FIFA Instant Replay

Months ago, I was in a fury over the Ireland/France World Cup qualifying game. Ireland lost a two-legged playoff against France 2-1 in overtime after William Gallas scored the winning goal, a goal that came off of a blatant handball from Theirry Henry. The goal denied Ireland a spot in the World Cup. Everyone hates when a blown call determines a game. It is both a fan and referee's nightmare and it gets even worse when the game has major implications. I felt that this was clear evidence that instant replay was needed. If a referee and a linesman can miss a call that obvious in a game that important, then it is clear help is needed. Still, FIFA would not hear of it. Now heat is growing because of numerous missed calls during this World Cup.

Look at the track record so far in South Africa. Against Slovenia, a mystery foul call that no expert has been able to explain cost the USA its third goal which most likely would have won the game. Against Algeria, a bad offside call cost the USA a goal yet again. Thankfully a miracle 91st minute goal from Landon Donovan insured that it did not cost us. In the knockout game between England and Germany, England trailed 2-1 and Frank Lampard took a shot that hit the cross bar, bounced fully across the line, and bounced back up. It was a clear goal that was not allowed. In the knockout game against Argentina and Mexico, Carlos Tevez headed in a shot from an obvious offside position, but the call was missed and the goal counted. These have been the most widely publicized referee mistakes, but I can assure you there have been several more. Offside calls are missed all the time. The Clint Dempsey goal that was called off received a lot of publicity here in the US, but I am sure there were several more that people in other countries are outraged about. There are also numerous cards incorrectly given and many more that are missed. FIFA needs to take a long look at these games because they are rapidly losing legitimacy.

So far, FIFA's response has been to say they will discuss goal line technology again. For those of you who follow FIFA, this comes as no surprise. Despite the uproar that the Ireland problem caused, FIFA refused to discuss the possibility of instant replay. The only form or replay that they have ever truly considered is goal line technology. Their hands may now be tied thanks to the England game. That was potentially a game changing goal in a knockout game during the World Cup. The stakes were pretty high. But conceding goal line technology is not, as many believe, a step in the right direction for FIFA, but rather a calculated concession. FIFA will give in here only to buy time and appease their critics because they still absolutely refuse to consider instant replay in any other form.

This 'Bud Selig' like reluctance to accpet replay stems from the nature of the game. One of the great things about soccer is its constant, flowing play. When the whistle blows, there are few breaks during a 45 minute half. Slowing down the game for constant instant replay would be an absolute nightmare. FIFA's notion, however, that referee error is merely a 'part of the game' is absurd and does not help USA, England, or Mexico. This World Cup has shown that one referee, two linesmen, and one off field official is simply not enough to officiate a game. Missed or incorrect calls are a serious problem. Watch the replay of the England or Argentina goals. How long did it take you to realize Lampard's shot was a goal? How long did it take you to realize Tevez was offside? We are literally talking about a matter of seconds. Referees currently have earpieces in order to communicate with one another, so to add a replay official would be simple and may not slow the game as much as FIFA fears.

There is one thing, however, that advocates for instant replay need to keep in mind. Even if there was an instant replay system in place, it still would not be able to help with situations like USA's disallowed goal against Slovenia. The NHL has instant replay but penalties cannot be reviewed. The NFL has instant replay but penalties cannot be reviewed. The NBA has instant replay but fouls cannot be reviewed. There is no possible replay system that would be able to judge fouls. It just won't happen. If every second of a game were watched by an off field official and he could stop play at any time to let the referee know about a missed foul, or if he judges every foul to determine if it was a correct call, it would be a complete nightmare. What then do you hope to solve from instant replay? Really the only things replay could solve are offside calls or blatantly illegal goals (like Gallas' against Ireland or any other 'hand of God' situations). Granted this would help, but people need to realize a replay system is a not an instant fix for all situations.

Because FIFA is stubbornly losing legitimacy and instant replay can't solve all of soccer's problems, a compromise might be the right option. As I said before, it has become obvious that there simply are not enough officials on the field. Why not adding more? You can add more officials in order to ensure the correct calls are made without slowing down the game as the NHL has seen with its decision several years ago to add a second referee. Offside calls are constantly missed because linesman are out of position since they have to cover an entire half of the field. Referees struggle telling what's a foul and what's not. Sometimes, they turn around and see a player on the ground holding his face and have to figure out what happened. Adding more eyes will help get these calls right. Add a second referee for half the field and two more linesmen. Then a linesman will only have to account for a quarter of the field and will be more likely to be in position for offside calls. There also needs to be a more realistic appeals policy. Currently, players can appeal cards, but it is pretty much a joke. Appeals rarely work. Diving is blatant in soccer and for a card to stand even when it is obvious a player took a dive is unfair. Obviously cards cannot be issued in a postgame replay, but if a card is unfairly issued it needs to be addressed especially when there is such a harsh suspension policy.

