Another review of the Johnston foul

Discussion in 'USA Women: News and Analysis' started by thegamesthatrate, Jul 1, 2015.

  1. thegamesthatrate

    Jan 9, 2007
    A collection of things went wrong on that.

    First of all, Solo should have been charging out more aggressively and called Johnston off. The ball was going to land and bounce to the end of the area and with an arm and a jump Solo would have had an advantage over the German player.

    Second, it would be interesting to know if Krieger yelled for Johnston to steer the ball to the left (with her chest, which she was able to get onto the ball) rather than back. There was no other German player approaching and this could have been done safely.

    Third, go to the highlights on Youtube where you can see the play. Hit the stop button on the close-up a few times. The contact is not particularly intense and occurs very quickly. Perhaps a foul but the German player is already going down on her own movement based on her effort to get around Johnston (which would have been academic had the ball been steered to Solo's right and Johnston's left). So, even if the correct call was a foul, it was not a red card, in my view.



    It was a bizarre bouncing ball. It would have been a shame to have that one bizarre play negate long stretches of US defensive impermeability and the overall superior US play in the game.

    And, in any event, making penalties is part of the game. Just ask Marta about the 2007 final (where Germany had a 1-0 lead when she missed a PK).

    Finally, after decades of German good fortune that once prompted Gary Linecker to say that football is a game in which 22 players run around the pitch for 90 minutes, and then German wins, the fortune goes the other way for a change.
     
  2. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sadly, I think the video shows the opposite of what you say.

    I think this call, as well as the non-call on the crystal clear foul of Morgan in the box, as well as other non-calls that could have resulted in second yellows -- thus reds, is reflective of a FIFA policy of not wanting key players red carded out of the championship game. It's fully consistent with the rule wiping out yellow cards before the semi-finals. I think the refs, knowing what's at stake, are very reluctant to issue red cards or second yellows in the semi-finals. One can argue whether this is right or wrong, but that is what seems to be the case.
     

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