Losing games on purpose in international tournaments
- Thread starter babylonzoo
- Start date
You mean like pulling your goalie for the whole game and just standing there or just not taking the game as seriously because you don't need to win it?
I have a problem with the first but not the second. Can't fault a team for not wanting to win a game that won't help them at all, but if they purposefully try to get scored on/miss shots/etc then that's pretty sad. In other words, if you're actively trying to lose then just forfeit the game, why even show up?
I have a problem with the first but not the second. Can't fault a team for not wanting to win a game that won't help them at all, but if they purposefully try to get scored on/miss shots/etc then that's pretty sad. In other words, if you're actively trying to lose then just forfeit the game, why even show up?
Bakayoko Ono
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Big Phil
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- Nov 2, 2003
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I personally wouldn't want to lose at all. It can create bad habits in that sense. You want to improve each game. Sweden doing that in 2006 believe it or not doesn't get me mad, as a Canadian. We were playing horrendous at that time and the last thing we needed to worry about was a team possibly tanking to avoid us. We had our own problems. Nothing was stopping Canada from winning in the quarterfinal against Russia either.
I don't see that the Swedish team deliberately lost that game 2006.
It was a very experienced team that had been coached a bit awkwardly the years before, and suddenly a new coach, Bengt-Ã…ke Gustavsson came in with the philosophy of giving the players what he called, "an ordinary day at work".
They were hungry to win, for many of them it was the last real shot at a big title, I don't think they tried to lose the game, but they probably found it hard to motivate themselfs for a great effort in a game where there was nothing to gain by winning.
It was a very experienced team that had been coached a bit awkwardly the years before, and suddenly a new coach, Bengt-Ã…ke Gustavsson came in with the philosophy of giving the players what he called, "an ordinary day at work".
They were hungry to win, for many of them it was the last real shot at a big title, I don't think they tried to lose the game, but they probably found it hard to motivate themselfs for a great effort in a game where there was nothing to gain by winning.
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Peter Forsberg admitted two years ago that they lost that game on purpose. Mats Sundin followed suit.
There's no need to whitewash it. As made evident by this thread, people have obviously gotten over it. It may not be the most shining moment of Swedish hockey, but it's in the past now.
It's the 2002 thing you're never gonna live down.
Uncle Rotter
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Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
Look at the 1994 highlights of the round robin game between Canada and Sweden. Salo caught the puck with his glove and the drops it right behind the line...
Uncle Rotter
Registered User
OK, still that decission probably came with the knowledge that there is no way, that they could have mustered any fire in that situation anyway.
VMBM
Hansel?!
That game was indeed a scam, and it got a lot of bad press - rightfully so.
USSR rather surprisingly tied Czechoslovakia also in the 1981 WHC (final round) and in the 1983 WHC (also final round), but it didn't either help Czechoslovakia at all (1981) or the Soviets had not secured the championship yet (1983), like in 1982.
Pominville Knows
Registered User
Exactly. That is a myth, coming from one unwisely put comment from Forsberg years after, i believe even in a humorous attempt. They just could not motivate themselves to walk away with the win against a quality squad like 2006 Team Slovakia.
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tony d
New poll series coming from me in June
Yeah teams do do it but I don't think it should be encouraged. You're supposed to be a good team and able to keep up with all the good teams.
I agree that is what happened.
In a way that is still like throwing a game though. When you know before the game that you could give your best effort but cannot motivate yourself to do so for whatever reason you have essentially given up the game, not directly on purpose but on some level you have.
All teams have done it from time to time for various reasons.
saskganesh
Registered User
I can understand the less-than-motivated, lacking fire, playing flat, hearts not in it etc. angle, but to purposely do so is antithetical to the whole idea of sport.
It's like tanking. A philosophy of losing can only be attractive to losers.
It's like tanking. A philosophy of losing can only be attractive to losers.
Canada lost to Russia in '06, either in the QF or the game before, so it wasn't necessary to do it just to avoid Canada.
Why avoid Canada in 2006? We sucked.
But yeah, Sweden's effort in that 3-0 loss was abysmal.
Yeah, we did suck.
But Canada is still Canada and the way Sweden saw it was along the lines of "sure, they haven't played very well yet but they are Canada, who is to say they don't get their **** together next game and beat us"
Sweden has too much of a history with Canada and has lost too many games to them, big games, for them not to think that way.
It's just natural.
But Canada is still Canada and the way Sweden saw it was along the lines of "sure, they haven't played very well yet but they are Canada, who is to say they don't get their **** together next game and beat us"
Sweden has too much of a history with Canada and has lost too many games to them, big games, for them not to think that way.
It's just natural.
I agree with this. As much as we sucked in 2006, teams would rather avoid playing us
This is what I would call bad sportsmanship.
Even if the team loses in the quarters i say HELL NO !!
This is no different then the black socks scandal expect there it was money and here it's for potential glory. Deliberately losing a game in any sport should result in punishment of some sort.
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