The vast majority of the problems we see in soccer that are fixable can be solved with added referees, a realistic appeals process for cards, and goal line technology. FIFA may not want to add replay to the game, but they cannot pretend any longer that their current referee policy is working. Replay advocates also need to realize that the problems cannot all be solved with replay and they cannot push for a policy that would ruin the game. A compromise can really help the game and solve most of the issues we have seen in this World Cup. I really do not think goal line technology is going far enough, but I expect this will be the only change FIFA will make.

US Perseverance Pays Off, Late Goal Sends them Past Algeria to the Next Round

USA had chance after chance to put in that one goal they needed, but for 91 minutes it looked as if it was not meant to be. Then, one minute into injury time, Landon Donovan tapped in the game winning goal to win the group and send USA into the next round. It really looked like it was not to be. The US had its normal poor start, allowing a shot from Algeria that beat goalie Tim Howard, but actually hit off the post. Still early in the first, Clint Dempsey tapped in an easy goal off of a pass from Herculez Gomez, but it was disallowed because he was called offsides. Replay showed Dempsey was not offsides at all, and the call left Americans everywhere muttering "not again."

Still, the team never gave up and really began to take control. Jozy Altidore missed an empty net shot, Clint Dempsey beat the keeper but hit the post and then deposited the rebound into the cheap seats, Edson Buddle headed a point blank shot right into goalie Rais M'Bolhi, chance after chance was turned away. With each one the tension grew, as word came that England was up 1-0 over Slovenia. A tie would send USA home. As the linesman raised the sign, the USA knew that without some kind of miracle, their World Cup would last only another 4 minutes. Then, after a nice save, Howard heaved the ball down the field. Algeria had begun to feel the pressure as they too needed a win to advance, and moved a lot of players forward leaving room for Donovan to move. Donovan took the pass and sprinted down the field. He passed it off to Altidore and he chipped it to Dempsey in the box. M'Bolhi came out to challenge and Dempsey could not get the shot off, but he did hit it hard enough that M'Bolhi was not able to control it and it bounced right to Donovan who netted the rebound. And just like that, the US went from an early trip home to group winners.

The reward for moving on? Ghana. With their 1-0 loss yesterday to Germany, Ghana fell to second in the group. Ghana actually sent USA home in the last World Cup. Heading into the final group game, the USA needed a win over Ghana, but Ghana had its own ideas and won 2-1 to seal their place in the next round. Ghana has reached this stage by beating Serbia 1-0, tying Australia 1-1, and falling to Germany 1-0. Ghana is very good at moving the ball and creating chances, but they cannot finish. Their two goals both came off of penalty kicks. When they get close to the goal they either send the ball a mile over it or a mile wide, but rarely do they force a save from the keeper. Ghana was heavily criticized for its game against Australia as a first half red card left Australia a man short for about a full 60 minutes, yet Ghana did not seem to push the tempo at all and settled for the tie. The game against Germany really opened up as Germany needed the win and Ghana looked very impressive until they got close to the box and then fell apart. Ghana will be able to create chances against the US, but the question is whether or not they can finish them. If they play timid like against Australia, the USA will walk away with this one. If they play they way they showed they are capable against Germany, then this could be a tough matchup.

One thing's for sure, the US will be walking away with their heads held high regardless of the outcome because it took a lot of guts to get here in the first place. USA has earned their spot in the final 16 and can be proud of what they have accomplished.

USA Gets Set for Pivotal Matchup with Algeria

Tomorrow morning USA will take on Algeria in their last group match with a chance to qualify for the knockout stage. USA is in a great position because if they win, they will advance regardless of what happens between England and Slovenia. Algeria has been held scoreless in their first two games and is certainly a team that USA should be able to beat. Any reason for US fans to be nervous? Well, Slovenia was a team the US should certainly have been able to beat. In fact, USA has a terrible history when it comes to big games against teams they should beat. USA had a chance to take control of group C last Friday, but soon found themselves facing a 0-2 deficit. USA did manage to battle back, but they did so because they were the better team and should never have been in that position in the first place. In the 2006 World Cup, USA came in ranked 5th in the world, their highest ranking ever. They were immediately brought back down to Earth with 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic. They tied Italy 1-1 but it was off an own goal. Despite their struggles, USA was still in a position to advance if they won their last game over Ghana. What happened? They lost 2-1. In the 2002 World Cup after upsetting Portugal and tying host South Korea, USA could seal their spot in the next round with a win or tie over Poland and they lost 3-1. They still advanced, but their loss made sure it was no guarantee. In the 1998 World Cup USA walked away with 3 losses. A loss to Germany was perhaps not surprising, but losses to Iran and Yugoslavia certainly were.

