Officially through

I still don't like soccer enough to justify two straight blogs about it, but it's on all the time, including right now, since I'm writing this during/after the uber-important USA/Algeria and Slovenia/England games.

With USA advancing to the knockout round on a Landon Donovan goal in stoppage time, there's a lot of talk (at least on ESPN) about the ultimate irrelevance of the now two unreasonably disallowed goals that USA scored. America advanced, after all. So who cares, right?

I do.

But it's not because I'm an American, even though, in the words of Big Boi, basically America you got fucked.

I care because I'm a sports fan. And soccer is a sport that has some significant fundamental issues with the way it is officiated. If soccer is going to be one of the biggest sports in the world and continue to grow in America, then I think it's our right as sports fans to have a game that is refereed as well as possible, but that's not the case.

I've already discussed some of my gripes with stoppage time, but those also point to a bigger problem that was instrumental in both of the USA's two disallowed goals: the lead referee has too much power and too much responsibility, at least at the FIFA level (the most important level).

Despite the fact that it has an enormous playing surface and great occurrence of close-together players, FIFA only uses three referees (and a fourth person who is just in charge of holding up the board that announces subs and stoppage time). But two of the refs are only allowed to aid the lead referee and suggest calls that are ultimately at the discretion of the head honcho. In other words, that one ref has to see everything and judge everything, to one degree or another.

To put this in perspective:

• The NBA usually uses three referees who can all make the same calls, can discuss calls together, and can use instant replay on a smaller playing field.
  
• The NHL uses four referees who can all make the same calls, can discuss calls together, and can use instant replay on a smaller playing field while on skates.
  
• MLB uses four referees, or even six in the playoffs, who have individual responsibilities but can discuss calls together, use some instant replay, and very rarely have to deal with player contact or obstructed views during calls.
  
• The NFL uses seven referees who do have individual responsibilities but can make most of the same calls, discuss calls together, and use instant replay on a smaller playing field.
  

And, on top of that, FIFA refs have no responsibility to explain their foul calls. Ever.

FIFA seems completely content with their current officiating system, but before now, they haven't really had to deal with the intense media scrutiny that follows intense American public interest. I hope that some of this controversy foreruns change in the woefully dated officiating of FIFA soccer, even if it doesn't come soon.

Quote of the Week:

It really wasn't a question: