Posted on 07/10/2011 12:00:31 PM PDT by buggy02
I have been watching games around the world ever since the mid-sixties. I know the rules and the ploys. When you make a crucial call that could cause a team to lose a match, I don't have to accept it whether it has happened before or not. Do you think everyone has forgotten the "Hand of God" goal by Maradona? I can assure you English fans still remember it.
The refs in this game enabled the Brazilians to tie the game in regulation. There would have been no extra time. They made the wrong call on the penalty and then compounded it by giving a retry for the penalty kick. Add to that the offsides call on the goal and plenty of other mistakes and you get a poorly refed game. It is unfair to the players. Yes, there were plenty of bad calls, but most of them favored the Brazilians, especially the ones that really count.
It is a disgrace to have such an important game controlled by incompetents and maybe worse. I attended some CONCACAF Gold Cup games. One of them had the same Mexican referee who red carded Klose in the last world cup. He almost cost us a game. Make all the excuses you want, this was a terribly refed game. And it has not been the only one. I have watched all the games. The most egrigious was a player, not the goalie, actually picking up a ball with her hands in front of the goal and taking a few steps with it, and not being penalized.
WOWSER!
So many women soccer players have huge thighs. She is definitely not one of them.
I guess you missed the first sentence in my first post on this thread.
ML/NJ
I agree. Some quotes from the game: "One of the most dramatic matches I have ever seen, mens or women."Epic game!" "Something about the American attitude and finding a way to win"."This game was a celebration of the human spirit." "A tribute to the American Spirit."
Great post buggy02!
I did’t miss it. It was stupid. There are good and competent women refs. Unfortunately, today’s crew for the US game was not competent.
Why did she lower herself to do the trashy photo?
Yeah. I was just stoopid.
Or maybe, you mistake competence for games where not much is happening. FIFA apparently thinks this group is the best they have.
ML/NJ
one man’s trash is another man’s gold mine....
And the paint dried and the grass grew...
USA won in spite of the worst officiating I have ever seen. All but one bad call favored Brazil.
I have no idea who you are, how old you are, or even if you are an American, but I do find it odd why someone would use a thread on a conservative website that was intended to celebrate a great US soccer victory to make negative comments on the American people and be so derisive about the team and the coach. Perhaps I missed it, but I don’t recall any positive comments on what a tremendous achievement this was. In any event, I am finished playing any more silly games with you. I feel sorry for you. You are one sick puppy.
You probably should have stopped with, "I have no idea." My posting history here is well known, and available to anyone who wants to check it out.
It was a great victory, as you say, and I cried out of happiness for the girls who achieved it. But if you don't think the defense was weak, you just don't know the game. (I admit to not watching too much girls' soccer so maybe I don't know what to expect, but I did see most of the Japan-Germany game yesterday and didn't see the mistakes which were common today.) I said I thought the keeper could play with the boys. She was outstanding. If you don't know that she was the real difference, you just don't know.
As for the coach, I didn't say it here before but her substitution of Rapione was obviously a good one, despite how the jerks on TV characterized her play. She was constantly making things happen and she made two important things happen at the end of the game.
My "negative comments" about the American people were a reaction to the coach's silly comment about a general American attitude which no longer exists. We have a grifter for President and the American people, who elected him, do not know or care. But what can a Swedish coach know about the American people from her exposure to 25 hard working athletes that she works with. I suppose she has an excuse. But you do not.
ML/NJ
“There are good and competent women refs.”
FIFA used its political correctness and insisted that rather than get the best refs in the world for the World Cup, they would get an all women crew. This is inexcusable and an insult to the girls playing.
These refs were horrible. But you can guaranty that FIFA will not apologize and will be burrowed in their offices, hiding from the criticism.
The game was tremendous despite the referees. You can always tell the bad refs. They try to make themselves part of the game.
Great team effort for US.
Well known? Anyone's posting history can be checked out. I really have no interest in checking you out.
It was a great victory, as you say, and I cried out of happiness for the girls who achieved it.
Funny, you made no mention of it as great victory nor did you say anything positive about it. Cried out of happiness? Are you a woman or just in touch with your feminine side?
But if you don't think the defense was weak, you just don't know the game.
LOL. There you go again. If I don't agree with you, I know nothing about the game. LOL. Actually the US defense has played fairly well in this tournament. They started with two shutouts. The loss against Sweden had an own goal and a penalty shot breaking almost 800 minutes of shutouts by the US goalie. Brazil has one of the most potent offenses in the women's game. Marta is a five time straight winner of world player of the year honors. If the US had not been the victim of a bad call, they would have shut out Brazil. And Brazil had not allowed a goal all tournament until today.
Actually, if you knew anything about the game and the US team, you would know the US played its best defense of the tournament today given the quality of the opposition.
I have watched all of the games--every single one of them. Unless you have, I don't see how you could form a judgment on the basis of one or two games. The UK beat Japan in group play 2-0. The Japanese defense did not appear that stout in that game. Like most sports, it is a game of matchups.
As for the coach, I didn't say it here before but her substitution of Rapione was obviously a good one, despite how the jerks on TV characterized her play. She was constantly making things happen and she made two important things happen at the end of the game.
LOL. I assume you mean Megan Rapinoe. You obviously don't know much about the US team and the various issues surrounding the starting lineup, including Lauren Cheney and Rapinoe. You also don't seem to know the background of the two "jerks" commenting on the game, Julie Foudy and Ian Darke. Look them up. You might find out they have forgotten more about soccer than you will ever know. And they weren't disparaging her play at all. Rapinoe has here strengths and weaknesses. She is much better offensively, especialy on set pieces, than defensively. Lauren Cheney is a much better all around player, which is why the coach started her in place of Rapinoe at the beginning of group play. Again, you know very little about the US team.
My "negative comments" about the American people were a reaction to the coach's silly comment about a general American attitude which no longer exists.
LOL. You are wrong, but you are entitled to your own opinion, no matter how uninformed. The coach's comment was not silly, but insightful. Abby Wambach said essentially the same thing at the end of the game. She is an American. I guess you missed that.
Last time I checked, there were 60 million people who voted against The One. And the results of the 2010 midterms did not reflect a glowing endorsement of his policies. Nor do most of the current polls that show a majority disapproving of his performance on almost every major issue. The American attitude is alive and well. Get out of your mother's basement. Join a Tea Party group and you will be surprised about this country.
But what can a Swedish coach know about the American people from her exposure to 25 hard working athletes that she works with. I suppose she has an excuse. But you do not.
Remarkably, she seems to know far better than you do what the American people are about. How much do you know about her? Do you think she lives in a cocoon? As I indicated, I know very little about you, but judging from your comments, you know very little about this country. Are you a citizen?
I agree that the best refs are those who are almost invisible. They let the players play.
Good refs are similar to good pilots
After a flight, pilots like it when the passengers can’t remember much about the flight.
After a well refereed game, you shouldn’t have a lot of thoughts about the refs. They were not part of the game, unlike today’s match
Notice how that woman always made a big show of all the yellows?
giving a retry for the penalty kick.
Was so glad to hear the US won!
The US goalie didn’t know why either. It is either encroachment by the goalie who moved off her line before the ball was struck (the replay shows that was not the case) or that a teammate crossed a line into the box. Replay shows that happened marginally, but it is almost never called. I have not heard anything from FIFA re the ruling.
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