Fans mock Rangers loanee Fabio Silva as an ‘EMBARRASSMENT’ and accuse him of diving after bizarre fall just metres from goal during Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts… while others joke it was a ‘stonewall penalty’
- Rangers’ Fabio Silva had a golden opportunity to score but suffered a comical fall
- Fans have accused him of a shameless dive despite the easy scoring opportunity
- Exhausted Man City?! We are all tired, but it is dangerous to spread that message. These are big games: Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Fans have ruthlessly mocked Rangers striker Fabio Silva after he theatrically fell into the penalty area without a challenge in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
The attacker, on loan from Wolves, had the chance to make it 3-0 in stoppage time when Cyriel Dessers selflessly put him just a few meters from goal – instead of going for a hat-trick.
But Silva raised his arms and took a bizarre fall, despite being under no pressure and having an easy chance to finish, with only a defender on the line.
Ally McCoist raised the possibility that he fell because the ball was played behind him and he was overtaken, but fans quickly labeled him a diver.
‘He was diving, waiting for contact, but no one was around. A shame,” wrote one viewer on X, formerly Twitter.
Fans have mocked Fabio Silva after he suffered a theatrical fall in the Scottish Cup semi-final
Silva, on loan from Wolves, stood just meters from goal and went down without any challenge
He’s been called a ‘disgrace’ for the crash, but Ally McCoist thinks he just lost his balance
“You have to wonder about the mentality of someone who would rather dive and cheat than tap the ball into an open goal,” said another cynic.
‘Same as what he did in the derby two weeks ago! We all know what he did!’ wrote one.
However, there were some light-hearted spectators who preferred to view the fall in a more entertaining way.
Mail Sport’s Chris Sutton, star of the It’s All Kicking Off podcast with Ian Ladyman, was one of them.
“People who say Silva dived here are biased… that’s a punishment,” he joked.
‘Stonewall punishment. Should have been red. The ball was lucky to stay on the field,” one comedian joked.
“Stonewall punishment,” said another.
In the end, Silva’s misfortune didn’t matter much as Rangers reached the Scottish Cup final with a 2–0 win.
It’s unclear if Silva was diving, somehow thought he had been touched, or if his feet just got confused
Although Silva was criticized, many commentators – including Mail Sport’s Chris Sutton – saw the funny side
Even if they don’t lift the Scottish Premiership title – a fate that looks increasingly likely as they are in poor form and three points behind Celtic with five games remaining – they will have the chance to to have the last laugh on their Glasgow rivals. 25.
Indeed, Celtic defeated Aberdeen 6-5 on penalties after a 3-3 draw to book their place in the final.
Silva’s form in Scotland could be cause for concern.
He joined Wolves from Porto for £35 million in 2020 but failed to impress and was sent out on several loans.
He was loaned out to Rangers in January, where he scored four times in 19 games.
However, he is only 21 so he still has plenty of time to become more clinical.