Good Morning Lowcountry

Cheating at the World Cup

I moved to the U.S. more than six years ago, which means I'm watching my second World Cup in this country.

I've noticed a significant change compared to the 2002 tournament in the quality of broadcasts on ABC and ESPN. It's good stuff. The announcers really seem to know what they're talking about. Until Monday's Italy-Australia game.

In the dying seconds of a pulsating match, Italy was awarded a penalty. The game was in injury time, and the penalty that gave Italy victory was the last kick of the game. Australia didn't even have time to kick off after the score.

I've watched replays of the "foul" five or six times, including in slow-mo, thanks to my Tivo. I've read U.S. and European media match reports, and it seems I'm not alone in the opinion that Italy's Fabio Grosso basically fell over Australia's Lucas Neill to "win" the penalty. In other words, Grosso took a dive, and in doing so conned Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo into awarding the spot-kick.

What really got my goat wasn't so much the con, or that the ref fell for it and awarded a PK instead of booking Grosso for diving. It wasn't even the way Grosso's team-mates celebrated the penalty award as if they'd already scored a goal (although this comes a very close second).

What really got my back up was the way ESPN co-announcer and ex- U.S. player Marcelo Balboa praised Grosso for a smart play, for drawing the foul and winning a penalty.

"I'll tell you what, great job by Grosso right there," Balboa said during commentary.

Great job? What, cheating?

Balboa, a former defender, criticized Neill for going to ground. The way I saw it was like this: As Grosso's mazy run took him into the box, Neill went to ground anticipating a low left-foot cross. Neill's slide was an attempted block. But Grosso faked the left-foot cross and cut inside on to his right. The ball went under Neill's body, and all Grosso had to do was step over him. Up until that point it was a great play.

But the replay suggests Grosso played the ball too far in front of him. You clearly can see an Australian defender about to intercept the ball when Grosso goes to ground.

I'm no mind-reader, but Grosso's an experienced player, and I believe Grosso knew the chance had gone. Or had it?

Diving, paying dead, feigning injury are almost as old as the game itself. But for an announcer to laud a player for such a move sends what kind of message to kids?

Yeah, Balboa, great job.

-- Peter Hull

Whistle-blowers

GMLc blog's World Cup coverage and commentary continues with guest writer Peter Hull, native of Brighton, Enlgand, supporter of England, soccer expert, on the guys with the whistle:

A favorite past-time of anyone who has ever played soccer is complaining about referees. The man in middle can do no right --  you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

For those watching the World Cup, it's almost impossible not to become frustrated -- make that bewildered -- by decisions made by many of the officials. They blow whistles like revelers at Carnival and hand out yellow and red cards like candy.

The point was no clearer than during the Portugal-Netherlands game on Sunday afternoon. Valentin Ivanov, the Russian referee, handed out 16 yellow cards, a finals record, and four red cards, two for each team.

The eagerly anticipated match-up between two of Europe's best teams descended into farce. Just over a week earlier, an exciting and finely balanced Group E game between the U.S. and Italy was ruined by three red cards handed out by Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda.

(I should mention that some of the cards are justified, such as the red card Italy's Daniele De Rossi received for elbowing America's Brian McBride.)

According to FIFA's Web site, after Sunday's games, referees had handed out 291 yellow cards and 23 red cards. Not surprisingly, Portugal and the Netherlands lead the way with 20 and 18 yellow and red cards combined, respectively. For the record, there were 272 yellow and 17 red cards handed out during the last World Cup in 2002, and 258 yellow and 22 red cards in 1998, according to unofficial Web sites.

I find it hard to believe the referees are as quick on the draw in their respective domestic leagues. After all, FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, chooses the best-performing referees from around the world to officiate on the biggest stage of all.

Soccer is a physical game -- a man's games, as they say where I come from (no offense, ladies). Take the 50/50 shoulder charge out of the game, and what will you be left with? Basketball? I'd like to see more referees take a breath or count to 10 before they react.

-- Peter Hull

World Cup Update

Argentina is looking strong. First official blow-out 6-0.

World Cup update

Football fan Kyle Stock writes:

"The first round of the first round is now complete. Germany and Poland
will kick off in a few hours in the second Cup match for each.
Switzerland shocked the French in a 0-0 draw yesterday, a game that the
Swiss could easily have stolen from the '98 champs.
Croatia gritted out a 0-1 loss to Brazil -- an admirable result given the
samba side.
And Spain just put a 4-0 win in the books over Ukraine. It was the Ukraine's
first World Cup match, and a poor start for the former Soviet Union
territory. It was an uncharacteristically strong start for the Spanish, who
usually overpromise and underdeliver in the tournament."

World Cup breaking news

From soccer correspondent Kyle Stock:

Say it ain't so...

USA 0 -- Czech Republic 3
The U.S. side finished dead last in the 1998 World Cup, so they had nothing
to lose in 2002 when they punched into the round of 8. But this time around,with surging support and a No. 5 world ranking, they have everything to
lose. And boy did they lose it today.

The Czechs looked like a futbol textbook. And the Yanks looked like
schoolkids, showing none of the grit, speed and creativity that shocked the
world four years ago. When they did get the ball, they stood around as if
savoring the moment of relief, instead of pushing it upfield.

The standing-room-only crowd in Moe's Crosstown Tavern was a testament to
the budding hope and soccer spirit in this country. But unless the U.S. can
topple Italy on Saturday, they probably won't see the second round --something the faithful in Moe's knew only too well.

Big guy with dreadlocks No. 1: We look horrible!
Big guy with dreadlocks No. 2: We don't look good.
Big guy with dreadlocks No. 1: I'm going for Argentina now.

And there you have it.

(USA captain Claudio Reyna, left, congratulates Czech Republic's Pavel Nedved at the end of the World Cup, Group E soccer match between the United States and the Czech Republic, at the Gelsenkirchen stadium, Germany, Monday, June 12, 2006. Czech Republic beat the USA 3-0.The other teams in Group E are Italy and Ghana. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Keep reading (next page) for P&C staffer and soccer freak Matt Sharpe's take on today's U.S. debacle and more pix...

Dave Winfield KILLED that seagull

Kyle Stock, mentioned in the "If you want to be a bird..." post below, has kindly found out not only what happened to that seagull killed by Yankees player Dave Winfield but a whole LIST of animals hurt or done in by idiotic athletes. They are rounded up by ESPN. They include a castrated bull, an attacked osprey, a knifed ram, a frozen octopus, a beheaded cat and a black swan clubbed to death by a golfer. It's disgusting.

Here's the Winfield story:

"On August 4, 1983, Dave Winfield and the Yankees were playing against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Winfield had a great game, driving in two runs as the Yankees won 3-1. Unfortunately, he was arrested after the game. In the middle of the fifth, Winfield finished his warmups and tossed the ball to a batboy. The ball hit a seagull on the head, killing the bird, and Winfield was charged with cruelty to animals.

'They say he hit the gull on purpose,' said Yanks manager Billy Martin 'They wouldn't say that if they'd seen the throws he'd been making all year. It's the first time he's hit the cutoff man.' The charges were dropped the next day."

For the record, the Lowcountry had its own sporting idiots episode. Several high-school golfers playing in a tournament in 2004 began clubbing alligators in a pond on the course. Mount Pleasant player Jordan Kruse, furious at the abuse of the reptiles, stopped them. The maximum penalty for harassing an alligator, a protected species, is $500 and six months in jail. People who spot wildlife violations can report them at 1 (800) 922-5431.