After the dust settled from the U.S. women's national team's thrilling 4-3, extra-time victory over Canada in the Olympic semifinals, Norwegian referee Christiana Pedersen and her controversial six-second call are still at the forefront of the post-match discussion.
Pedersen enforced the seldomly called rule — one that says the goalkeeper must put the ball back in play within six seconds — on Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who said she was never warned by the referee and only told at halftime by an assistant referee to "Make sure you don't slow the play too much." Replays showed that McLeod had the ball for 11 seconds, so technically Pedersen's call was correct; however, for a rule so rarely enforced across all levels to be called upon on such a big moment has Canadian players and coaches fuming.
Canadian forward Melissa Tancredi said she told Pedersen after Abby Wambach's game-tying penalty kick that followed the indirect free kick granted by the call that, "I hope you can sleep tonight and put on your American jersey, because that's who you played for today."
Captain Christine Sinclair, whose hat trick carried the Canadian women, said, "We feel like we didn't lose, we feel like it was taken from us. It's a shame in a game like that that was so important, the ref decided the result before it started."
Here are a few more stories to get your day going:
CAZORLA SIGNS WITH ARSENAL
Santi Cazorla is the latest attacking player to join Arsenal.
The 27-year-old Spanish midfielder signed with the Gunners after moving from Malaga for an undisclosed transfer fee. The terms of his contract were not disclosed, but according to Arsenal Cazorla is signed to a "long-term deal."
Cazorla joins Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud as offensive signings this summer, as Arsenal prepares for the potential departure of Robin van Persie while overhauling its attack.
"Santi Cazorla is a great signing for us," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said in a statement. "He is a player with good experience at both club and international level, who will add significant quality to our squad. He is a versatile, attacking midfield player who can play comfortably on either side of the pitch or centrally. He has good pace, is technically gifted and will be a huge asset to Arsenal Football Club."
Cazorla was a member of Spain's victorious Euro 2012 team, and he had spent his entire club career playing in Spain.
VILLA RETURNS FROM INJURY
Eight months after breaking his leg, Barcelona striker David Villa is back.
Villa was included in Barcelona's 24-man squad for preseason friendlies against Manchester United and Dinamo Bucharest, marking his return from a broken leg suffered at the FIFA Club World Cup last December.
The injury forced Villa to miss the remainder of the season for Barcelona, which came up short in La Liga for the first time in four years. He was also unable to return in time for Euro 2012, but Spain was able to win despite his absence.
ALBIOL EXTENDS MADRID STAY
Raul Albiol plans on staying at Real Madrid for the long haul after all.
The 26-year-old Spanish defender signed a two-year contract extension with Real Madrid that will keep him at the Bernabeu through the 2016-17 season. The centerback joined Real Madrid from Valencia in 2009 but has not had a firm place in Jose Mourinho's lineup and was speculated to be on the outs despite having two years left on his initial deal.
————————-
What do you think of the Canadian women's reaction? Do you like the Cazorla signing for Arsenal? Do you think Barcelona is the Spanish favorite with Villa back, or is Real Madrid the team to beat?
Share your thoughts below.
Shane,
There is no Development Academy program for women. It is exclusively for men/boys.
You actually think the keeper was stalling??? Wow. She was on the ground with the ball, got up quickly, looked for a quick outlet, didn’t find one, then hoofed it. Nothing in that sequence suggested stalling. But, as noted by the BBC game commentators, Wambaugh was standing beside the ref counting out loud. The ref caved in to US whining on the field. Solo could have been called for the same thing many times in that game. In almost any game, that call can technically be made, but it just is not called. Cdn keeper did nothing outrageous to stall. It was a bad call pure and simple, and if it went the other way against Solo there would be the same questioning and incompetent ref accusations as some canadians are doing now. And delay of game is a booking, yellow card. Not an indirect kick like that. It was a disgraceful moment in sport. If you are honest, you would see that. USA was given an advantage on that call alone. No need to be callous and disrespectful to canadians about it. Humble and thankful, yes, but to suggest you would respond differently if it went the other way is ridiculous.
