A season of soccer always produces some controversy in one way or another, whether that is a seemingly bewildering decision by VAR, or a player taunting opposition fans. Controversy is part and parcel of the beautiful game.
But controversies, high-stakes rivalries and the way players react under pressure don’t just capture headlines; they also impact football predictions, especially those made by betting experts. They rely on detailed analysis and often look beyond standard 1X2 markets, focusing on bookings and other stats shaped by match dynamics and emotional tension.
This year, however, something new and unexpected sparked a worldwide debate. No one who was looking ahead to March’s Paulista A1 Final match in Brazil between Corinthians and Palmeiras could have predicted the outrage that one player caused.
What Was the Incident?
Former Manchester United player Memphis Depay took the ball deep into opposition territory late into the game, with a mind to knock some extra seconds off the clock. His Corinthians side was winning 1-0 on aggregate at the time and just needed to hang on and not concede.
Time wasting near the corner flag is nothing new, but then Depay feigned to cross the ball, and instead stood on top of the ball with both feet, balancing for a mere second before continuing the game. While this sounds innocuous enough, a huge brawl followed, but it’s one that perhaps has been a little misconstrued.
Not the Move
It wasn’t the move that Depay pulled off that sparked the ruckus. Depay was challenged by Felipe Anderson, and as a result, the ball went into a crowd of Corinthians substitutes who happened to be gathered on the sidelines nearby.
Anderson, desperate for the ball, went right into that crowd of opposing players to retrieve the ball, as his team desperately needed a goal. But tempers got frayed, pushing and shoving started and then more people joined in. It all got out of hand, and subsequently, Depay’s action, a little unfairly, has come under major scrutiny.
The CBF’s Reaction
The reaction to the incident has been all about whether Depay was right or wrong to stand on the ball with both feet. Negative reactions to the move are embedded in it being a disrespectful taunt towards the opposition.
Others seem to think it was a brief, harmless show-pony trick that had nothing to do with going against the spirit of the game, and that the move had no bearing on the outcome of the game whatsoever.
It was an incident, however, that the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) didn’t overlook. Shortly afterwards, the CBF introduced a new directive that put an even bigger spotlight on ball-standing, stating that a player standing on the ball with two feet was “provocation to a rival” and being “disrespectful to the game.”
Now, the resulting action for doing it in a CBF-sanctioned game is a yellow card being issued to the offender, and the opposing team getting an indirect free-kick.
Could the Ruling Make Its Way to the MLS?
But will this “unsporting behaviour” ruling get to the MLS? As of May 2025, the MLS hadn’t announced an intention to introduce it, but in time, it may not be a big surprise if IFAB (International Football Association Board) makes it mandatory.
It may look at the CBF ruling and think that introducing it will be something of a precautionary measure against such a rare incident ever happening, just because it could potentially lead to a scuffle like the one that unfolded in Brazil.
Had Depay just stood on the ball and the resulting pushing and shoving hadn’t happened, the incident probably would have been forgotten about pretty quickly. But that’s not how it went, and other leagues may want to approach it with a mindset that it’s better to nip any potential inciting incident in the bud.
Unwarranted Intervention?
Others will feel that the CBF ruling was completely unnecessary, and even Depay himself, along with Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer Neymar Jr, has spoken out against it, saying that it limits flair and stifles self-expression and that what Depay did was a skill.
Was it any different to a player performing a sequence of step-overs to keep the ball in the corner and persistently shield the ball to waste time?
Players frequently fake being fouled all the time, argue to get opposing players sanctioned, and goalkeepers deliberately take ages over goal kicks. Such actions are usually penalised, especially if the referee spots simulation or a goalkeeper deliberately delaying play. But standing on the ball is a different matter. It can be seen as a trick or feint, and punishing it when it’s not clearly time-wasting might be going too far. Unlike obvious delays or fouls, this kind of behaviour sits in a grey area that’s hard to judge fairly.