I can’t decide if I’m relieved the US managed to salvage a point after that first half or pissed off that the ref robbed us of a win.  Christ.

It was an awesome game for sure, and the US comeback is nothing to take for granted, but seriously, that ref is now my #1 enemy. I think he’s been paid off, I don’t see how else he could have possibly disallowed that goal and not called a foul on the Slovenian player! Grrrrr! And the ESPN broadcasters were right, he made a lot of slow and shady calls! Grrrrr again!

I will NEVER understand why the FIFA stubbornly opposes the idea of video appeals.
That ref was retarded.

Koman Coulibaly Mali is man of the match for SLO.

Awful officiating today.  Between the blown call against Edu and the Fiesta de Tarjetas Amarillas over in the GER-SRB match, that’s going to be the storyline—not the fantastic comeback to draw level.

So c’mon, England.  Make that Special Relationship work.  They need to take out both ALG today and SLO next week.  No draws, no mercy.

Yeah, I can’t say I’ve ever had a ride quite like that game. I have been cynical about the US attack all tourney—they don’t seem to go into assault mode quickly, everything seems hard for them. But the second half today was a 3 goal slap in my face, even if only 2 counted.

@Marc #5

I’m positive that the US were effective this game because the scenario fit with what Americans expect out of sports. Take the pivotal game from basically any sports movie: the opposing side runs up a nigh-insurmountable deficit in the first half, during halftime the coach gives a stirring speech and the team discovers their confidence, and then they come back roaring in the second half and win it at the last second against all odds.

CLEARLY the referee did not read the script.

Our fate is in our hands.  A two goal win against Algeria guarantees we go through, regardless of what happens later today.

Currently, the standings are:

Slovenia 4 pts, +1 goal difference
USA 2, 0
England 1, 0
Algeria 0, -1

Assume a 2 goal US win on Wednesday:

USA 5, +2
Slovenia 4, +1
England 1, 0
Algeria 0, -3

Algeria win and Slovenia win (Scottish dream result):

SLV 7
USA 5
ALG 3
ENG 1

Algeria win and England/Slovenia draw:

SLV 5
USA 5
ALG 3
ENG 2

Algeria win and England win:

USA 5
ENG 4
SLV 4
ALG 3

Algeria/England draw and Slovenia win:

SLV 7
USA 5
ENG 2
ALG 1

Algeria/England draw and Slovenia/England draw:

USA 5
SLV 5
ENG 3
ALG 1

Algeria/England draw and England win:

USA 5
ENG 5
SLV 4
ALG 1

England beat Algeria and Slovenia beat England:

SLV 7
USA 5
ENG 4
ALG 0

England win both:

ENG 7
USA 5
SLV 4
ALG 0

England beat Algeria and England draw with Slovenia:

ENG 5
USA 5, +2 goal difference
SLV 5, +1 goal difference
ALG 0

So, a two goal win on Wednesday is all we need.

mllerustad, it does fit the script.  You forgot the unjust result in there, to inspire that final 2-0 win!

I am a pacifist.

I would like to maul that ref like a starving tiger on meth.

Brain = confused.

Video of That Play is here: http://www.twitvid.com/8MYCL

Here’s seconding the meth-fueled maulation.

I’m not happy the official made so many mistakes, but I recognize that officials are human, and part of the game.  Our fate is in our hands, so it is time to move on, and crush Algeria.

(Besides, the ref is from Mali, so a starving lion is more apt.  Like this guy:  http://www.sagarmatha.com/images/2001-lion2.jpg)

James, I know officials are human and make mistakes, but there is a limit to the acceptability of that sort of thing. This guy is either corrupt and should have his finances investigated, or he’s way too incompetent to be running WC games.

This is the fourth World Cup I’ve watched. Twenty bloody years of it with Women’s World and the Euros in between, and I’ve never seen such an awful call. If that ref makes an appearance in another game, I am personally going to hop a plane to South Africa and drop a plate of centipedes down his pants.

The bottom picture pretty much says it all.

An incredible comeback; I would have liked to be a fly on the wall in the locker room at halftime. I really love the never say die attitude of this team.

Still can’t help but be disappointed with the result. I hope the US comes out ready to play a full 90 minutes against Algeria.