BS.
+1
So it’s Canadians “whining”. What is it called when most of the rest of the soccer world, outside of Canada, is saying the same thing the Canadians are saying? What is it called when informed Americans say the same thing?
http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/07/us-canada-referee-pedersen-goalie-clear-about-mondays-decision-wrong/
Tancredi is a total hack and should have been ejected after her 4th or 5th foul. By the end of the game, she was hockey checking players off the ball and getting away with it
I thought Canada played well for the most part but they did get away with hacking the crap out of the USA, all game long. They have no right to complain about the call that lead to the PK because there should have been a second PK minutes later when Morgan was chopped down.
This post game complaining is making me lose sympathy for their demise.
The two losses are not the same. Also, Hope Solo whined just a week ago that Chastain did not support the team enough. Talk about thin skin.
Most of these posts are really embarrassing. Grow up. It was a terrible call and the USA benefited from it.
Compare the reactions of the Canadians with the reactions of the Americans after they lost the final in the World Cup last year.
The Americans were just as heartbroken about losing, but immediately turned around and gave full credit to the Japanese for winning the game. Not a single whiner on the team that I can recall. They accepted their loss and used it to fuel their desire to show up at the Olympics even stronger.
Wambulance? What are you 12?
Playing like thugs? lol. Are you suggesting the US was called for fouls and Canada was not? Please. There were numerous instances throughout the game where the US had free kicks in dangerous areas where there was incidental or no contact whatsoever. There were constant free kicks awarded to the US from the right side close to the 18 for marginal contact in the 1st half. There was one questionable tackle in the 18 by a Canadian defender. Though, there was also an arm to ball in the US 18.
The ref was awful going both ways and she was inconsistent. No one is complaining about this as a game issue. It happens and that’s soccer. The indirect kick was more than inconsistent. Goalies pick up the ball every game. In almost every game they hold it more than 6 seconds. Yet people only seem able to refer to 2X this has been called going back 20 years.
Moreover, if you watched the game, Canada was hardly engaging in stalling tactics like we have all seen over the years. One of the benefits of a Canada-USA match at any level is the game is usually fairly contested, with little play acting/diving or time wasting, compared to other nations in our region.
“that Tancredi dike” and “Canada can’t stand on their [sic] own two feet” and “without being held up by the US”.
Well said. Oh yeah, except your comment was ignorant, baseless, clearly you are lacking in intelligence and education and you don’t have a clue.
Way to represent.
PS victim mentality? Canada scored 1st & scored two more times after US equalized. The only time US went ahead there was about 4 seconds left in the game. Because Canada didn’t score a fourth goal in 11 mins reg and the overtime, that’s a sign of victim’s mentality?
The coach’s comments were tactics pre game, not a sign of anything more than that.
Want some cheese with that whine?
OUtplayed them? Shots 24 USA to 7 CA.
Canada was lucky to come so close.
Thanks. I don’t think either side whining is anymore annoying than the other.
Great game to experience. Not beautiful, but dramatic.
Sorry Canada. Who knows maybe the next time you find a way to get the W. Learning how to win is as important has learning how to play.
I disagree. but as I write my reply I realized that you may be correct. The “advantage” is played many times in a game, when the offended team has not suffered any loss, and in affect would actually be punished by stopping the game to enforce the rule. Which was my original argument against calling it against Solo’s early violation. But now I realize that the Canadian team should have received the same indirect kick that the US received. So my original argument does not hold water.
BUT all that being said, win with class and lose with class. There are always countless opportunities for the players to affect the game to gain a win. Take the high road and move on. Earn the respect of the world by handling adversity with class, instead of screaming that everyone should feel sorry for them.
If it had happened to the US, I, as a fan, would have been upset. But as a former player and coach, I have to look and see that the team could have done many things to prevent the result.
