260882\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">How Did We Get Here?<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/05\/10080630\/GettyImages-2275304506-1024x701.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"Liverpool and boos. Is one of Anfield\u2019s great myths now being exposed?\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  Liverpool and boos. Is one of Anfield\u2019s great myths now being exposed?\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  The second-half substitution of Rio Ngumoha midway on Saturday provoked loud heckles, reflecting how the champions have lost their way\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<hr>\n<p><em><strong>Chantel Jennings: If players are going to wear their socks over their knees, why don\u2019t they just wear leggings instead? Feels more convenient in terms of access to the shin guards.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Caoimhe O\u2019Neill:<\/strong> Leggings aren\u2019t really common, unless you are a goalkeeper. Running around in leggings, even in the height of winter, can be a hot and sweaty experience. And they aren\u2019t always viewed as \u201ccool\u201d even if you are strutting out in them like Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson does when playing for Liverpool in the Premier League.<\/p>\n<p>For goalkeepers, they can be helpful when diving around on hard turf. But for outfield players, it can be seen by some as a fashion faux pas, unless you want to wear them to protect an injury, stay warm or \u2014 and this is a crucial point \u2014 keep covered for personal or religious reasons.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to sock length, that is a divisive topic. Socks are a uniform requirement and every player wears them differently. Some like their socks to sit above the knee for comfort or an extra bit of compression. Some like to cut holes in the back. And some prefer their socks as low as possible.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@theathleticfc\/video\/7304675141743676704\" data-video-id=\"7304675141743676704\">\n<section><a title=\"@theathleticfc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@theathleticfc?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@theathleticfc<\/a> Why do footballers cut their socks? \u2702\ufe0f\ud83e\udde6\ud83e\udd14 Let\u2019s find out \ud83e\udd1d <a title=\"premierleague\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/premierleague?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#premierleague<\/a> <a title=\"pl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/pl?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#pl<\/a> <a title=\"soccertiktok\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/soccertiktok?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#soccertiktok<\/a> <a title=\"footballtiktok\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/footballtiktok?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#footballtiktok<\/a> @The Athletic FC <a title=\"\u266c original sound - The Athletic FC\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7304675197411330849?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c original sound \u2013 The Athletic FC<\/a><\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As for shin guards, ask any footballer and you\u2019ll find preferences are as stark. The younger generation tend to prefer lightweight, credit card-sized shin pads which offer very little protection to the shin bone. But there are still some players running about in big, bulky shin pads as if it\u2019s 1998.<\/p>\n<p>If it was up to Germany and Bayern Munich star Michael Olise, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6006377\/2025\/01\/16\/football-shin-pads-guards-equipment\/\">he wouldn\u2019t wear any at all<\/a> \u2013 and did famously try to sneak onto the pitch without them but was quickly caught out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the 2026 men\u2019s World Cup kicking off on June 11, we asked some of The Athletic\u2019s writers who don\u2019t normally cover soccer for the one thing they would like to know about the beautiful game. And that\u2019s the thing about The Athletic \u2014 we have the experts to answer those questions! We know this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1965919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1965919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965919\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1965919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1965919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1965919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}