After watching the blown call that robbed his team of one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history, United States coach Bob Bradley felt badly. He felt badly for the players, and for the fans. But in the end, with a do-or-die game in front of them Wednesday, what he feels now is resignation.
“On the disallowed goal, I end up feeling badly for the team and our fans, because a 3-2 comeback win would’ve given us a real chance of advancing, and would have been something that was pretty special for everybody,” Bradley said today, as the United States tries to move on from Slovenia to Algeria.
“It didn’t happen that way, so we put it behind us. We understand that if we win we advance and we understand that there’s a possibility that we still win our group. We have moved forward.”
After rallying from a 2-0 second-half deficit to tie Friday’s Group C tilt against Slovenia, midfielder Maurice Edu’s 85th-minute volley off a Landon Donovan freer kick appeared to be a go-ahead score.
But Malian referee Koman Coulibaly _ in his first World Cup _ waved the goal off for a foul in the box, although he wouldn’t tell the players what the foul was, who committed it, or even comment afterward through FIFA.
“We’re all accustomed to the fact that if it’s an NFL playoff game and there’s a call that’s in question, there’ll be statement by the league from the referees,” said Bradley. “But FIFA operates differently and soccer – world football – is a different game.
“We could have a long discussion with regards to whether or not you’re offside if a little part of your body is ahead a guy or behind, so I think there are some aspects of it that are not made 100 percent clear which adds to the discussion of the game.
“From our end, we get used to that. We all have friends and family that ask us the same questions that most of you ask us, and you end up saying that’s just how it is sometimes, and you move on and get ready for the next game.”
FIFA has pulled refs from World Cups in the past after shoddy work, and a review of Coulibaly has been expatiated. If FIFA doesn’t him on a plane back to Mali, there’s no need to review any refs ever again.