There’s a saying “There’s no use crying over spilt milk.”

I don’t like the call and I am not defending it, but I’d rather look ahead than look back, that’s all.  (And yes, that official should have whistled his last World Cup match.)

But is it the worst call?  Doubtful.  Pushing and shoving goes on in every free kick.  There’s a tremendous amount of acting, as well.  I can think of a couple worse calls very quickly off the top of my head:

2006:  three yellow cards on one player—in the match between Croatia and Australia, the official (Graham Poll) gave a second yellow card to Joe Simunic and did not send him off…  until he received a third yellow card a few minutes later.  Can you count to two? 

1986:  the hand of god.  Need I say more?

2002:  South Korea vs Italy…  that whole match was a farce.

Beat Algeria.  Move on.

Eh, don’t fall behind by two goals and you won’t need a last-ditch comeback effort. Sure, the ref had an atrocious game. He made a heinous mistake, the kind that happens in every single Wirld Cup, Euro, Champions League, etc. I think the bigger issue is that the US (like England) love those heroic movie-script comebacks. To me, that’s a failure of the coach. One day it just doesn’t work out. Today was that day. They need to go on offensive against Algeria right off the bat, run up the score, and pray that James’ last scenario (except with goal difference in favor of England and Slovenia) doesn’t happen. Sorry to say, I’ll be hoping for that result since Slovenia knocked out Russia to get here and I would hate our epic failure to amount to nothing.

We do desperately need video replays. I thought the refereeing was decent up until today, but the two refs we’ve seen so far today have killed whatever tiny amount of good will I’ve developed towards that profession.

I don’t even understand what the call was. What was it? “Might have been offside if they hadn’t been held”? That’s about the best I can come up with.

Yeah, whatever else happens to the US, it’s hard to compare to the Hand of God. England as a nation still hates Diego Maradona with a burning and eternal passion, and I can see why. (Side note: if he wins the Cup somehow “managing” Argentina, it’ll be fascinating to watch the English media cope.)

James @ #15, word. Great examples, too. But we all know that the worst refereeing call ever made is the latest one against your team!

Dood!  Did they take down Auguste’s pic? That’s sad.

RickMassimo @ 17, the ref held up one hand for an indirect kick, which leads me to believe it’s offsides.  I think what happened is that he saw the offsides flag go up, but didn’t see which player was offsides (it was Bradley, who was getting held anyway).

He also missed a blatant foul 30 seconds later when a Slovenian defender just pushes Herculez Gomez down, almost in the exact same spot the previous free kick was taken.

elena @ 19: This is the worst kind of discrimination, the kind against me!

That’s twice from two different hosts…just odd.

http://twitpic.com/1xv21x

Btw, that pic came from a friend of Alison’s…I can only take credit for attempting to add it to the post. And, apparently, failing.

@#17 - Donovan said the ref refused to give him any answers about the call. Wouldn’t say what it was for, wouldn’t talk to him.

As for the whole “well they fell behind so tough shit” - yes, they gave up two goals. Then they fought back and scored three. Why is the giving up of two given more weight than the scoring of three? What if it had only been 1-0 at the half and they scored two and had one called off? Just because they were down 2-0 doesn’t mean they didn’t deserve to win if they fought back, and they did. To say this is their own fault because they gave up two seems to really miss a huge part of the game, and that is never giving up no matter how the match is going. You always have a chance to win, and they should have, and would have if not for that call.

Alison, the point I was trying to make is that going behind is a bad, bad thing. Of course, anyone can come back. But it’s not extremely likely, especially in a competition like this, where you are dealing with the best managers and players in the world. Look what Switzerland did to Spain. Look what Serbia did to Germany. Going behind then fighting back is a habit of the US team. My argument is that it’s a dangerous habit. It’s great that they have the belief that they can always come back but, to me, that shows a certain amount of tactical naivete. It’s down to the coach to instill discipline and a sense of urgency to play the whole game and not just the last 45 minutes. Chasing the game is a hugely different experience than leading from the get go, that’s obvious. In the end, they are on two points fom two games. Two points that could very well have been four, maybe six. They could’ve rested key players in the last game, now they have to go all out. With players who are tired emotionally and physically from chasing two games now. 