Algeria also proved they will not go down easily in their game against England. England was never able to establish themselves as the dominant team. Goalie Rais M'Bolhi had a solid game saving the 6 shots a sleep-walking England did manage on net. The Algerian offense constantly harassed England throughout the game managing 11 total shots of their own. So far, USA has had poor starts to both of their games. If they do that again, this Algerian team can make them pay with another early goal. If they manage that, they'll sink back into their disciplined defensive style of play that will be very hard to break. Do not forget that the one goal Algeria did concede was off of a bad goalie error. Otherwise, this defense can be air tight.

What is most important for the US is to forget about what happened against Slovenia. They have to be worried about Algeria and Algeria alone. Granted, the heartbreak of having a legitimate, game winning goal taken away for no reason is a hard pill to swallow, but what's done is done. If they continue to dwell on the fact that they should have 4 points right now instead of 2, then they will be thinking about it all the way home because Algeria will send them packing. If anything, USA should consider themselves lucky that despite a terrible start leading to a 2-0 deficit and a win stolen away from the referee, they still control their fate. While I believe Algeria will be a tough opponent, the fact is that if the US cannot beat Algeria, they do not deserve to advance. They are better than both Algeria and Slovenia, and even maybe England if they continue to struggle. Group C was a great draw for the US and it would take a collapse equal to those I listed above to prevent them from advancing into the next round.

Catching Up

As I've been gone for over a week a lot has happened in the world of sports so here are some quick stories to get me up to date:

Strasburg Dazzles in First Major League Starts
Stephen Strasburg made his highly anticipated MLB debut on June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and put together a performance that left Nationals' fans excited more than ever about their young franchise. He pitched 7 innings allowing only 4 hits and striking out 14. In his second start against Cleveland on Sunday, he put together what many analysts consider to be an even more impressive outing. Strasburg battled a hostile crowd and a disintegrating pitcher's mound for 8 strikeouts and 2 hits in over 5 innings. The Nationals may have something really special in this kid and they need to start building around him. Excitement in the team has not been this high since they moved to Washington from Montreal, and it won't last forever. If the Nationals hope to build on the current interest, they will have to build a team around Strasburg sooner rather than later.

Nationals Select Harper with Top Overall Pick in the Draft
With all the excitement over Strasburg, it is easy to forget that there are other things happening in baseball, but the draft did take place the Nationals hope they have just taken another step forward by selecting Bryce Harper. Harper is the first junior college player ever selected number one overall in the MLB draft, but his talent and performance last season makes this no real surprise. In 66 games he has hit 98 RBIs and 31 home runs, breaking the previous school record of 12. The league in which he played, the Scenic West Athletic Conference, uses wooden bats so there is no issue of inflated batting stats as you see with players in division one baseball who use aluminum bats. There are questions, however, about Harper's character. Harper was ejected twice in 2010, including during the National Junior College World Series. After being struck out, Harper drew a line in the dirt with his bat indicating where he thought the pitch actually was and was ejected. As this was his second ejection of the year he was suspended for two games and his team lost the series. Many have described Harper as an arrogant jerk and scouts have reported he has a disturbingly high sense of entitlement. Well, that will happen when your parents allow you to get your GED after two years of high school so you can start your professional career sooner and you get drafted number one overall at the age of 17. That's right, 17. Harper may have some growing up to do before he shows up in the Nationals' lineup.

USA Manages a 1-1 Draw with Favored England
USA opened up the 2010 World Cup with their highly anticipated game against England on Saturday and managed an impressive 1-1 draw. England always comes into the World Cup with high expectations and talent to match, but remain dreadfully inconsistent in international play (they failed to qualify for the last Euro Cup). USA came into the tournament with high hopes after an impressive second place finish in the Confederation's Cup a year ago, but also with the cloud of the last World Cup's terrible finish (0-2-1, including a loss to Ghana) and the daunting task of facing England to start. Four minutes in, England embarrassed the US team with a goal from captain Steven Garrard which made the defense look outmatched, unprepared, and just plain sloppy. The US really picked things up after that and matched England step for step. What many no doubt remember from this game, is goalie Robert Green's failure to corrale Clint Dempsy's innocent shot which tied the game at 1. Most would say the US was lucky to walk away with a tie, but after England's quick start, the US looked much better and even had the better chances. Late in the second half, Jozy Altidore burned England's defensemen and banged a shot off the post that would have given the Yanks the lead. Tim Howard, who was just cleared to play in Friday's game against Slovenia, looked very solid in net and US looked every bit England's equal late in the game.

What is important now is for USA not to have any feelings of "mission accomplished." True, they walked away with a point against the best team in their group, but the pressure is on after Slovenia's win over Algeria. In the last World Cup, the US managed to tie eventual champion Italy 1-1, but then lost to Ghana 2-1 in a game that could have earned them a spot in the second round. A 1-1 draw against England means little if the USA cannot follow up against Slovenia and Algeria.

