I apologize in advance if this thread goes against the norms of this forum! There were several questionable calls, and I've seen questions pop up in several threads in different boards. My question is regarding Bocanegra's goal, the first goal of the game... off a corner kick. Nicely placed cross that dips at the right time, Boca runs onto the ball to guide it to the goal. Some question whether or not the ball hit his arm. But I was always under the impression that if your arm is at your side, it becomes part of the body and is not a handball if contact is made. And it seems from the replay that Boca put his arms by his side just in case. I figure that other calls could be discussed/analyzed here as well.
If the arm is used to intentionally propel the ball, it is handling, no matter where the arm is at the time of contact. The arm being out to the side or above the head simply increases the likelihood that handling has been committed. I have seen girls use their arms to "protect" their chest and then push the ball to the ground with their arms crossed so they can control it. I too wondered about the validity of his goal, but considering how the goalkeeper was looking right at it and didn't say anything, I think we can assume it was okay.
This would have been a tough call to make, as he is running onto the ball the CR is probably almost directly behind him and will have no view at all of whether the ball touches his arm, let alone whether it is deliberate. Only the AR might have seen something (apparently he did not).
The AR had approximately 10 players between himself and the play, as Bocanegra was nearer the far post to the AR. Also impossible to call since the CR would have been facing Boca's back. That no one complained is probably a good indication that none of the Brasilians saw a hand ball.