Did Referee Koman Coulibaly Rob US of World Cup Win?

By: Stephen Smith
Topics

The play in question.

(Credit: AP)

(CBS/AP) It's a question that could only be asked at the World Cup.

Did a referee from Mali rob the soccer team from America of a win over the underdogs from Slovenia?

The United States thought it had scored the potential game-winning goal when Maurice Edu knocked home Landon Donovan's free kick in the 86th minute to break a 2-2 tie.

But referee Koman Coulibaly called a foul on defender Carlos Bocanegra, who had his arms around Slovenia substitute Jejc Pecnik and was preventing him from jumping for the ball.

However, Coulibaly missed two American players being held and grabbed in different parts of the penalty area by Slovenian players.

According to AP writer Simon Hayden, who also happens to be a referee who has officiated amateur English soccer leagues for 10 years, the sport has turned the penalty area into a wrestling ring.

And that's what cost the U.S. a victory in its World Cup match against Slovenia.

Referees are under orders from FIFA to clamp down on the plague of fouls in the penalty area, but it's proving virtually impossible.

English referee Howard Webb received death threats after he penalized a Polish defender for fouling an Austrian attacker in the penalty area in the 2008 European Championships. The penalty, deep into added time, gave Austria a crucial draw and led to Webb having his life threatened and being condemned by the Polish prime minister.

Most referees are unwilling to penalize the defending team, preferring to reject goals rather than give them. This is what Coulibaly did Friday and it cost the United States a victory that would have brought the team close to qualifying for the next round.

Instead, the team is struggling to qualify and must beat Algeria in Pretoria on Wednesday to have any chance of qualifying.

The referee's job is impossible in these situations.

In any game from the lowest league to the World Cup if eight players are fouling each other in the penalty area, the referee can only see a small number of the penalties that are occurring. Cynical professional players tumble and dive in the penalty area, trying to trick the ref into giving a penalty and only television replays reveal the full madness of their actions.

FIFA has rejected the use of video technology, preferring to try to maintain the spontaneous nature of soccer and, in the process, inherently rejecting U.S. sports like football and, to a lesser extent, baseball, that have incorporated replay into the sport.

The only nod FIFA has made is to allow the use of two extra assistants to police the penalty area in some European competitions and help the referee.

Who knows if they would have helped Coulibaly reach his decision at Johannesburg's Ellis Park.

CBSNews.com Special Section: 2010 World Cup

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Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith is a news producer and sports editor for CBSNews.com

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by coast2co June 21, 2010 5:52 PM EDT: I will not watch a FIFA football match there full of incompetent and cheating referees.; Reply to this comment


by Henri_Rochard June 21, 2010 2:02 PM EDT: If you look REALLY closely, you can see that Koman Coulibaly is actually Tim Donaghy in disguise !!!; Reply to this comment

by SanityPleazze June 20, 2010 1:15 AM EDT

Americans will never understand football as the rest of the world knows it, its merely a novelty to them. I did not see the play but I know from experience that Referees make good and bad calls on both sides, live with that. When it goes your way the other team feels the way you do. Quit griping and enjoy the games. By the way, one comment said the whistle was blown before the shot on goal. If that is so, then play stopped immediately, there is whats called playing the advantage but definitely no continuation in football.

Reply to this comment


by sdamerican June 20, 2010 11:28 AM EDT: A lot of other countries in "the Americas" don't appreciate giving the united states the blanket title of America. So, that being said many of us do understand soccer. It stands for what every other sport stands for, hope of a better life, teamwork, perseverence, courage, endurance, strength, a specific pride of a geographical location(city, state, or country), overcoming, etc etc etc. We just have other domestic professional sports we turn to, hockey, soccer, football, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, gymnastics, cycling, swimming, etc. So many, fans probably only have time and taste for 2-3 max.. Actually soccer is probably the most popular youth sport where climate permits, but is still growing and attempting to build a sustainable professional market.


