2014 World Cup

It's a goal in injury time. He would have tanked it earlier.

As to the PK call, don't put your hands on a striker in the box. It didn't look like a dive to me live, but certainly was an exaggeration on replay.

 

If that's your criteria for awarding a PK they could call one on every corner and free kick that goes inside the 18. It was a ridiculous call.

I don't buy the conspiracy crap, just a terrible call.

 

Why, was one of the assistant coaches drunk?

 

A little different in open play. I don't think it was a good call, but he's got his left hand on the shoulder and has a little grab of jersey. That was the ref's angle.

 

Full speed, I thought it was a legit PK.

 

USA Soccer has already denied this, per Kelly Whiteside via Twitter.

 

The irony of you lecturing people about pissing matches ...

 

Watched the game live and it was a clear dive from most angles, but he sold the dive really well from the one angle the ref had where the hand on the shoulder was really obvious.

 

Isn't it possible the ref was just bad, or had some moments of poor judgment, or was cowed by the stage and a stadium full of fans screaming for a call?

Why is every bad call proof of a conspiracy? A "fix"?

This is more of a general question, not just this game or this sport.

But I've never understood how in some people's world, officials seem to fall into two categories: 1) perfect 2) corrupt. And since nobody is perfect...

 

Head groundskeeper says Manaus stadium, which hosts Italy-England on Saturday, is in "bad shape" and is going to stay that way.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10891473/World-Cup-2014-Manaus-groundsman-admits-pitch-will-be-in-poor-condition-for-Englands-opener-against-Italy.html

But really, who could have known a rainforest wouldn't be the best place to put together a solid grass pitch?

 

That's nothing more than the IOC skating judges. Or, David Stern's referees.

 

Ripping good first half in a downpour between Cameroon and Mexico, three goals called back due to offside.