Coaches coach for four years to get to the World Cup. Players train for four years to get to the World Cup. And they have their fate decided by some wordless man handed an assignment he had no business having. But as important: Just what is this governing body FIFA, with the world watching its signature event, doing when it doesn’t mandate an explanation from the referee about what he called that determined the outcome of a game? I blame [referee Koman] Coulibaly. But FIFA deserves equal blame, for putting a system in place that allows incompetent officiating to skate free. So what if we never see this official again? The damage is done. He was in far over his head, and he blew the call that decided the game. He can disappear now, and in all nations but America, the story will blow over. Nice racket you’ve got going, FIFA.
Yes, I’m a devoted American soccer fan, and yes, I was incensed that what should have been a US victory over Slovenia was stolen and turned into a 3-2 draw by a referee’s incompetence…and a decision that still hasn’t been explained. It sucks, and yes, the referee was a joke, but as anyone who’s played the game or watched it for any length of time can tell you, that’s soccer. Officiating has always been the game’s Achilles heel, especially on the international and World Cup levels. This World Cup has been no different in that respect, and it really does cheapen what could and should be a showcase for the world’s game being played at the highest level. It would be nice to know that FIFA gave a damn about the quality of the product on the pitch and the quality of officiating that manages the game without becoming the focus. FIFA’s rules don’t even require referees to explain calls- on the pitch or off.
That having been said, the US team has only itself to blame for being in a position where a referee’s decision could be so impactful. After a miserable first half in which it went down 2-0 to an inferior Slovenia team (no disrespect intended), the Americans spent the second half fighting and clawing their way back with two of the most beautiful goals you’ll ever see. They needed both those goals just to get level with the Slovenes. Maurice Edu’s winning-goal-that-wasn’t was clear- no offside, no obvious American foul, no anything that warranted the goal being waved off. And yet it was waved off…for reasons that may well NEVER be made clear.
What makes Koman Coulibaly’s call even more galling is that he couldn’t be bothered to explain what he saw that caused him to wave the goal off. American players asked for an explanation in English and in French, only to be ignored by Coulibaly. According to FIFA rules, a referee is not required to disclose a reason for a call, either during or after the game. Think about that for a moment; a referee can wave off a goal AND NEVER HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY. Imagine a touchdown being scored in the Super Bowl, and the play is whistled dead with no explanation forthcoming from the referee. Can you imagine the weeping and gnashing of teeth would ensue?
Thankfully, the US still controls their fate; they can still advance to the round of 16 with a win over Algeria on Wednesday morning. Coulibaly’s inexplicable (&^%up may (and should) remain the source of some head-scratching and consternation, but it need not impact the fate of the American team. Nonetheless, it really should prod FIFA to professionalize and standardize how it trains and supervises game officials. It’s difficult to know what FIFA’s standards are, because it seems as if their officiating operation is being run out of their buddy’s garage: inept, inconsistent…and built to stay that way.
The good news lies in the degree of passion that Coulibaly’s (&^%up has evoked from coast to coast. It’s good to see Americans actually and sincerely caring about soccer. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever see the day when our team and our passion could rise to the level where American soccer would be a force to be reckoned with. We may not win the World Cup, but it’s nice to know that Americans finally give a damn. That’s been a long time coming.
It’s tempting to compare Koman Coulibaly to Jim Joyce…but at least Joyce had the balls to man up and admit his mistake. Coulibaly, who had never refereed a World Cup game (and by all rights never should again), should be relegated to officiating games in his native Mali’s Fourth Division, even if be breaks his silence.
The world deserves better. Lord knows the US team certainly did.