Public Enemy #1: Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda
The U.S. pulled off a mammoth tie against Italy today in the first round of the World Cup. It's actually amazing considering that it played nearly the entire second half a man down after Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda hit U.S. midfielder Pablo Mastroeni and defender Eddie Pope with two very questionable red cards (Pope's was a second yellow card which equals a red). The ejections almost seemed to be make up calls for an earlier (but justified) red card given to Italian midfielder Daniele De Rossi (he'd left U.S. forward Brian McBride bloody after a hard elbow to the face).
Add this to a game that was lopsided in its overall foul calling as well (13 on Italy v. 22 on the U.S.), and you're left with a U.S. team forced to fight undermanned and uphill against an already intimidating Goliath. In a Cup that had already been
criticized by its own organizer for refs throwing out too many yellow cards, it was simply disgraceful. Larrionda took the game away from the players and marred it for the fans. Here's hoping that he never refs another game in the World Cup.
Public Enemy #1: Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda
11 comments:
It's like the sports announcer guy said (don't ask me to remember his name), there are two kinds of refs, bad refs and worse refs.
I can't belive I actually sat through any of that game. I hate sports.
USA! USA!
There is a Rick Reilly article in SI making fun of the "USA" cheer. Every other country has really unique, creative cheers.
Reilly Ends the article by suggesting something like:
We are the USA
We are not afraid
If you beat us
On Thursday we invade!
I like how the US's goal was scored by an Italian. Way to go guys.
Although you have to agree there is some great comedic value to starting the USA chant at random times. Such as a wedding, or a movie, perhaps a stip club.
Well their only goal may have been scored by Italy, but that doesn't change the fact that those soccer players are freakin hot! And that's really what matters.
Gotta agree with you there, Tara. Maybe that's why I could watch it for so long (the last 10 minutes).
BA - I'm withholding judgment until I see some examples of creative cheers from other countries... All I know is that the Swiss yell "Hop Schwiez"... and that ain't much better than "U.S.A"
Maui - Chanting U.S.A. in a strip club? Do tell...
Tara - As a former soccer player myself, I'll agree with you... soccer players are hot
From the Reilly article:
"We are from Sweden, we traveled very far, and we are drunk" I'm guessing that in Swedish it has a little better rhythem to it.
The English chant "One Michael Owen, There's only one Michael owen." So that's not too hilarious but when another Brit, Andy Goram, was rumored to be a schizo the fans of oposing teams chanted, "Two Andy Gorams. there's only two Andy Gorams."
The English also chanted at Germany, "Two World Wars and one World Cup."
So there's a few examples.
Those are definitely more entertaining than "U.S.A.". I imagine the longer the chants get though, the harder they are to coordinate. See, we went to a D.C. United game last week and they have some crazy fans that pound drums and chant the entire game. You couldn't tell what the hell they were saying though.
Marc-
I am a former soccer player as well, which just doubly proves the soccer players are hot thing.
i played soccer as a teenager, so i guess that is one of the reasons i am hot... also my parents are hot. I guess they played soccer too.
See Garg... you're learning something new about your parents all the time.
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