US defender Oguchi Onyewu was called for pushing down Razak Pimpong in the penalty area battling for a header at the end of the first-half. Ghana captain Stephen Appiah converted the penalty kick into a decisive goal in a 2-1 victory.
It wasn't a penalty. Onyewu made a good play. He just headed the ball away. He didn’t even have his hands on Pimpong; they were out to the sides, making a push impossible.
I think everyone should agree that was a ridiculous call. But was it the worst call in the ’06 World Cup so far?
The US played hard to get back in the game with Clint Dempsey's goal in the 43rd minute that tied it. The US would have come out at halftime even, with a chance to win the game. It isn’t just that the call was so bad; it changed the entire course of the game.
Of course the US could have played better in the second half and made more of their own opportunities. But that doesn’t change the fact that referee gave Ghana the momentum and put them in position to sit on a lead.
2006-06-22
08:41:03
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6 answers
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asked by
Cornelius
1
in
FIFA World Cup (TM)