Well, World Cup referee Koman Coulibaly has already been destroyed on his Wikipedia page; and once you’ve been trashed there, it’s only a matter of time before your career is over. Coulibaly of course called the phantom foul that disallowed a go-ahead goal for the U.S., which ended up tying Slovenia, 2-2, last week. Now, it seems, FIFA has issued a red card on the Mali ref, excluding him from the next round of important knock-out games.
But as always in the World Cup, questions linger.
Such as, why does the world’s biggest sporting event, where a single call can send a team home, have no procedure for instant replay? Why are relatively-inexperienced, little-known referees assigned to World Cup games? And why are referees not required to explain their calls?
This last one is most baffling to Americans, who are used to a sport’s governing body releasing a statement the day after a controversial call in a big NFL or MLB game. Statements from umpires (recent example, Jim Joyce) or football officials (Ed Hochuli) add an element of accountability, and salve wounds. In contrast, here’s Yahoo’s Martin Rogers, describing how Coulibaly — or any World Cup ref — ends a typical day.
First of all, he gets a chaffeur-driven ride back to the luxury base where all the World Cup officials are cloistered, away from the prying eyes of the media, or God forbid, the public.
Then, if he fancies it on Monday, he can get a nice massage from an on-site physiotherapist and some restaurant-quality room service before — and this is the best bit — consulting a ready-and-waiting sports psychologist to help him handle the stress of his exertions on Sunday night.
So we’ll never know why Coulibaly did what he did, but it appears that he won’t have the chance to do it again. FIFA has scrubbed him from the next round of matches, a tacit acknowledgment of the giant fiasco.
Also out for the next round is Stephane Lannoy, the French referee who ejected Brazil’s Kaka for a non-existent hand to the face of an Ivory Coast player on Sunday. This has been a great World Cup for the French, hasn’t it folks?
But for those of you wondering when FIFA will start requiring its referees to face the music, remember that they couldn’t even muster the fortitude to ban the vuvuzela. So don’t hold your breath.
***
Morning Tweet: World Cup officiating so far has been, in a word, Kaka[Out of Bounds]
World Cup: FIFA Drops Referee Koman Coulibaly [SportsbyBrooks]
Refs must face the music for bad calls [Yahoo Sports]
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- Evan - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:45 PM
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People make mistakes. This guy clearly made a mistake. I don’t see much of a point as to putting him up in front of the media and having him admit it to the world.
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- J. Richter - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:47 PM
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Stephane Lannoy was also more likely dispensed off for allowing a Brazilian second goal that featured two hand balls. And to acknowledge that he saw the hand ball and admitted the goal in spite of it, cameras showed him laughing about it and making a soccer handball gesture with the goal scorer moments later!!!
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- rellie - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:47 PM
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good! Bout time, glad he is gone!
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- oh yeah - is this real justice? - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:47 PM
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hhmmmmm…somehwat interesting that a sleepy-eyed ref made a bad call….and doesnt need to explain his actions. Lets get on a bandwagon and force FIFA to join the rest of the 21st Centruy and BEGIN REPLAY controversial calls.
What the story DOESN’T say is that although this clown will miss the next round – is he tabbed for the round AFTER THAT??? After all, we wouldnt want him to miss out on any of that fine dining that keeps him drowsy……..
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- Tony-GA - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:47 PM
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I believe FIFA need to change its dictator rule by allow TWO additional referee one behind each goal to help on determine some questionable call. This is a great sport but FIFA has to much if not sole power over everything…
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- rlintw - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:48 PM
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First, I am not at all sorry to see Coulibay go and I’d have no problem with refs explaining themselves but only in those cases where a call has an effect on the outcome such as Coulibay, but not for something like a red card.
That said, why do American sports journalists have this fixation on technology? Soccer does not need instant replay. Part of the attraction of the game is the subjectivity of it and satisfying an American media driven need for absolute resolution is already threatening college football and is something FIFA must resist.
And by the way, thank goodness FIFA didn’t ban the vuvuzela. You don’t seem to get the concept of this world event. If you’re watching on TV, mute the sound if you can’t stand the vuvuzela. If you’re lucky enough to be at the games- then just shut up or give up your place to someone who cares more about the game and the chance to experience the local culure.
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- ref - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:52 PM
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yea mistakes are made, but in a tournament that involves the entire world, the least he can do is give an explaination of what the thinking was that lead to the mistake, which really screwed over a country. at this point nobody has any idea of what he was thinking there which baffles everyone worldwide
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- Craig - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:52 PM
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Instant reply on judgement calls? That’s absurd.
That would be equivalent to allowing instant reply to be used in football for calls like Holding, Pass Interference, Roughing the Passer, etc…
Now if you want to use instant replay in soccer for things like offsides or to judge if a ball was clearly over the goal line than I’m all for it because there is a definitive black/white answer.
