What really bugs me about this call was, one, there really isn't an excuse to miss a call like this. It was like 3-5 yards offside, easy. But then they had that little meeting, the ref with the AR. What was that all about? What do you think their conversation was? ref: "are you sure there wasnt an offside there?" AR: "I didn't see any offside" -- ref stares slackjawed at giant video screen replays 5 yards offside play-- ref: "are you really, really sure?" AR: "well, maybe not but we can't use video replays to effect our decisions. We would get into big trouble"
As amusing as this post was, when I read it, I realized something with a little bit of combined amazement and horror... What if Rosetti was prepared to overrule the AR and call offside, only to have the stupid replay pop up on the big screen? Upon this happening, he realized that if he overturned it, he would be accused of using replay to change the call and would get in trouble for that? What if Rosetti was, in fact, prepared to overturn the goal, only to have the idiot screen operator put him in a pickle that would have created a problem if he had done so?!?! (That still doesn't absolve the AR from missing the call in the first place, but still...)
It was like 3-5 yards offside, easy. He was within 2 yards of the offside line, as can easily be verified by actually looking at a video. It's just weird to see how far off people with a VCR can be, compared to what a ref has to do...
I think what complicated the play is that usually you have the forward pushing up and getting behind the defenders. In this case, after colliding with the goalie, Tevez was ahead of the defenders, and they were running back and catching up to him, so by the time he headed the ball two defenders were on the same line with him, even though when the ball was sent by Messi he was behind them. It was a fast developing play, and that might have possibly confused the lineman. Maybe the guy blinked at the wrong moment.
I'd say three is fair. Each one of those 'mowed squares' is 6 yards. Tevez is standing at the edge of one and Juarez (the 2nd defender back) is further than the middle of the square. 3 yards & change, imo.
2 yards, 3 yards, 30 yards? Doesn't matter with a call that bad. It's like having a surgeon remove the wrong kidney and tell you, well, i was only about 12 inches off.
Right, what really matters is what fraction of a second elapsed between the ball going forward and Tevez getting back onside. If you miss it, you miss it. As I said elsewhere, De Bleckkere's AR's mistake on Dempsey's goal was less excusable and more damaging, but because it wasn't "5 YARDS!" and because the US eventually won anyway, it isn't a scandal.
Finally went back and found the earlier posts. KCbus brought up the subject of the players looking at the replay on the video screen, and asked the question why the Argentina players would be urging the ref to look at the screen. I offered a twisted theory on why they may have done this.
Tevez said he knew he was offside and was sure the refs did too, and he fully expected the goal not to count. That was in an interview I read yesterday.
I thought they were just ticked off that it was being shown and wanted to pressure the ref, making clear he couldn't use it in his decision. I'd LOVE to have 'been a fly on the wall', (well... it was on the side of the pitch so there wasn't a wall, was there but y'know what I mean ), when the ref and AR were talking. Personally I don't see how the AR could change his mind having already given it.