What a Day!

Wow! As the US comes off their second draw at the World Cup, England does the same, setting up for a very interesting match up next week for all teams in the group with anyone able to advance. As to how I feel about the controversial call - I'm pissed of course. But really, the boys should have gotten it done on their own merits and one of the things that I am really torked about is something that I have long been frustrated with in this sport. The fact that a soccer official doesn't have to explain a call or justify a call to anyone (except an assessor and they won't make anything public). No other sport has this blind rule. And it is one that really - could just make everyone cool down from time to time if people knew --> why.

US Soccer asked FIFA for an explanation. FIFA's response? The referee has stated "no comment".

The following is an excerpt by Peter King on an article he wrote today:
The call was awful. But in all sports, when hugely controversial calls are made -- the Tuck Rule call by Walt Coleman in the Raiders-Patriots playoff game nine years ago, the Jim Joyce ruination-of-the-perfect-game this month -- at least we know what the call is. Here, millions of people staring at TVs around the world are still asking, "What's the call?''

You could feel it in the bowels of Ellis Park after the game. Don't make a big stir over this. It's soccer. Nothing you can do it about it. It's just the way it is.

Why? Why is this just blindly accepted? FIFA uses a referee -- in a game of vital importance in determining who moves on in the biggest tournament in any sport in the world -- whose highest previous assignment was the African Cup. That's got to be the equivalent of a Mid-American Conference ref being assigned the Super Bowl.

Coaches coach for four years to get to the World Cup. Players train for four years to get to the World Cup. And they have their fate decided by some wordless man handed an assignment he had no business having. But as important: Just what is this governing body FIFA, with the world watching its signature event, doing when it doesn't mandate an explanation from the referee about what he called that determined the outcome of a game?