Soccer scandals happen all the time

[PromoTheRobot]

Considering that Italy's main league is under a cloud of scandal for match fixing and ref tampering, seeing two red cards onthe USA today makes me wonder if the refs weren't paid off.

 

But of course, crooked soccer is nothing new to their fans. They just shrug the shoulders and set some cars on fire. But it's not surprising considering soccer is the one game penalties are akin to death sentences and a single refs call can sink a team.

 

When was the last time a US sports league was accused of fixing games? 1919? That's one thing about American sports fans. We would never stand for what goes in soccer.

 

PTR

[meazza]

Considering that Italy's main league is under a cloud of scandal for match fixing and ref tampering, seeing two red cards onthe USA today makes me wonder if the refs weren't paid off.

 

But of course, crooked soccer is nothing new to their fans.  They just shrug the shoulders and set some cars on fire.  But it's not surprising considering soccer is the one game penalties are akin to death sentences and a single refs call can sink a team.

 

When was the last time a US sports league was accused of fixing games?  1919?  That's one thing about American sports fans.  We would never stand for what goes in soccer.

 

PTR

710122[/snapback]

 

Uh, considering that those were red cards, and one was a second yellow, what exactly was fixed?

[Pete]

Ever watch boxing? No goal was a horrendous blown call that decided a championship. Refs allow established NBAers to travel and in baseball the ump gives certain pitchers the calls. As long as a ref is involved in a game they will influence it-even in America

[meazza]

Ever watch boxing?  No goal was a horrendous blown call that decided a championship.  Refs allow established NBAers to travel and in baseball the ump gives certain pitchers the calls.  As long as a ref is involved in a game they will influence it-even in America

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I would also like to mention.

 

What kind of a ref who is paid off would give a red card to the team who paid him right after that team gave up an ugly own goal. Ya, great momentum builder.

[PromoTheRobot]

The point I am making is that scandals involving soccer refs are commonplace. Bad officiating is universal, but soccer refs get caught more, or somthing.

 

PTR

[Britbillsfan]

Considering that Italy's main league is under a cloud of scandal for match fixing and ref tampering, seeing two red cards onthe USA today makes me wonder if the refs weren't paid off.

 

But of course, crooked soccer is nothing new to their fans.  They just shrug the shoulders and set some cars on fire.  But it's not surprising considering soccer is the one game penalties are akin to death sentences and a single refs call can sink a team.

 

When was the last time a US sports league was accused of fixing games?  1919?  That's one thing about American sports fans.  We would never stand for what goes in soccer.

 

PTR

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Back on the 'other football' forums is there a game that goes by that does not have someone accuse the referees/umpires of being crooked for the sole reason of there being a plot to screw the Buffalo Bills? There are always questionable decisions in sport and there are very few sports that are totally untouched by poor judgement calls or corruption (to some degree). Proving it can be an issue, though.

 

Why is there more corruption in football? - well it IS played by a lot more countries so there is a lot more opportunity there for corruption (especially where it is played in countries with corrupt government officials running the place (eg: most of Africa, large chunks of Asia & S America and Italy (sorry Meazza - but Italian governments do not have a great record of avoiding criminality amongst leading figures, not knocking Italy just some politicians there)).

 

As to poor officiating at the World Cup - this is multiplied because FIFA insits on using a selection of referees from around the world rather than just trying to get the best referees there are. Although you can get poor games from any referee (Collina excepted) some of the incompetants that turn up every tournament are a joke.

 

As for the USA sendings off, as stated in the other thread they were justifiable under the rules of the game. It can be argued they were a little harsh, but they were not appalling decisions in the context of the rules.

 

A former England captain once said something along the lines of: 'Fans should understand the referee has an impossible job as there are twenty two players on the field that will try to fool him into making the wrong decision by cheating in some way.' (And that is true of players in almost every professional sport there is as well).

[UConn James]

They've come down a little hard with yellows and reds in the tournament. If I heard right, this was a FIFA mandate to call the games much stricter.

 

I think the original point is that soccer refs, in comparison, have much more power to sway a match than refs in other sports. Humans are imperfect, even refs. In football, a bad call usually results in a 5- or 15-yard penalty and it can kill a single drive. In basketball, a bad call sends someone to the free throw line for a chance at 2 points. Soccer's refereeing system, tho, is set up that an imperfect call results in removing a player from your field for the duration; your team must go into a defensive shell and hope it can hang on, many times not. And it's entirely up to the ref to decide what constitutes desert of a red or yellow card. Simply put, the penalty system in soccer sucks.

 

I think it's this and the equally subjective offsides rule in soccer. That just never made sense to me how they work that. Beasley's goal yesterday was waved off b/c McBride was screening the view of the goalie and it was called back b/c offsides includes 'interference with the goalie'. HE WAS JUST STANDING THERE!!!! Soccer could be a lot more exciting if the FIFA rules committee pulled its head out.

[meazza]

They've come down a little hard with yellows and reds in the tournament. If I heard right, this was a FIFA mandate to call the games much stricter.

 

I think the original point is that soccer refs, in comparison, have much more power to sway a match than refs in other sports. Humans are imperfect, even refs. In football, a bad call usually results in a 5- or 15-yard penalty and it can kill a single drive. In basketball, a bad call sends someone to the free throw line for a chance at 2 points. Soccer's refereeing system, tho, is set up that an imperfect call results in removing a player from your field for the duration; your team must go into a defensive shell and hope it can hang on, many times not. And it's entirely up to the ref to decide what constitutes desert of a red or yellow card. Simply put, the penalty system in soccer sucks.

 

I think it's this and the equally subjective offsides rule in soccer. That just never made sense to me how they work that. Beasley's goal yesterday was waved off b/c McBride was screening the view of the goalie and it was called back b/c offsides includes 'interference with the goalie'. HE WAS JUST STANDING THERE!!!! Soccer could be a lot more exciting if the FIFA rules committee pulled its head out.

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I'd like to point out that near the end of the first half, Italy scored but was waved off because of a phantom offside rule.

[UConn James]

I'd like to point out that near the end of the first half, Italy scored but was waved off because of a phantom offside rule.

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I don't malign the stupidity and referee subjectiveness of the offsides rule b/c it hindered the U.S. from scoring a goal in a game and that when it's not my team (I'm rooting for the Netherlands, one of my heritage countries) it's fine.

 

I malign it because it removes the opportunity for a player to use their attributes (in this case, speed and advantageous field positioning) to score, and it gives the ref yet further opportunity to control a match. Look at the changes the NHL made, and how much better the games are. Not saying that scores need to be 6-5, or even 2-1, but let the players fuggin' play w/o blowing a whistle b/c someone farted too loudly.