Bad calls mar matches

By Yoon Chul

Staff reporter

Nearly 80 percent of the games have been played at the 2010 World Cup, but many fans are focusing on the something other than the performances of the tournament's stars or anticipation of a new champion - bad calls.

Controversy is likely to be echoing even louder, after two round of 16 matches were tainted by such calls by referees on Sunday.

England was regarded as one of the favorites going into the finals. Though it struggled in its group games, it was definitely improving. England was routed 4-1 by Germany in Bloemfontein, but English coach Fabio Capello has a reason for the humiliating loss.

In the 38th minute, trailing Germany 2-1, Frank Lampard's shot beat German keeper Manuel Neuer, hit the crossbar, came down well over the goal line and bounced out again for what should have been a 2-2 tie.

But referee Jorge Larrionda of Uruguay signaled for play to continue. Having been stripped of a goal England pushed forward but left themselves overcommitted and were twice punished by German counterattacks.

After the match German team manager Joachim Loew admitted in the interview that the goal should have counted.

In the later match, Mexico may have had a shot at beating the much-fancied Argentineans if they also hadn't fallen foul to a terrible call by officials.

Referees failed to call Carlos Tevez as offside when he headed in Argentina's opener in the 26th minute, and his side went on to record a 3-1 victory.

Furor over controversial calls haven't just been coming in the knockout round. In the group stage the United States was denied three points by referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali.

In the 86th minute substitute Maurice Edu volleyed a Landon Donovan free kick into the net to dramatically turn the tables for a 3-2 lead but the goal was disallowed for no apparent reason and the match official failed to give a reason for his decision after the game.

In the match between Brazil and the Ivory Coast, Luis Fabiano handled the ball before scoring a second goal for the Brazilians but French referee Stephane Lannoy failed to detect it and also sent Kaka off, showing him a second yellow card after being conned by Kader Keita's dramatics.

In Italy and New Zealand's group game, the Italians were awarded a penalty for a blatant dive and the assistant referee failed to recognize Gonzalo Higuain's second goal of the game against Korea was offside.

Many of the other 48 group stage games suffered from equally bad officiating and poor calls, which look set to continue into the knockout rounds tarnishing the image of the tournament.

As the wrong decisions continue, the calls for modern technology such as video replays and becoming more and more vocal, but FIFA has rejected any such moves.

It says that only last March football's rule-making panel agreed not to pursue experiments with technology that would help referees judge goal-line decisions.

But FIFA President Sepp Blatter should explain the reasons behind this decision as well as seriously look into alternative options.