[JoshW]

Italy is winning which we need to advance, but we now need a minimum two goals to win and we look like shit. Doesn't look good for advancement.

[isetcap]

1-1

[JoshW]

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaa aaalllllllllllllllllll

[tacomax]

Maybe not.

[JoshW]

[isetcap]

That penalty kick call was bogus. Did David Stern fly to Germany?

[Dark Horse]

US isn't playing to win. Very flat first half. Strange.

[DrSlamm]

Hmm humongous field.. 22 players.. 1 ref...

maybe soccer should figure out how to fit 2 refs on a field that size.. i mean hockey fits 4 onto the ice

[Illusion]

That penalty kick call was bogus. Did David Stern fly to Germany?

He must have because that was bs!!!

[tacomax]

Hmm humongous field.. 22 players.. 1 ref...

Have a look at those men running on the sides with flags in their hand.

[Illusion]

Do they know this is a potential elimination game?

[adriano]

I see from the stats the Usa has more possesion of the ball in the 2nd half, go yanks make some shots, level the score. GO yanks!

[Illusion]

I see from the stats the Usa has more possesion of the ball in the 2nd half, go yanks make some shots, level the score. GO yanks!

They need to more than level the score to advance, but they have to start somewhere.

[Illusion]

They finally brought in Johnson. It's about damn time!!!

[adriano]

Yeah, they have to start from somewhere, but no shots at goal, they can't score if they don't shoot. SHOOT the ball USA! i have a bet on the tie in this game

[Baphomet]

Ghana will win and pass to the second phase, that's clear.

[Illusion]

They only have 15 minutes to score 2 goals. This game is all but over.

[Baphomet]

Italy rulez!
7 minutes for USA to tie.
Ghana and Italy pass...

[Illusion]

It's over, they have 3 minutes to score twice.

[natrass]

Tense stuff. How a referee can give a penalty for something he hasnt even seen is pathetic. I know he didnt see anything because nothing, absolutely nothing, happened.

You wont see that ref again this WC ... although knowing FIFA hell probably get the final.

[Dark Horse]

At this level you just don't get dispossessed like Reyna for that first goal.

(as I'm writing this, Julie Foudy is saying the exact same thing. lol)

[Baphomet]

Refs sucks during this WC, 100% agree.

[bigboydan]

Refs sucks during this WC, 100% agree.

big time too i might add. they have just been some horrable calls.

[Vladimir]

Tense stuff. How a referee can give a penalty for something he hasnt even seen is pathetic. I know he didnt see anything because nothing, absolutely nothing, happened.

You wont see that ref again this WC ... although knowing FIFA hell probably get the final.

The ref, Marcus Merk, is held in high esteem by those in UEFA and is considered in the top six referees, if not higher. This doesn't mean he's seen by many knowledgeable observers in Europe as a good ref.

That being said, with a good many referees, if they make a questionable call, they will "even it up" with another questionable penalty call. That means all the USA had to put the pressure on and get the ball in Ghana's box, and except for a ~5 minute period in the 2nd half, they didn't even come close.

[isetcap]

At this level you just don't get dispossessed like Reyna for that first goal.

(as I'm writing this, Julie Foudy is saying the exact same thing. lol)

Claudio was utterly pathetic. At that moment in time he looked like he was about 147 years old.

[natrass]

The ref, Marcus Merk, is held in high esteem by those in UEFA and is considered in the top six referees, if not higher. This doesn't mean he's seen by many knowledgeable observers in Europe as a good ref.

That being said, with a good many referees, if they make a questionable call, they will "even it up" with another questionable penalty call. That means all the USA had to put the pressure on and get the ball in Ghana's box, and except for a ~5 minute period in the 2nd half, they didn't even come close.

I know what you are saying but he was clearly playing percentages. He could not have seen a foul (as there wasnt one) but figured from the trajectories and the player going down that there "probably" was. He guessed ... and got it wrong. For the USA that means 4 years work in qualifying and then preparing for Germany is over. Because he wrongly guessed a decision.

I totally agree referees make mistakes but (IMHO) that should ALWAYS be because they missed something and not because they guessed on something they didnt see.

I agree with you he is actually a good ref (my fav is dracula though) but if it had been Brazil facing elimination then there is no way hed have given it.

Anyway, its good for the WC for there to be controversy (theres been too little ... maybe that was a FIFA directive)

[Baphomet]

"USA already down 0-1, can they come back? "

Yes, in WC 2010

[adriano]

What about the ref in the Cro-Aus game. That was classic big time mess-up. He didn't give two penalties for the Aussies and those red cards for Croatia, wtf happened in the end?

[BuddyBear]

lackluster game by the U.S.....to think I woke up at 7:30am and went to watch the game at the bar with friends and have breakfast to see that lame effort by the U.S.

On a side note, I wish more professinal games started this early...it's nice to get them out of the way and still have the rest of the day.