COMMERCE CITY — Two days later, the pain that was written on Gary Smith’s face had subsided.
The Rapids coach is an Englishman, so watching his country’s 4-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup on Sunday hurt. It also hurt to know the result could have been different if not for a blown call disallowing a goal.
Soccer fans know all too well the numerous missteps by referees in this year’s World Cup. Errors by officials and a growing cry for the use of video replay have become the dominant story lines in the tournament. Under increasing pressure from around the world, FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced Tuesday that soccer’s governing body will reconsider the use of high-tech solutions to help referees.
Major League Soccer already is answering questions about what it might do in the wake of a sport that is getting too fast to be officiated the same old way. U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati recently told reporters in Johannesburg that MLS, the Rapids’ league, would be open to instituting some sort of video replay system.
“We’d be happy to do some trial cases, not rules of the game or something like that, but with an additional referee or technology,” Gulati said.
Players and coaches would welcome a change.
“How they bring it in, and in what way they use it, is the question,” Smith said Tuesday. “Goals, and the opportunity to score goals that would lead to penalty kicks, anything inside the penalty area or that dead ball line, I think it has to be a clear and concise yes it was or not it wasn’t.”
England had a goal taken off the scoreboard against Germany when the linesman decided the ball hadn’t crossed the goal line. Replays showed the ball had clearly crossed the line. The score should have been 2-2. England ended up losing 4-1.
Team USA also had two goals disallowed because of officiating blunders. In the Americans’ 2-2 draw against Slovenia, the referee wiped away the potential winning goal on a phantom foul call. In their 1-0 victory over Algeria, the Americans had a goal erased when the referee called Clint Dempsey offside. Replays showed Dempsey was onside.
Argentina’s first goal Sunday against Mexico was scored by a player who was offside. Replays shown in the stadium confirmed the player was offside, but the referee could not use that evidence.
“I think for the magnitude of this stage in soccer, the World Cup, it’s been very below par as far as the refereeing,” Rapids goalkeeper Matt Pickens said. “There’s been a lot that they’ve missed, and it’s been a shame. I’m all for video replay. It gives the games a true essence. What we’ve used here in the U.S. as far as football and basketball, we use it, and it’s only fair. I think MLS would benefit. Any sport would.”
One of soccer’s biggest issues is that the referee is having trouble keeping up with the faster pace of the game.
“Suddenly, these players can go from one end of the field to the other in probably five or six seconds. It is such a quick game, the players are so athletic now that that is a question as well,” Smith said. “I don’t know how fit the officials are, but that has certainly come into question. I know that (Manchester United manager) Alex Ferguson questioned a particular official last year in England that couldn’t keep up with play.”
If video replay is not the right decision at the right time for FIFA, perhaps additional linesmen and officials could be.
“Is there something to be said for linesmen on both sides of the field in both halves?” Smith said. “It’s been spoken about that there be a referee in each half of the field, so there’s not so much ground to cover. One way or another, in the modern game, given that we have such advances in software, most of the other sports have gone the route of replay.
“For the big decisions now, somehow, some way, in the upper-echelons of FIFA and UEFA, they’ve got to get their heads together and come up with a remedy to make sure that those big decisions are right more often than not.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
Whole bunch of officiating blunders
A look at some of the plays that have sparked controversy, and led to calls for the use of video replay to help officiating, at the World Cup:
Argentina 3, Mexico 1: In the 26th minute of a second-round game with Mexico, Argentina’s Carlos Tevez headed in a pass from Lionel Messi. Though replays showed Tevez was offside, referee Roberto Rosetti of Italy awarded the goal after consulting with his linesman as Mexican and Argentine players surrounded them, angrily gesturing.
Germany 4, England 1: In the 38th minute of a second-round game, with England behind 2-1, Frank Lampard sent a shot off the crossbar. The ball came straight down at least a foot inside the goal line, but referee Jorge Larrionda waved play to continue. Television replays confirmed the ball was in the net.
United States 2, Slovenia 2: Moments after the Americans tied the score in the first round, Landon Donovan took a free kick from the side of the penalty area in the 85th minute as players jostled in front. Maurice Edu spun away from Bojan Jokic and, one step into the 6-yard box, stuck out his left foot and put the ball in. But referee Koman Coulibaly had whistled play dead for a foul. He never explained who on the U.S. team did what.
United States 1, Algeria 0: In the final group game, Team USA’s Clint Dempsey scored in the 21st minute off a rebound. But the goal was called offside. Replays indicated Dempsey was in a fair position.
Mexico 2, France 0: In a first-round match, Javier Hernandez appeared to be offside when he ran onto Rafael Marquez’s pass and went around goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to give Mexico a 1-0 lead in the 64th minute.
Brazil 3, Ivory Coast 1: Brazil striker Luis Fabiano handled the ball twice as he juggled it past two Ivory Coast defenders before scoring for a 2-0 lead in a group win that secured advancement for Brazil.
The Associated Press