Don’t just use the Instant Replay card, make a smart-a$$ remark about vuvuzelas and think you are going to get away with it. Until you learn to respect the game of soccer — stop writing about it.
Thanks.
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- Chaz - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:53 PM
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@Evan: If this were simply a mistake, I would agree. However, this was no simple mistake. There were at least three seperate fouls, one of which was an absolute mugging, on this play to the disadvantage of the US side. Compound that with the ‘mistaken/mystery’ foul on the US side, and you get something more nefarious. What I see here is bias, pure and simple, which goes to the core of this official’s credibility. His officiating career is (or certainly should be) OVER.
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- Dahan - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:55 PM
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It’s called accountability. What’s wrong with being required to admit you’ve made a mistake (I hope it was only a mistake)? If was truly only that, then he should be able to explain himself, allowing the rest of the world to put some closure on it.
Without him doing so, there will always be a very healthy percentage of people who believe the call was made on purpose to take the game away from the USA.
That’s why. It’s the professional thing to do.
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- Wes - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:55 PM
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Hey, Rick. Great article, but the ref’s name is Koman CoulibaLy, not Coulibay. Just thought I’d help you out.
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- Sam - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:56 PM
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Why, something wrong to admitting to a mistake. The guy didn’t even say wwhat the call wa for….acountability – that’s all were asking. The guy is probably anti American.
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- Chace - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:56 PM
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If you do not see a point in suspending this guy, you are clearly an idiot period. He called multiple BS calls and we would have won 4-2 if it were not for him, and had one of our star players still left to play on Wed. Go home Evan and sit in the corner and think about that jack ass.
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- Seth - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:56 PM
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this article perfectly shows just how ignorant to the world stage the u.s. is when it comes to soccer. the guy screwed up, no doubt about that, but as long as there is no suspicions of foul play such as bribes or whatnot, that’s all it was. fifa loves the controversy that can stem from human error, and i must say that i agree. the last thing we need is another sport that relies on instant reply and second-by-second dissection to the extent that most else gets thrown to the sidelines. it’s this straightforwardness that makes it the most captivating sport in the world.
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- Pa_in_Pa - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:57 PM
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I currently in Rome. Folks here are convinced that Coulibay bet on the game or was paid to make sure the US did not win. I’m not one to believe in conspiracies, but…
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- Reid - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:57 PM
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My question is why this ref would have called a foul he obviously couldn’t see and if he thought he did must have had second thoughts about especially in a goal scoring opportunity in a game that’s all about the goal….
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- Brent - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:58 PM
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People make mistakes. This guy clearly made a mistake. Why doesn’t he just admit it and give the rest of us some peace of mind?
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- Vuvuzela - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:58 PM
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BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
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- Dan - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:59 PM
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Perhaps not, but he should at least have to respond to the players and coaches when asked what the call was that he made. If he can’t explain what the foul was, then there wasn’t a foul. If there isn’t a foul, then the goal counts.
This isn’t some bush league soccer game. This is the world’s most popular sport and quite possibly the biggest stage in the sporting world. The officials have the obligation to get it right and if they don’t, then there should be a review process. FIFA has an obligation to make things right, not just brush things under the table.
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- eddieboy - Jun 21, 2010 at 2:59 PM
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How much culture is in a plastic noise maker?
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- bob mck - Jun 21, 2010 at 3:00 PM
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Instant replay??!! Please no! Then soccer would be as slow a game as American football. Why not get referees who are qualified to call world-class soccer games, and not pick them just because you needed this many from these countries?
There’s nothing wrong with soccer that needs fixing except the officiating.
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- Gene - Jun 21, 2010 at 3:00 PM
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I don’t care if he explains it to the press, but he should be forced to explain the call to the players.
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- blues - Jun 21, 2010 at 3:04 PM
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rlintw,,,,,you are as big a joke as FIFA..why do poeple call it a bad call he did not make a call he just blew his whistle and gave the ball to the defense…he never did make a call….
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- phil - Jun 21, 2010 at 3:04 PM
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Such as, why does the world’s biggest sporting event, where a single call can send a team home, have no procedure for instant replay? Why are relatively-inexperienced, little-known referees assigned to World Cup games? And why are referees not required to explain their calls?
So FIFA officials can get their back handers for teams that have little or no chance or need to win for their governments survival.
This poor sod is a fall guy for someone up the food chain who has probably earned 100x the income of this fool who cant even act as if he knows what he is doing
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- Sean - Jun 21, 2010 at 3:04 PM
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Certainly an explanation of such a controversial call would seem to be in order. Being from the US I have to say that in a slow paced game such as American Football, the instant replay works fine. But in soccer it would be certainly difficult.
As for the Vuvuzelas, what an absolute joke. Local flari my butt. Who on god green earth wants to watch a futball game and listen to that droaning buzz? I love the comment about muting your TV…because I jsut read an article about a company that is now broadcasting the World Cup in Europe with a Vuvuzela sound filter! That would be worth paying for!
