It's fun to re-run past World Cup matches in your head with the addition of VAR. We maybe get that call back against Ghana in '06, earn and convert a PK against Germany in '02 , and book a ticket to the knockout stages early in '10 against Slovenia or Algeria (when VAR rules that Edu's and/or Dempsey's goals were wrongly disallowed), allowing us to rest some players and head into the knockout stages fully refreshed -- instead of having left everything on the field for those last 180 minutes. However, it's also possible we give up a PK against Mexico in '02 on a JOB handball and never make it to the QFs. Or -- we level the score against Poland in the group stage after VAR rules that Donovan's goal was wrongly disallowed, and the US goes on to win the match and top the group, but we end up playing Italy in the Round of 16, instead of a Mexican side that we know very well.
I was at that match, that moment and the moment when LD passed up an open shot to lay it off to Ben Olsen are what I remember from that match.
LD did that? I have a pretty damn good memory and don’t recall it. Boy, guess I really wanted to block that match out.
I didn't really think it was a foul, either. A knee to knee accident that had major consequences for Claudio and the team. IMHO
Oh, boy! Don't remind me. What was LD thinking? I think that was the most dismaying moment I have ever encountered when playing or watching a soccer game. LD giving up the goal-scoring opportunity to Ben Olsen? Makes me sick to this day.
Dramani went for the knee. That would have been a clear foul today. Not to mention Pimpong's dive, because Gooch didn't touch him. Back in the day the USA didn't get many calls. Now things are changing, since soccer went nearly bankrupt in the 00s and it's been American companies rescuing clubs and investing in the sport all over the planet. So now they know who feeds them.
Ghana 2 - 1 USA | World Cup 2006 - YouTube You are wrong man. You can slow it down from 1:11-1:17 and see for yourself. Reyna opened up his side and left the ball way too exposed to the opponent. The player from Ghana banged into Claudio knee but it was AS/ or a millisecond AFTER the guy's foot was going through ball. Even when he hit Claudio's knee, it was so instantaneous and also the way Claudio fell forward AND at that very moment, the guy had as much rights to claim he had the ball (or more) than Claudio....I don't see how a ref is going to call that real time or even call it a foul. On the play, Claudio had a blind spot in trying to decide what to do with the ball. He was of 2 minds and the opponent did a brilliant job of seizing the opening with power and speed. Claudio left the ball on a platter. I remember in seeing it at the time (and the replays), my first thought was 'wow, Claudio is no longer the player he was.....he looked really slow in mind and action and can't play at highest level anymore'.
Why does it seem like every discussion about Gio ends up being about Claudio? Why does it seem like every discussion about Claudio ends up being about one moment in that one game?
Well, I think many of us would prefer to talk or read about Gio, but he is not much in the news these days. Waiting.....waiting....waiting....waiting....
Finished 9th for Trophee Kopa: The 2021 #tropheekopa ranking ⤵️8️⃣ @RGravenberch / @AFCAjax9️⃣ @JeremyDoku / @staderennais9️⃣ Giovanni Reyna / @BVB#ballondor pic.twitter.com/SfFuqXgsi2— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) November 29, 2021
That contact can easily not be called, but if a tackle is "careless," regardless of whether a player "got ball" it can be considered a foul. I don't think most refs would consider that tackle careless enough to be a foul (although Draman's leg was stretched pretty well and he came in pretty directly to the leg). Reyna just got hit in a bad spot - his foot lost all holding power once the knees hit. Draman probably still comes up with the ball even if Reyna doesn't go down, but not nearly as easily... but that's football and CR should not have been in a position to allow that effective a challenge that close to goal with very little backup.
I bumped this hoping some net wizard had some news on him, walking without a limp even, but nada. Sigh.
Gio Reyna is back in training! 👏 pic.twitter.com/rUY6fIY1o7— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) November 30, 2021