For all of you out there who don't understand what all the brouhaha is about, it’s really quite simple.
Take the ball (using only your feet...), run down an enormous (gigantic) 110 yard-long field and put the small ball into the large net. It looks really easy on t.v. doesn’t it? Trust me, it’s not. Once you get the hang of moving a ball using only your feet, do this for 90 minutes at a full clip with your opponent hanging all over you. Starting to get a little harder perhaps? Keep in mind as you run toward the goal, that player coming out to challenge you... the goalie, well, he’s the one who’s gonna attempt to prevent you from scoring on him (not to mention all the other players who’ve just showed up to the party in front of the goal post).
Now, bring on a referee who either A) doesn’t want to make any calls, or B) makes some really bad calls, and I do mean bad calls! Take, for example, the game played between the Americans and Slovenians. The third goal scored in the 86th minute by the American team was called back. Why? Well, no one really seems to know... unlike other sports where each call is viewed and reviewed from every conceivable angle if there is an on-field dispute.
In soccer, there are no instant replays, the field referee is the last word. Sadly, the last word got it completely wrong on this one crucial play. There should have been multiple penalties called, unfortunately none were (watching the play again, it was clear the referee was in no position to make any call), and adding insult to injury the goal was called back. Hopefully, this will be the last time we see Koman Coulibaly as a referee on the field. By the way, Coulibaly was the official who assessed Egypt a controversial time-stoppage penalty during its final 2006 World Cup qualifier against Cameroon. Nevertheless, Egypt prevailed after Cameroon's missed kick. At that time, his controversial call should have disqualified him from further participation. This time, his judgment (American vs. Slovenia) was criminal.
However, tomorrow (as they say in the movies...) is another day, and another game. This will be the decisive game for the American team... they’ll either advance to the next round, or go home and work on their game for the next World Cup. I would love to see them advance. It’s a long time between these tournaments and the world is their stage (at least for the moment).
In related news, France went home in disgrace. The players decided they didn’t want to play nice.
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