Is it just me or are blown calls affecting the outcome of a ton of games lately? Not long ago we had Jim Joyce’s missed call at first base that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Then, we moved on to the NBA Finals where there was an exceptional amount of whining going on by either side — much of it warranted. On Friday, we saw a blown call on arguably a bigger stage than some of the others. After trailing 0-2 against Slovenia at halftime, it appeared the U.S. World Cup squad was headed for a loss barring an unbelievable comeback. The comeback they mounted was nothing short of that, as they knotted the game at 2-2 in the 82nd minute on a Landon Donovan score.
After a foul, the Americans were awarded a free kick at around the 85th minute in a spot that gave them a legitimate chance to take the lead. Donovan placed the ball perfectly in front of the net and Maurice Edu nailed it in for what appeared to be the go-ahead score. The goal was nullified after referee Koman Coulibaly called a foul and waved it off. Check out the video of the blown call in the U.S.-Slovenia game that would have given the U.S. the lead, courtesy of Twitter user Dan Levy:
Not only was that not a foul on the U.S., but the American players were being severely held during the kick. It’s huge that the U.S. was able to come away with a tie, but if not for poor officiating they would have ended up with one of the biggest comeback victories American soccer has ever seen.
Video Credit: Twitter user Dan Levy