Just my two cents.
yes, it is huge. As a Chelsea fan, I’m not happy…which means it’s a good move for the Gunners.
Somebody call the wambulance.
So the Canadian Keeper’s only warming came from the assistant referee???? WHAT MORE WARNING DO YOU NEED. If she said that at halftime chances are the referee won’t give you a warning because the assistant warned you not to slow the game. Its soccer referee’s make bad calls all the time. It not like that call eliminated you the goal from Alex Morgan did. Fact is you still had a chance to win it in extra time and you didnt capitalized. Just hold your heads up high and fight for the bronze medal.
Question: What’s more annoying than Canadians whining about the officiating in this match?
Answer: An American whining about the the Canadian reaction to the officiating.
Great game by the athletes, bad game by the officials. The US is clearly the more talented team, that was known before the match. It was a great match because the Canadians almost pulled off the upset.
The athletes were great, the comments on this thread really seem to represent the worst of the both nations supporters. Too bad.
yeah, fair point. 🙂
But really, he did manage to have little impact for most of the tournament, yeah. two of his three goals were ‘icing’ sort of things.
buh bye. Moderation, anyone?
I think its fair to say ref was not favouring either side, she just had a bad game. Perhaps she was not equipped to handle the physicality of the women’s game as its played North America
The US women have always been know as the most physical side in the world. Canada seemed intent on countering that with even more physicality. To some extent you could argue the tactic and some brilliance from Sinclair actually enabled them to compete with the US. I wonder if we will see other team adopt this tactic vs the US?
Don’t think that Brazil has a chance against Canada in the bronze medal game, seeing as they play France.
Torres kind of won the golden boot….
Waa waaa!! Cry baby Canadians, had the goalie not participated in that sort of gamesmanship it would have been besides the point. The fact the rule is not often enforced does not mean it does not exist. In fact I hope we see it more instead of giving a goalie a wireless yellow card.
When you play like thugs it will seem like calls go against you…because you freakin earned them. Canada got away with a whole lot yesterday, just not enough to save them in the end.
Syrup sucker
GREAT point! Hope had better make sure that she releases the ball with a couple seconds to spare. The keepers (at least on the women’ side) are going to be under a microscope after this. Until the next time that it happens and the dust gets kicked up again.
the drama of the match was exciting and yes that was a bizarre call by the ref. but boy in general its dreadful soccer to watch..stupid physical challenges, suspect technique by the majority of the players , long balls all over the place and no tactical brains!
After playing like thugs and getting away with it for most of the game I find it laughable that you could even consider being screwed. You were lucky to have a full team on the field and not to give up far more than the 1 PK.
Tancredis should talk. She should have been sent off at least twice for here second yellow. Any ref that left her on the field should wear a maple leaf on their heart. Her fouls were to hurt an intimidate. She is a hack.
Not even maybe. There could easily have been another 2-3 pk’s justly given and that Tancredi dike should have been off the field well before the game was over. They cry because a ref followed a rule, what the hell kind of complaint is that? Generally people complain when the ref doesn’t get a call right, but hey its Canada they can’t stand on their own two feet without being held up by the US so who is surprised?
I have to agree that coach has a lot to do with it. He made the game plan to play like thugs, he started mouthing off before the game and then did exactly what he said the US would himself. It is no wonder the team is acting this way after his antics.
Twat.
Because they had adopted a victim mentality even before the match had begun, see Herdman’s “highly” illegal comments. It was a poorly officiated match all around, the Canadians do not have a monopoly on complaints.
I know this whole chain is about the ridiculous six second call. But Cazorla signing with Arsenal— huge. Best move by Arsenal in a few years. Technical mid who fits in perfectly. Van persie should stay.
Truth
In fact, she should have been ejected for THAT comment to the ref alone!!