So, yeah, I will always say “tough shit” in this situation. In the end, it’s about the goals that get counted, not the ones that could / should have been. They got punished by the ref this time, so everyone has a convenient scapegoat. I think the very much justified anger at the ref is obscuring the fact that this team repeatedly puts itself in a very uncomfortable position. Were they playing a better team, we would not be having this discussion at all. It would’ve been 2-0 or worse. They need to shut down that habit of going behind and quick.

#21: Genesic, do you think a Mexican-made bending unit with an addictive personality would be a better referee?

I should have not expected better from Coulibaly after Findley’s phantom handball which turned into a yellow card? Provided he actually imagined he saw something Findley didn’t do, how seldom does an attacker’s hand-ball become a yellow card?

I’m going for incompetent, rather than corrupt, on Coulibaly’s part. Is it typical for a ref to be in the FIFA
system for 10 years before working a World Cup match?

So, yeah, I will always say “tough shit” in this situation. In the end, it’s about the goals that get counted, not the ones that could / should have been. They got punished by the ref this time, so everyone has a convenient scapegoat. I think the very much justified anger at the ref is obscuring the fact that this team repeatedly puts itself in a very uncomfortable position.

It’s not obscuring that at all. We should be talking about the potential this team has, to be able to play as well as they did for a second half. It’s obscuring the class the USA is capable of showing. Of course they need to get off to better starts, that’s not controversial. But a half of well-played football should be enough time to atone for mistakes, and it would have been had the referee not decided to take matters into his own hands.*

*Figure of speech, I don’t necessarily think it was an intentional error.

In the last World Cup, 35 times out of 41 when a team scored 2 goals, they won.  In 2002, it was 32 out of 42.

Meanwhile, England’s strategy of “We’ll kick it straight at the keeper and expect him to drop it into the goal because isn’t that what keepers do?” is producing an interesting match…

I think it’s just philosophical difference, Auguste. I like a thrilling comeback once in a while, but I prefer teams that can control the game tactically from the get go. I didn’t see great play, I saw an ok team being carried by pure force of will and emotion and a less talented team giving up. It’s all very English/American, but I’m just not impressed. That’s why US and England will always be out at or before the quarters. Emotion once your back is to the wall will win you a few games, but never the whole thing. A truly great team will have tactics, control, discipline, creativity, and play for the full 90 minutes. They might need a comeback here or there, but they won’t make a habit of it.  Sven used to always say “first half we played well, second half not so well.” Where did that habit of playing well for 45 minutes get him and England? And that group had way more potential than this USMNT.

A truly great team will have tactics, control, discipline, creativity, and play for the full 90 minutes.

By that definition, though, there are no truly great teams at this World Cup, which is why I fall back on saying “we should have won.” (I would have said “Germany” until today, but no more.) There has been no guttier performance in the WC than the US second half, and they deserved to be rewarded for it. Instead, they were cheated.

Yeah, I’m not seeing a truly great team emerge yet.  I think Argentina is coming very close. Netherlands will improve. So will Spain and Germany, hopefully. But all these teams operate on tactics, vision, passing, not guts. I do agree that US were cheated of a win, but I still don’t think they’ll get anywhere until they start controlling games. I know it’s heresy to say this to USMNT fans, but I think they need a different coach, one with experience being successful at this level, for that to happen.

I know it’s heresy to say this to USMNT fans, but I think they need a different coach, one with experience being successful at this level, for that to happen.

Not to this fan, although other Pandagoalians disagree.

Just win!  Beat Algeria and we are through!

I don’t know if the coach needs success at this level, but I’d argue we do need a coach who has been exposed more to a European style.  (Then again, Fabio has really helped England so far, hasn’t he?)

I think you lot actually have a pretty talented bunch of players. Imagine what Klinsmann or Hiddink could do with them?

James, isn’t it win or tie now? But England has to tie Slovenia? Given what we just witnessed…yeah, just win! No way England can score two.

