Soccer governing body FIFA acted immediately to provide officials Jorge Larrionda and Mauricio Espinosa with armed protection following the highest-profile mistake of this error-strewn World Cup.Referee Larrionda refused to credit England's Frank Lampard with a game-tying goal against Germany on Sunday, even though television replays showed the ball bouncing nearly a yard over the goal line. Assistant referee Espinosa appeared to have a clear view from the sideline but did not flag for a goal.
Tell me again why soccer doesn't have instant replay? Football has had instant replay since 1986. I was talking with some Euro fans and they said it would slow down the game and rob it of its purity. Game's not very pure when 50,000 people see the ball go in and only 1 person on the field doesn't see it.
England fans here were left furious at the way their team had been shortchanged by the Uruguayan pair. According to a source familiar with FIFA's responses to controversial referee calls, additional security had been ordered for the officiating crew amid fears of reprisals.
The source confirmed that extra security personnel had been called for "within minutes" of the incorrect decision and was in place to escort the men back to the official, high-security referees' base near Pretoria.
Germany eventually won the match 4-1 and progressed to the quarterfinals.
It would have turned out as a different game had it been 2-2 at one point. FIFA's official stand? "Let it be as it is and let's leave (soccer) with errors." Yes, they actually said this. Morons.
| I watched the match. Yes, it was 4-1, but it wasn't as close as it sounds. |