All's Well That Ends Well: U.S. downs Brazil

I thought I was going to write, “We wuz robbed!” by the absolutely atrocious officiating in today’s World Cup quarterfinal between Brazil and the United States. But Abby Wambach’s perfectly timed header off a Megan Rapinoe cross only seconds before what would have been an excruciatingly painful defeat for the U.S. made this a happy story after all.

Things got off to a spectacular start for the Americans when Brazilian defender Daiane misplayed a cross from Shannon Boxx on the left into her own goal.

Things turned ugly in the second half and when Australian referee Jacqui Melksham proved to the world that she should not be officiating a U-10 game in the park, let along a World Cup match. Rachel Buehler was called for a very questionable foul on Marta, the Brazilians extremely skilled and extremely whiny forward in the box in the 65th minute. I thought when I saw the play and when I saw the replays immediately after it that it was not a foul, and when I saw it again a few hours later I still feel that way.

Out came the red card and the U.S. faced the prospect of the tying goal then 25 minutes down a player. But Hope Solo made a brilliant diving save to her left of Cristiane’s PK to preserve the lead and give her team a huge morale boost. But wait. Melksham stepped in again and ordered the kick re-taken for reasons no one knows. Solo said afterwards she was never told where the ref thought she stepped off her line too soon or another U.S. player encroached. Replays showed Solo shuffled her feet on the line but did not appear to step all the way off it. An American player at the top of the screen may have stepped over the 18-yard line a split second before the shot, but at most this appeared to be a “trifling offense” that should never have been called. And Solo earned a yellow card for asking about the call. Marta stepped to the line for the re-take and tied the match.

Despite the player shortage, the Americans hung tough and regulation ended 1-1, although it should have been a 1-0 victory.

Early in the first overtime Marta scored, but replays showed there was a good possibility of offsides.

It seemed to be the end of the USA’s dream as time wound down until Wambach showed why she is one of the greatest women players ever. In the shoot-out, with the U.S. shooting first, Boxx, Lloyd, Wambach and Rapinoe all converted for the U.S., meaning that when Solo made a spectacular save on Daiane’s kick, the USA would win if Alex Krieger scored on her shot. She did and the Americans face France in the semi-final.

Now that the match is over, Jacqui Melsham should hang her head in shame. Or at least FIFA should make sure she never referees at this level again. One could argue that the U.S. lucked out when Lloyd was not given a second yellow card for a hand ball in the second half, or that they missed other chances and maybe Brazil would have tied the game anyway. Maybe – but had the referee made the right call, the U.S. would have had a 1-0 lead and 11 players and it’s a good bet they would have held that lead.

Another aside: many years ago, when Carli Lloyd played for the Medford Strikers team that Joe Dadura and I coached, she was never one of the girls we had shoot PKs in a shootout, including the U15 New Jersey State Cup final. It was a running joke for four years and at a college game Carli let me know that she had made a penalty kick in a game the week before. So it was good to see her not only play the entire 120 minutes in what will go down as one of the best games in American soccer history, but to see her make one of the PKs as well.