World Cup 2010, S. Africa

Not to many soccer lovers in US.

Slovenia just won Algeria 1:0.

Next week Slovenia : USA will be interesting.

 

It wasn't really that entertaining after all but you're dead on about that goal from S Africa,the commentator said after the game "that was the goal of the tournament"..and judging by what i've seen so far it probably will.

 

Team USA got robbed of a point today.
Spain, Germany and France, all have fallen. These teams have super star players who think they rule the world, but because of that attitude, they lost big. Japan will go up against Holland. The Japanese players are also stars in their own country and it was a miracle for them to score against Cameroon. However, I bet they won't be lucky again

 

+100

It is difficult to understand the referee' decision to disallow the third US
goal. Granted, the action in front of the goal was fast paced and body-
to-body. But the scant replays that followed showed three cases of
defenders' arms wrapped around attackers waists. In one replay from
over the referees shoulder, one case is clearly in the referee's line of
sight. There was no offside, there was no contact with the goalie.
Because the goal did not stand, he must have seen some major offense
by one of the US players before the three holding fouls by the
defenders. What was it?

Play should have been loudly and emphatically whistled to a stop
immediately. The could be no possible advantage to the defense, the
fouled team, to allow play to continue with the flighted ball dropping
into the melee in front of the goal. I never saw the referee's signal for
putting the ball back in play. Properly it would be him pointing to the
spot of the offensive team's infraction with one hand and pointing down
field with the other, signaling a kick by the defense. (As the infraction
most probably occurred in the "goal box," the kick would be administered
as if it were a routine goal kick.)

To get the ball out of the net without a goal required a positive
decision by the referee. But what was the grounds for his decision
to disallow the goal? I can't tell. And I think that at least in the
rebroadcast there would have been lots of opportunity to select
footage that showed the action from multiple angles, from the
infraction through putting the ball back into play.
That was not done.

As was noted later, supposedly this was the referee's first World Cup
appearance.

I don't think we'll see the fellow in the middle in the Championship
game.

 

Even experienced umpires like Joyce make a bad call denying Galarraga of a perfect game. There will be more bad officiating in the World Cup. No wonder the crowds in the stadium are unruly, fueled with unlimited alcohol and egged on by hooligan.

 

Three reactions in the US sporting press:

Did soccer referee see things that even TV replays missed?

Two U.S. referees feel Maurice Edu goal should have stood in 2-2 tie with Slovenia at World Cup

Perhaps the most balanced:

Referee Koman Coulibaly wouldn't have cost U.S. win if Americans had challenged Slovenia early

 

Well, even we Slovenians are not too happy with referee's calls or lack of there of. Especially when some of the US players actually played rugby instead of soccer. But that is life. Referee makes the decissions, not players or bloggers.

Anyway it was excellent game.

 

My partner is Puerto Rican, so quite a bit of what TV we watch is
Spanish-only. The sports reporters have noted that the % of South and
Central American teams still in the competition is at an all time high.
Perhaps the epicenter of soccer/foot ball/futbol/fusball is shifting westward!

The USA moving up into "world class" status would also contribute.

IIRC, before the competition, the US team thought that getting to the
final eight would be a victory of sorts.

 

I'm sorry for Team USA but Ghana had it together.
We should all route for Team Japan on Tuesday. One of the players Marcus Tulio Tanaka plays for Grampas the team for Nagoya, home of Toyota

 

I'm glad you guys are enjoying the soccer. You must come visit.
:welcome:

 

OMG, our cops arrested Paris Hilton.

Tonight - [VIDEO] Paris Hilton released after dagga arrest in PE

PE = Port Elizabeth
Dagga = Marijuana