by sdamerican June 20, 2010 11:38 AM EDT: A lot of other countries in "the Americas" don't appreciate giving the united states the blanket title of America. So, that being said you need to watch the clip before you comment and many of us do understand soccer. It stands for what every other sport stands for, hope of a better life, teamwork, perseverence, courage, endurance, strength, a specific pride of a geographical location(city, state, or country), overcoming, etc etc etc. We just have other domestic professional sports we turn to, hockey, soccer, football, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, gymnastics, cycling, swimming, etc. So many, fans probably only have time and taste for 2-3 max.. Actually soccer is probably the most popular youth sport where climate permits, but is still growing and attempting to build a sustainable professional market. Lastly, your giving contradictory info that us "Americans" are having a hard time "understanding." Should we try to "understand" like other countries and actually gripe about the blown call, maybe with death threats, shoot up the other teams bus, pat on a harmless forum or should we just "enjoy the games"?


by Sam0425 June 19, 2010 12:11 PM EDT: If every foul in the area was to be called during a corner kick, there would be penalties in every one of them. I'm not saying he made a right decision, just that this is not an anti-American decision from his part.

I saw a couple of pushes close to the referee, which can be enough to call a foul; and of course, there were many others in the same play, further away from the referee, that could be granted a penalty kick. He called the foul before the American player actually hit the ball.; Reply to this comment


by Cordon_Bleu June 19, 2010 2:35 AM EDT: Koman Coulibaly will get a honor anti-American Cup from B.L; Reply to this comment


by nevgreco June 18, 2010 11:53 PM EDT: After seeing the video the kick was good..but like they say, the ref cannot see every thing...but to call off a goal as to hard it is to get one is a big mistake...I am for not allowing USA to compete in World Soccer from now on...Too much politics....we do not need this..unless we have cameras which everyone can review let us say two times each half..; Reply to this comment


by shanehackettusa June 18, 2010 7:28 PM EDT: There isn't even a question that this was a blown call. He should just have come out and say I blew the call. There was no foul on Bocanegra. It didn't exist. At the same time, Bradley is getting slammed to the ground with a move even Hulk Hogan would be proud of.

It is Coulibaly's fault. I admired the baseball umpire that blew the call and said "I blew the call and I'm sorry" on the no hitter.

Coulibaly needs to do the same. If he doesn't then he isn't learning from his own horrific mistakes and he's delusional.

Shane Hackett; Reply to this comment


by Nonsensical June 18, 2010 5:04 PM EDT: Stephen Smith you are a total knucklehead and writers like you are why I don't read or watch CBS News. Nice photo of absoutely nothing adding to your 'story', by the way

I could have written this blurb for you, but in far fewer words. Here it is:

"It's not Coulibaly's fault. It's FIFA's fault! They've given the poor refs too many rules to follow. Or maybe they've given them too few. Or maybe FIFA didn't do a good enough job training its refs. Obviously there's a problem with FIFA, NOT Coulibaly. Besides, he didn't make a terrible call because, well, 'terrible' is really just so...subjective. Who's to say what's terrible, anyway? I'm sure the Slovenians don't think it was a terrible call".

People with your attitude and the public platform to display it make me sick and are a very big reason why the world today is in big trouble.; Reply to this comment


by jnostromo June 18, 2010 3:27 PM EDT: It is becoming far too common in today's sporting events..games decided by inept officials.....American soccer however needs to have a shot of life breathed into it. In the past several years kids have become enthusiastic about hockey, we need to get the same enthusiasm going for soccer if we ever really hope to compete for the world cup.; Reply to this comment


by JKxZ June 18, 2010 3:21 PM EDT: Hey Stephen Smith, would you like to point out the exact frame where Bocanegra is holding Pecnik? You are just as blind as Komen Coulibaly!

Here actually watch the video replay:
http://*****/cUwbA

No where does Coulibaly indicate who the foul is on or what the foul was for. He simply says NO GOAL.; Reply to this comment