Umm, but Italy didn’t deserve to be down 11-10 for half the game. I was rooting for Australia until that red card, and then hoped that “justice would be done.” Turned out Italy won anyway, justice being done was not possible it seems.

I didn’t see the game, on account of this stupid job I have to go to every day, but I was so absolutely, totally and completely not surprised that Italy got a penalty with no time left on the clock. I was following the gamecast online and thinking to myself, “Any second now Italy’s going to get a penalty. Any second now.” Because that’s kind of what happens in the World Cup. There’s something Shakespearean about it.

Now, the Portugal result is very good for my England, because Portugal will be playing without all kinds of players and those that remain are mostly on a yellow card, so they’ll miss the next game if they get another, which is all well and good. But how does Figo not get sent off for that headbutt?

I think this is the worst-officiated World Cup I’ve ever seen, by far.

It was such a ridiculous call. And I agree — it seemed, somehow, as if were preordained.

One writer — to whom I won’t link because of the recent controversy surrounding his publication (but whose soccer blog Martin mentioned in the comments to a previous post) — suggests that Ivanov’s officiating during the Portugal - Netherlands match will be good for soccer. Ivanov took the FIFA directive to hand out more yellow cards to its most literal extreme, thereby showing it for the farce that it is.

Everyone always complains about officiating, but it’s amazing to see so many bad calls in both the NBA finals and the World Cup.

Must be something in the water. Cyanide, perhaps?

I can’t subscribe to the “Let’s see how bad things can get if we keep going on this way” school of thought. Some crazy people used to say that about Margaret Thatcher back in the old days and that nearly did us right in.

I’m not entirely sure the referee in the Portugal-Holland game made that many terrible calls (in that he was probably correct to caution and eject the people he did on an absolute basis - except for the Figo headbutt), but rather that he seemed completely out of his depth and found himself in a disciplinary corner wherein he had no choice but to send people off. If he had established his authority early on with a firm hand and let both sides know what he would and wouldn’t tolerate, perhaps it wouldn’t have come to the farce we ended up having to witness.

I am unaware of any controversy surrounding Foer (?). Or is it Massie you mean? I stirred up a lot of controversy on that blog myself last week for getting annoyed at their anti-ESPN, anti-Balboa crusade (username=priceyeah, check out the comments for the posts “The Rebbe Responds” and then “Balboa-being there” ).

I think we can agree on one thing — the refs have been bad, and seldom worse than when they demonstrate themselves to be a light touch on penalty kicks and so forth. They go out of their way to let the players know that fakery will not work, and then fall for it anyway. Sheesh.

Exactly. It would be good, in the end, if handing out more cards altered play in a positive way, but so far, it has only encouraged histrionic falls.

The controversy I’m referring to is the flap over Kos, Jerome Armstrong, Steve Gilliard, etc., etc.

As Daniel Rubin wrote, the whole thing gives me a headache.

Is there controversy about Foer? I’m actually reading his book right now, and hadn’t heard anything.

The rant on TNR blog about Balboa is quite harsh. These people need to get with the program and start watching the games on Unavision. Spanish language commentary rocks!

Oh, gotcha.

Is anyone else tired of the bloviating of Eric Cantona in those Joga Bonita ads?

Foer is involved tangentially because he’s Zengerle’s editor, and thinks his apology was good enough.

So it turns out, according to Soccernet, that Harry Kewell didn’t play for Australia against Italy today because he has gout. That’s gout, which is kind of related to arthritis.

When I was a lad, the common understanding was that gout was caused by an excessive indulgence in alcohol, specifically port. But I’m sure that was just an old tale. I’m sure Harry doesn’t drink so much port that he gets uric acid in his toes.

Our art teacher, though. He had some terrible gout and he drank like a fish.

Ah, that controversy. I tend to ignore those nasty spats.

As for Eric Cantona, he must have been contracted for at least forty unique spots because I must see a new commercial everyday. I personally like the Adidas jose +10 ads. Here are part one and part two

They’re wonderful but I have seen them too much.

Anyone else watching SUI-UKR? Players are diivng around like it was the Olympic springboard competition, with nary a foul called. Perhaps the refs have learned a lesson?

Penalty kicks! Penalty kicks! Quick — tell your co-workers that you’re going to the bathroom, and run for the nearest bar!

On the Kos stuff, make sure you read this post from Billmon. (via Atrios).