Subject: World Cup '06

the one where the US defender tackled nothing but leg?

The one on Pope in the second half was unjustified. The first one was for a yellow card, normally, not a direct red. But having already given the red to the Italians that skewed his decision towards red.

Mastroeni was sent off at the end of the first half for the hard slide tackle from the side.Since he got the ball and the Italian player took a swan dive(not the only time that happened!!!) no way was a red card in order.Pope shouldn't even have been playing in the second half,after his one man off-side trap let the Italians score and he got the yellow he should have hit the bench.....Hell the linesman sucked all day too,how many bogus off-side calls were there?

I didn't see a swan dive. That was studs up late, catching only leg.

The italians were throwing themselves down a lot. That was dishonorable of them...but USA did good, holding them off with 1 player less, and never quitting, still trying to score

I've seen the replay a dozen times, watch again .He executed a slide tackle,from the side, and got the ball,then the leg.surely a foul,but a red card?No way.The Italians were diving all over the field and this knucklehead was buying what they were selling and over-reacted.

I thought the US showed some ral fortitude as well,not to mention great fitness.The only one I saw dragging ass a bit was Reyna.Hopefully this won't hurt them against Ghana
(edited)

@babyblue

The Italians do suck though.

I agree it wasn't for a direct red card. However, not too sure that elbow to the face was either though. Sure the blood was there but any time there's enough to make even the smallest cut there there's bound to a lot of blood. He didn't do it intentionally but yet why in the world would you snap your elbow like that even in an effort to head the ball.

:(
Italians are good, they were just faking a lot.
They didn't play a good game, not up to their standards. Much like my team against a bot in the first round of the Cup.

The commentators did agree that the elbow was a red card.
the sliding tackle I do believe was a red card as well. It might not be, the Italian might have dived, but it was still a stud first challenge directly to the leg. Any harder and his leg could have broken

Don't get hung on the American commentators. There's a reason why the rest of the world doesn't give Italy too much of a chance. It's not about tradition but about the current team you've got. Plenty of times the US analyzers and commentators have spilled bs.

They weren't american=p
I was watching the game on univision, spanish channel

yea haha, balboa is still ripping to the ref right now, as im watching the brasil game.

that elbow was intentional btw

Bastards :).

Great how they can never match what they say with how Brasil is performing, praising them when they suck and when Ronaldo comes off and they start clicking beautifully saying that that's not how Brasil usually plays.

that elbow was intentional btw


You bet it was. The Mastroeni foul was yellow-card worthy. Pope's second yellow could have been called either way (and, in fact, very similar fouls in the same game weren't given yellows).

The whole officiating crew didn't have a good game. More than one bogus offsides call against the Italians, cards that shouldn't have been cards. Just not a good game. US looked a kajillion times better against Italy than they did against the Czechs. In fact, they looked better 9 on 10 than they did the second half against the Czech Republic.

Reyna was definitely winded at the end. Dempsey was really dragging right before they subbed him out. I hope he plays against Ghana, because he was really aggressive. Gave the US a lot on that side.

"ot too sure that elbow to the face was either though... He didn't do it intentionally"

I really would like to know what game you were watching?

1. The elbow could not have been more intentional/malicious. Futhermore, the red card was out before anyone even saw that McBride was bleeding.

2. There was talk that the Mastroeni card was a "make-up call". You can only have a make-up call in response to a bad previous call. There wasn't one, the ref was just completely incompetent. Mastroeni did get ball.

3. I'm just as mad at Pope, given his experience, for not recognizing what was at stake. He needed to play more level-headed.


I hate when people do this, but I'll go ahead: that game was decided by referees, not soccer players. It was a shame and any recourse taken against that ref is justified and deserved.


Now, let's beat Ghana!