A tainted victory Fifa turning a blind eye to refereeing cock-ups is killing the game
by David Ngiau
Don't talk to me about how wonderful Germany were against England last night in their Round of 16 clash. Don't rave to me about their 4-1 victory over the Three Lions.
It was a tainted victory.
I am not an England fan, I actually admire what Joachim Loew had achieved in ushering in a new golden generation of German players, but the way England were robbed of a critical goal at a crucial juncture angers me.
It frustrates me.
Let's not hammer the referee yet again, it's really Fifa, world football's governing body, and their continuing intransigence towards the use of video replays to correct simple human errors that is hurting the beautiful game.
In the 39th minute, with the Germans ahead 2-1, Frank Lampard's long-range shot hit the underside of Manuel Neuer's crossbar and landed half-a-metre inside the goalline.
But the ball's ferocious spin saw it bounce up and out of the goal, and when it came back down to the turf a second time it landed back in the field of play.
Neuer scooped it up and carried on like it never crossed the line. The linesman didn't call it, referee Jorge Larrionda waved play on, England's celebrations stopped abruptly.
Larrionda's decision was a game-changing one. Matthew Upson had just pulled back a goal two minutes earlier, England were in the ascendancy at that point, commanding 58 per cent of possession. Taking that goal away changed the complexion of the game.
As Fabio Capello's men grew ever more desperate as time ticked away in search of that equaliser, with centre-backs John Terry and Upson regularly seen in the German penalty area rather than in their own, Thomas Muller scored in the 67th and 69th minutes on the counter-attack.
England would not have left themselves so open at the back if the score was 2-2.
Up in the stands, Fifa president Sepp Blatter was spotted watching a replay of Lampard's phantom goal. I wonder what he might have been thinking.
We at least know that Larrionda was appalled at his mistake. According to BBC radio, his reaction at half-time, when he was shown the video replay, was: "Oh my god ..."
Football needs to keep up with the times if it is not to become a joke and lose the faith of fans.
-----------
well well well. again, there we see how life's never fair.
that, however, is no excuse. "At 2-1 we were hurting them and we were still in the game. I think it (the disallowed goal) had an effect but we cannot use that as an excuse with being beaten 4-1." - Gerrard
"England's penalty takers, should it come to another nerve-wracking shoot-out against Germany, will be Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and John Terry."
dont know if i should look forward to this.
it's nerve-wracking enough to even just read about it.
Jun 24, 2010 @ 10:33 PM
the victory last night,
was enough to keep me in a really good mood the entire day. :)
lol funny
as if i was the one playing
Jun 23, 2010 @ 10:35 PM
COME ON.
MAKE OR BREAK.
my heart is thumping like MADDDDDDDDDDDD.
@ 2:19 PM
the goalkeeper must be one of the suckiest positions to be in.
for a dangerous goal you heroically saved, who would be there to give compliments? it's not because ppl do not compliment, but because nobody remembers to. we all remember how the goal was scored, and not how it was being saved.
ppl sing praises of the beautiful goal the striker strikes, the smooth passes made by the midfield, the impeccable defence put up by the defenders. but how many headlines would revolve around the goalkeeper and his stupendous saves, even when they are no less crucial than scoring goals.
but for an undeserving goal you so carelessly let in, the whole world would be there to lash out at you and you can almost be sure they're going to rmb the blunder, for life.
well, life is hardly fair. it never is.
we play our own game. and we just have to make sure we play it well. some slips are deadlier than others.
Jun 20, 2010 @ 9:10 PM
happy father's day daddy! :)
hmmm.... i cant believe my dad used to be so lame last time...
HAHAHAHA
Jun 19, 2010 @ 4:10 PM
im too free
im now going to draw the probability tree of WC group C and calculate the probability of england getting into last 16.
gee gee to england.
Jun 18, 2010 @ 10:27 AM
i haven found a good lame joke in the longest time!
here's one for you:
黑猩猩不小心踩到了長臂猿拉的大便，
長臂猿溫柔細心地幫它擦洗乾淨後，它們相愛了。
別人問起他們是怎麼走到一起的？
黑猩猩感慨地說：猿糞！都是猿糞啊！
HAHAHAHAHHAHA. OWNS.
Jun 13, 2010 @ 11:10 PM
i got my 12th journal today! :)
and got a heart attack.
HI, ROCKER
*OMGGGGGG*
*FAINTS*
-______-
@ 1:12 AM
the first wedding dinner i attended in singapore.
the first wedding dinner i attended that is not to do with family/relatives,
but someone of an extremely special presence in my life.
there was once during the church ceremony where i felt like tearing, and another once at night during dinner where my tears just flowed freely.
for different reasons.
thanks for showing me more about love.
and how love makes many things possible.
no matter how real life gets, dont ever lose sight of what you first saw in the person. if possible, see more than that - then you'll learn more, discover more, love more, and give more.
Jun 11, 2010 @ 9:31 AM
tmr is THE day.
all the best, my dearest teacher-friend in the whole wide world ;)
we've been waiting for this day, since four years ago.
Jun 8, 2010 @ 10:49 PM
i posted this on panda ong's wall:
"ENGLANDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!" and received this comment in return
"england = ying ge lan" (u have to think vulgar)
being an avid supporter i cant help but tsk feel slightly insulted, but omg, its frigging funny hahahhaha
and for the first time in his life panda ong finally achieved a >50% funny joke. and then he told me more >50% funny jokes....
Which team never loses? Scotland = su ge lan
Which team is the most boring? North Korea = chao sian
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA the last one OWNS. like really OWNS.
Jun 7, 2010 @ 9:57 PM
WOOO FRIGGING KOOOOOOL LA
"Allianz Arena is lit up in red when Bayern Munich play, in blue when 1860 Munich play and in white when in use by the German National Team."
KOOLEST TING AI FOWND OUD TODEI.
i wanna be there too...
Jun 5, 2010 @ 12:43 AM
在看《泡沫之夏》
“只有不用担心生活的人 才有资格幼稚”
果然一语中的。
Jun 3, 2010 @ 10:02 PM
i got my journal for the day!
do you know how to spell happy?
HAPPIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
haha okay WRONG.
rocks to be coming home to a journal every day (yes, every day for now at least :P)
Jun 1, 2010 @ 11:08 PM
got my goodnight sms from munich :)
time to sleep.
tonight is a better night.
@ 12:11 AM
eeeeks im damn clingy after all.
it felt somewhat like this 8 yrs ago too.
homesick.
alone.
now one more thing,
dreads going to work.
Me.
chiann
22
17 jan
6H.205.403.06s6b.NBS
loves daddy mummy
loves my family
loves my friends
loves fUng 峯
also love:
* scholarz!
* 6H
* 06s6b
* Delphus
* Impreeeeee
* yamapi, jin
* leehom
* louis koo
* wch, fuhaifeng
* hk dramas
* badminton, vball
* music & piano
* photos
* quality time with loved ones
* words of affirmation