How things can shake out:

Currently:

Slovenia 4 pts +1
USA 2 pts 0, 3 goals for
England 2 pts, 0, 1 goal for
Algeria 1 pt, -1

USA wins and Slovenia wins:

SLV 7
USA 5
ENG 2
ALG 1

USA wins and Slovenia/England draw:

USA 5
SLV 5
ENG 3
ALG 1

USA wins and England wins:

USA 5
ENG 5
SLV 4
ALG 1

USA/Algeria draw and Slovenia wins:

SLV 7
USA 3
ENG 2
ALG 2

USA/Algeria draw and Slovenia/England draw:

SLV 5
USA 3, 0, ?
ENG 3, 0, ?
ALG 2

In this scenario, England need 3 goals more than we do to advance.  If they score 2 more, it is random selection.  If it is 1 more (or less) the US goes through.

USA/Algeria draw and England win

ENG 5
SLV 4
USA 3
ALG 2

Algeria win and Slovenia win

SLV 7
ALG 4
USA 2
ENG 2

Algeria win and England/Slovenia draw:

SLV 5
ALG 4
ENG 3
USA 2

Algeria win and England win:

ENG 5
SLV 4
ALG 4
USA 2

If Algeria win by 1 and England win by 1, it comes to total goals, where Slovenia has a 3 goal advantage.  Algeria could advance with a 4-3 win and an England 1-0 win…  If either win by more than 1, Algeria go through.

Not to this fan, although other Pandagoalians disagree.

If you are speaking of me, Auguste, I will say that my stance on it is not so solid. I always felt that Bradley was hired not simply to coach the team, but to ensure that we do better at this WC than the last. Like…that was the point of his job - “Make us do better next time”. So…depending on the next game, maybe he will have done that. Even so, I would be amenable to replacing him after the WC if we have someone better to hire. If it’s just going to be another MLS coach, then I don’t quite see the point. But if they have a more experienced person who wants the job, I’d be okay with it.

/looks innocent

Pfft. Innocent. Yeah, right.

genesic @21:  Exactly right, the offsides call was on Bradley.  I couldn’t hear the commentary at the bar we were at, but all the replays they showed had Adu highlighted, which is insulting, really.

No question the holds should have caused a penalty kick (or continuation and goal, if that’s the rule).  I heard a snippet of Alexi Lalas say something along the lines of “there’s always fouls on a set play in the box”, but I watched the replay of GER vs. BOS and ENG vs. ALG live and guess what?  No bear hugs to be seen on any corner kicks.

I will say this about this ref:  Aside from the Yellow on Findley, he consistently called a loose game, and did so from the very beginning, when he didn’t even call a foul on Dempsey’s elbow to the head on his Slovenian counterpart on a header.  By my own admission, I’m a bit of a noob, but aren’t most games called tighter/looser than some would like, so that the only thing that can be asked for is consistency?  It’s the same thing I saw in the GER vs. BOS game, but there the ref was exceedingly tight, but consistent.

Elena:  Yup, “heart” will only get you so far.  That’s what I find so maddening about reports and analysis about the games:  An obsession with storyline that obscures what was actually executed (or not; see England).  I’d love to read some real analysis of what teams are doing well, or not well, and whether they can improve.

Marc:  Donovan was almost at the post, are you sure Altidore was that close?  I mean, the patience Donavan showed to wait until the very last second to shoot that ball (and hesitate just slightly to prevent the closest defender from coming at him full bore), has been hard to find at this level.  I don’t recall Altidore being that unobstructed or that close to the goal.

BTW, noone has mentioned that, but for the tip of a Slovenian defender’s shoe about a yard away from the left side of the goal, Donavan would have had a 1-1 equalizer in the 1st half, thanks to excellent patience and passing by the US.  As maddening as extra passes seem to be to football fans, so far the US has handled the ball better in close quarters in the last 1/3rd of the field than the other teams I’ve seen so far.

<bq>As maddening as extra passes seem to be to football fans, so far the US has handled the ball better in close quarters in the last 1/3rd of the field than the other teams I’ve seen so far. </bq>

TOTALLY agree. Great point.

Slovaks are from Slovakia, these players were Slovenian, please correct!!
(section to “credit to Slovenia”

@#42 done, thanks. Obv just a slip-up as I referred to “Slovenian keeper” right below.