College Shake Ups
When I left, there was talk of Big 10 expansion. When I came back, all of the sudden college conferences seemed to be breaking at the seams. While there seems to be a new story everyday, here is what has happened so far: Colorado is leaving the Big 12 for the Pac 10, Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 for the Big 10, and Boise State is leaving the WAC for the Mountain West. The Texas shakeup has been avoided for the time being, keeping Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State in the Big 12. I was surprised by how deep this story went. When I heard the Big 10 extended offers to Nebraska, Notre Dame, Missouri, and Rutgers, the only team I thought would consider the move was Rutgers. I was very surprised not only that Nebraska accepted, but that they did so because most of the conference was considering moving as well. The Big 12 is considered second only to the SEC in college football and I was shocked that so many were considering leaving the conference. Silly me, I forgot what drives all these decisions: money. In the end, the Big 10 Network and the money it brings is what won Nebraska over.

And let's not forget Boise State who has gotten lost in all the speculation over Texas. The Pac 10 really dropped the ball by not getting Boise State. I do not know all the details of how this happened, but if the Pac 10 did not do absolutely everything they could to bring Boise State in, then they messed up. Boise State is a major competitor in college football and seemingly the only thing keeping them out of the National Championship game was their non BCS conference. Boise State would have brought a lot of interest, media coverage, and revenue to a conference who's traditional powerhouse has now been banned from postseason play for 2 years. It may have turned out that the Pac 10 did pursue Boise State and they chose the Mountain West anyway to help out fellow "ignored by the BCS" contenders TCU, BYU, and Utah. If that's the case, then you cannot fault the Pac 10, but this really seemed like a good fit to me and they must be kicking themselves now for not getting it done. What this means for the Mountain West is that they are going to push hard for a BCS bid and no doubt, because the BCS is run by morons, they will be ignored until conference expansion destroys the Big 12 or the Big East. Still, the Mountain West is now poised to become a power conference very soon.

Lebron to Washington? Short Answer, No

I saw in the Washington Post on Sunday an article about why Washington would be a good destination for Lebron James. The author did not understand why Washington was not in the discussion arguing that Washington was a major basketball market and had lots of money to work with thanks to the trade deadline departures of most of their expensive players. I had to laugh. This article was not in the "Sports" section, but in the "Metro" section, which of course explains why the author seemed to be taking a lot for granted when discussing the Wizards.

Don't get your hopes up. Lebron will not be wearing blue and gold next season. There were some good points made in the article and there are some reasons why Washington would at least enter the discussion. Washington was completely off the radar until they won the draft lottery. Most analysts agree Lebron will try to bring another superstar with him and with John Wall waiting, you could have 3 superstars playing next season which would completely transform the team. The Wizards are now owned by Ted Leonsis who transformed the Washington Capitals and looks ready to win in the NBA. DC might not have the glitz and glamor of New York, but wherever he goes the market will follow. With the top pick, the Wizards may be an easier team to build than New York and he wouldn't have to play in the shadow of Michael Jordan like he would in Chicago. With President Obama down the street, an avid basketball fan, Lebron should seriously be considering Washington.

Now let me tell you why this is all wishful thinking. Washington's entry fee into the Lebron sweepstakes would be to fire headcoach Flip Saunders, which if they were going to do they would have done by now. With the team that was put around Lebron this season, he's got to be feeling that coaching may be the missing piece of the puzzle. When he is looking for where to go next season if coaching is a major factor, which I think it will be, then you can count Washington out. If he can't win with Mike Brown, I doubt he thinks Flip Saunders is the right choice. As head coach of Minnesota, Saunders lost in the first round in his first eight playoff appearances. He did manage to make the conference finals in all three of his seasons as head coach of Detroit, but he lost all three times even with a championship caliber team that had won the NBA championship in 2004. This is precisely the problem Lebron has had in Cleveland. Why leave to have the exact same problem in Washington?

To say that Washington is as notable an NBA franchise as say Boston or Los Angeles is completely false. The author even argued that Red Auerbach was a Washington coach before he was a Boston coach. While this is true, it is irrelevant. It's like saying New York is a basketball market since Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn. Auerbach made his name in Boston, not DC. When people talk about the storied franchises of the NBA, they refer to several teams, but not the Washington Wizards who have won a single NBA title. Yes, the market will follow Lebron wherever he goes, but if he doesn't want to resurrect the major market of the Knicks or the Bulls, why leave Cleveland for Washington? Why leave a team dedicated to winning for a coach who struggles in the playoffs, a draft pick who could turn out to be a bust, and a franchise still clouded by Gilbert Arenas? There are far too many question marks surrounding the Wizards for Lebron to consider this a possible destination for the 2010-11 season.