EPL and La Liga Stats

I don't have any stats to go by here but it seems like there are a lot more goals (or at least a decent amount more) than there was in the Premier League just 3 or 4 years ago. A lot of wild games (Arsenal 5 Chelsea 3, Arsenal 5 Tottenham 2, Man City 6 United 2, and just going by Fulham games we've scored 5 twice, and 6 once, and given up 5 to United.)

Also you always hear that the game is called in a different way on the continent and those are pretty big disparities in yellow and red cards.

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The cards disparity isn't surprising, but still glaring. I guess we all had an idea that that stat would look something like that. 1000 more yellows though? And twice as many reds? God damn.

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Yeah, I was surprised the gap's that big.

One explanation is that you see more yellows for cynical fouls in La Liga and there are still a lot more cynical fouls.

The other difference that I like about the EPL officiating is that they seem very reticent to give reds.

In particular:
1) borderline red cards to goalies (for example, I think it was Liverpool v Arsenal where Szczeny gave up a PK without getting carded? I've seen Serie A/La Liga goalies get red in a similar instances more times than not, unless it's one of the money clubs)

2) EPL officials seem a bit less likely to rule "last defender" if there's any doubt at all, whereas you see those decisions go the attacking teams way more in La Liga -- unless, of course, it's one of the money clubs.


The card differentials may have something to do was well with what's my biggest problem with EPL officiating and the EPL in general:
huge physical players running rough shot over everyone goes unpunished and diminishes much of the individual technical skill that flourishes in La Liga and Serie A.

La Liga referees and yellow cards for handling make me rage

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I see the opposite. It discourages simulation/rolling around on the ground because apparently your eye popped out of it's socket. It also keeps the game moving instead of a whistle every 5 seconds because someone breathed on someone else.

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I can certainly see your point here. There are less stoppages in the EPl it seems that Serie A, especially good that they are slower to blow the whistle until advantage has been lost. Wish the whistles were slower in Serie A in these cases.

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And finally, it allows for amazing displays of power and physicality mixed with touch and precision (kind of like a big post man down low in basketball that gets rocked and can still kiss the ball off of the glass for an "and one" shot).

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Here, we just have different tastes. I don't really like the basketball trend either where players more and more resemble professional bodybuilders and foul the shite out of each other. Yes, there's great shots here and there, but over all "touch and precision" and tactical nuance decreases just like it does in soccer when NFL linebacker types can muscle players like a Silva or Modric off the ball without calls.


Now, La Liga and South American leagues are a lot more open that Serie A in this regard. Serie A doesn't have as many physical "beasts" in the midfield but they do allow defenders to rough up attacking players way too much.