12/21/24
June 20, 2010
Phantom Foul Referee Back to Work: Koman Coulibaly, the Malian soccer referee whose controversial "phantom foul" denied the U.S. a go-ahead 3-2 goal against Slovakia Friday, is back on the job Sunday as the fourth official for the Italy-New Zealand game.
I'm still pissed. What a disgrace. At least he didn't have a chance to bottle it today.
posted by trox at 01:27 PM on June 20, 2010
From the article: FIFA released a statement Sunday saying it would not address any specific decision or actions by any one referee.
That's what happens when you know there is no way in hell you can possibly explain that "foul".
He shouldn't even be near the pitch for the remainder of this World Cup.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 01:30 PM on June 20, 2010
OK, watched part of the Italy game today. I can't imagine being a soccer official, most of the players are better at faking contact fouls than they are at playing soccer.
Not being a big soccer fan, I have a question: can a player be red or yellow carded for faking? If not, they really need to implement such a rule.
posted by cixelsyd at 02:02 PM on June 20, 2010
I could live with the bad call if FIFA forced the referee to explain what he called. The refusal to make refs accountable at all is galling.
Not being a big soccer fan, I have a question: can a player be red or yellow carded for faking?
They can. There was an infamous incident where a player got a yellow for diving when he fell to the ground with a heart attack.
posted by rcade at 02:08 PM on June 20, 2010
His explanation might include why he didn't show Clint Dempsey a red card for his elbow in the first couple minutes of the game, too. I mean the ref is a schmuck and should not be involved in any game at this level, but Dempsey could justifiably have been sent off for that early elbow. If they're going to analyze bad calls from that game, shouldn't they analyze all the bad calls?
posted by Hugh Janus at 02:21 PM on June 20, 2010
Totally agree that he was brutal for both sides, but that doesn't change the fact he was brutal.
posted by yerfatma at 02:27 PM on June 20, 2010
... Dempsey could justifiably have been sent off for that early elbow.
True, but I think most refs would be reluctant to give someone a red card that early in a match.
posted by rcade at 02:34 PM on June 20, 2010
True, but I think most refs would be reluctant to give someone a red card that early in a match.
I guess if you're gonna commit murder on the pitch, do it in the first 10 minutes of the game.
posted by grum@work at 03:25 PM on June 20, 2010
Will the Italy-New Zealand ref get a "poor" performance rating for missing a blatant penalty dive? Or will it be overlooked because it's New Zealand instead of the USA? The Italian player was grabbed, but of naturally falling backward, his knees collapsed as flopped forward.
BTW, it's easy to make a call when you have umpteen different angles as well as slo-mo. I did see a USA hold which allowed Edu free, so I don't think he blew the call. Guess that makes me un-American.
posted by jjzucal at 03:27 PM on June 20, 2010
I believe it was a makeup call for the foul that led to that free kick. When the foul on Altidore was first called (where he was lightly clipped as the defender got the ball), I turneed to my friend and said, "Well that was a pretty weak foul, but we'll take the free kick." I believe the ref had the same thought and decided to call a foul on the ensuing kick to even the score. Unfortunately for him, that free kick resulted in a goal, and he comes off looking like an ass. I don't expect that we will ever hear anyone cop to this, but I do think that is what happened.
posted by bender at 03:40 PM on June 20, 2010
FIFA needs to introduce post-game red cards for diving.
posted by ursus_comiter at 04:50 PM on June 20, 2010
Grum: Don't you think a lot of the harsh-foul red cards are based on how the offending player behaved up to that point? It seems to my untrained eye that a player who hasn't done much to the other team is less likely to get a red card for a high elbow or a dangerous tackle than someone who has been engaging in rough play all game long. When an elbow is thrown at the beginning, it's too early for a player to have established a rep or been warned to watch it.
posted by rcade at 06:17 PM on June 20, 2010
It seems to my untrained eye that a player who hasn't done much to the other team is less likely to get a red card for a high elbow or a dangerous tackle than someone who has been engaging in rough play all game long.
When they hand out straight-red cards (no 2x yellow card combos), it's for a dangerous tackle (usually from behind) or a flagrant attempt to injure (such as lifting your spikes towards an opponent).
The refs HAVE to call those, regardless of the time of the game.