Can’t say the ref wore an American uni with Tancredi not being red carded
Lots of calls/non calls both ways. Canada bullied the game up, got away with incredible amounts of crap. In the end they were punished
And yes the indirect free kick was a questionable decision along with many others that went Canada’s way
Hey, it happens to almost every underdog in soccer. It is tough for Canadian women, who played the game of their lives against a more talented team and came agonizingly close to winning, but it is soccer. I think the US would have scored an equalizer with or without the call – this team was two goals down against France and still won. And, aside from a rarely made call, there’s plenty of blame to spread around. You’ve got to admit that it was pretty boneheaded for the keeper to try to waste time after the assistant ref specifically told her not to do it. She would have gotten away with holding the ball for 6-8 seconds, but 11 seconds is almost twice the amount allowed under the rules. Canadians can also blame the keeper and defenders for a terrible defending on the first goal. You don’t normally see goals scored from a corner flag area. Or you can blame Canadian players for failing to score in the overtime and allowing Morgan to score in the dying seconds. Great game overall by both teams. Canadian team can hold their heads high. If they use their disagreement with the refs call to motivate themselves for a game against Brazil, they will bring home the medals. If they sulk and feel sorry for themselves rather than focusing on the game ahead, Brazil will beat them.
Being the dumbest, stupidest guy around here (hands down–no contest), I think what he was trying to indicate was that often, we will here about the ref using their discussion or commmentators and pundits will kick out phrases like “You’re not gonna get that call, this late in the game at such a crucial moment”.
I don’t think that SA was saying anything about a ref only following the rules when they benefit the losing team. Canada wasn’t losing at the time of the series of calls that we are discussing took place.
But like I said, you could be right. I’m not the brightest bulb in th box.
Also the US did not play an excellent match. Canada was lucky they played so below their potential with such poor offensive tactics. I dont think the US deserved to win, not because of the officiating, but because they decided to only play long balls all match long. Other than Sinclair, who I believe is the best player in North America, all the US players are better than the Canadians and yet they decided the only way to win was to launch long balls to Morgan and Wambach. Why do we even pay a coach?
All this complaining and whining about the refereeing by fans denigrates the efforts of the women who played a great game yesterday.
The officiating was poor. The game was allowed to become overly physical. The events leading the 3rd US goal were abnormal, so of course the Canadian players are going have a sour taste in their mouths.
However despite the officiating these women played a one hell of a game. The 4th US goal by Morgan for US was a truly great moment. Sinclair’s hat trick was crazy, she carried a outmatched Canadian team on her back.
THAT is simply awesome.
I wouldn’t be proud nor claiming to have a game stolen from me ….after I was trying to not only break the rules (stalling)….but to not even play the ball just to win. A bad call in the run of play and I would understand their frustration, but this is cheap. They wanted to NOT play in order to WIN.
They LOST.
Tell you what I will admit the 6 second call was BS if you admit that Tancredi is a goon even by hockey standards and Canada should have been down to 10 players
I bet all the money in the world that Solo will be called for the 6 second rule in the fianl. Every single keeper in the tourney has done that at least 5 times each game. With the backlash from not just the Canadian players and coaches, but from media all over the world who are disgusted that such a call was made, you have to assume that the US will have to suffer the call too, to “make up” for the terrible decision.
Better hope the US is up by more than a goal when it happens…
I see what you are saying with number 2. I kind of feel like this is a bit similar to diving (though I’m unsure of the history of the crackdown on diving, whether or not refs started calling it and then it became a talking point, or vice versa), and hopefully will become a talking point moving forward.
Not a real game but it did happen to this guy in a blog I read:
“When I was 8 I was playing one of my older brother’s friends in FIFA ’98 Road to the World Cup, the greatest soccer game of all time. Late in the match I led 2-1. With the ball in my goalie’s hands, I waited for the final whistle, afraid of my opponent’s chances of a late equalizer. The result? Not a computer-mandated punt, but a whistle from the animated ref – Indirect Free Kick…Goal…Overtime…Loss.”