The Nigerian player who flashed his spikes at the Greek player a couple of days ago rightly got the red card, regardless of the damage that was done to the Greek player (who obviously oversold it). The Nigerian had previously been foul-free until that time. If Dempsey's elbow had been more obvious and blatant, I'd hope the ref would simply send him off immediately, instead of taking a chance things will deteriorate even further.
posted by grum@work at 07:28 PM on June 20, 2010
The Nigerian had previously been foul-free until that time.
I think in that particular case, the ball was already out for a throw in. The studs up lunge was aimed solely at the Greek player. That's a red card. There were no mitigating circumstances such as "I was going for the ball' or "I got there too late" which tend to sow seeds of doubt in a ref's mind when the foul takes place during actual play.
posted by owlhouse at 09:14 PM on June 20, 2010
Italian player was grabbed
Been many years since I played soccer, but as I recall a whole heck of a lot more than that was required to get carded (from a strictly amateur perspective).
rcade, thanks for the info on the yellow card q, and for the link ... some good ed for a non-savy soccer type (tragic story, also).
FIFA needs to introduce post-game red cards for diving
I'll second that. A guy drops to the ground like his testes have been permanently altered only to somehow recover to take the free kick .... Red card is certainly in order, as well as an interrogation to determine if the offender actually has testes to begin with.
Again, haven't followed soccer for years and probably don't understand the "culture" of the current game ...
posted by cixelsyd at 12:28 AM on June 21, 2010
And what do we say about the French ref from the Brazil game who seemed to be laughing with Lucio about at least one of the two handballs he didn't call?
posted by yerfatma at 09:11 AM on June 21, 2010
bender, well said... THAT and the media, ESPECIALLY the ESPN guys are focusing on Edu, when the foul that i THINK the ref was calling was going on with Bocanegra. Also, he whistled BEFORE the ball reached the box, so its not like he TOOK AWAY the goal, he whistled before it happened...
yerfatma, i don't understand how the guys calling the game didn't see that!! I saw it as it was happening, then on EVERY camera angle replay. HOW THE HELL DID THE REF NOT SEE IT?! If i was Fabiano i would have been too embarrassed to kick the ball, let alone celebrate the goal!
posted by StarFucker at 10:55 AM on June 21, 2010
Yerfatma: The French ref couldn't have been too biased since he gave a ridiculous second yellow to Kaka near the end. As opposed to, say, the US non-3rd goal were the decision was in the moment* in this case the ref had more than a minute to think before reaching Ricky and pulling a card out of his pocket. More than enough time to change his mind after seeing the playacting from the 'injured' player.
* Assuming this wasn't a makeup call, which presumably he would have decided to do in the minute plus between the foul and the free kick.
+1 for post-game diving reds. But Italy would never again reach the knockout stage of a major tournament.
posted by billsaysthis at 06:18 PM on June 21, 2010
When they hand out straight-red cards (no 2x yellow card combos), it's for a dangerous tackle (usually from behind) or a flagrant attempt to injure (such as lifting your spikes towards an opponent).
Or because you are Swiss.
posted by tselson at 07:03 PM on June 21, 2010
Oh yeah, yerfatma, that clip where they were on the way back to the center circle and the referee smiled and patted his upper arm while saying something to Lucio, and they both grinned? Lucio was already grinning because of the goal, but the ref? Are they old friends? What's the deal?
Those refs are mic'ed, right? It should be turned on at all times. I want to know what was so funny.
I find the idea of the nullified US goal being the result of a predetermined makeup call quite convincing. That happens a lot. It's bad officiating, but so is holding back from an early sending off, or calling even, offsides, or not cautioning someone for simulation. I would like to see players who are not wearing the captain's armband automatically cautioned for approaching the ref after a foul in which they took no part. That would get rid of one of the game's ugliest spectacles.
I think if the refs called the game as the rulebook tells them to, after a few seasons of chaos and high scores, we would see a cleaner game with fewer play stoppages and loads of exciting fast break chances. Defenders would learn to play more carefully.
Perhaps the review system for referees should be changed so that refs won't be fired for not allowing players to cheat. The tools are right there for them: the refs all carry a rulebook. They should use it.
posted by Hugh Janus at 07:31 PM on June 21, 2010
I find the idea of the nullified US goal being the result of a predetermined makeup call quite convincing
I think it was Sid Lowe who suggested it's a fairly common occurrence for a ref to see all that fouling in the box during a corner and just whistle the attacking team for being over-agrressive. 99/ 100 it's probably true.
posted by yerfatma at 09:40 PM on June 21, 2010
I had read yesterday that he was going to be held out of the rest of the tournament. So much for that. I wonder by what means his ticket back in was arranged.