The USA in a Semi-Final Round Qualifier in Costa Rica for 2002. Prendergast did the same thing to us. Earnie Stewart equalizes the score at 1-1. Gregg Berhalter had his hands to his sides and the ball plays him off his chest & sidein the area. All of a sudden whistle blows and a PK to Costa Rica in Costa Rica. They win the match 2-1. I saw your match in the Gold Cup against Costa Rica. I didn't think it was a handball either, it was off the shoulder. You guys got robbed. Like I said, welcome to the club.
Pendergast has an ego the size of (fill in the blank). I wonder how he'll make up a story (to the assessor) for this hand ball call. Someone at FIFA must like him to keep giving him assignments......
I agree the handball call was questionable, but how many chances did he give Canada to redeem themselves? I recall him giving us a few free kicks in close, even one just outside the box at the last second. Canada should have capitalized on those chances.
That match was horrible to watch. Costa Ricans diving this way and that, going down like they were shot. It was really sad. It's no wonder Canada can't qualify for the WC since, while we may not have the most talent, we dont' resort to unfair tactics like countries like Costa Rica do. We're just not as good at acting I guess. Soccer is always supposedly promoting the whole "fair play" thing but I don't know if they ever really do anything to impose it. But, it is true like TastySimon said, Canada had chances to level it up and didn't capitalize, particularly in the last few minutes of the match. De Rosario in particular missed a golden chance to tie it at one when he got behind all the defenders in the first half.
Perhaps Canadian & US fans should form a mutual Pendergrast victim society, along with the Belgians. That was brutal officiating, horrible calls and he was in horrible position on the field to make them with the authority he did. He also needs a lesson on human anatomy or a new perscription.
I think most other refs from CONCACAF would have awarded two PKs last night. Hutchison's 'challenge' 5 minutes before the handball would have led to a spot kick 9 times out of 10. Crap calls are the norm in CONCACAF. You have to suck it up and play past them.
There should also be quotes around "handball" in your post. It would also be nice to see our opposition forced to suck it up and play past some bad calls. Don't think I've ever seen it happen though.
Is there a Canadian referee much better than Prendergast? I know the U.S.-supposed best referee, Hall, isn't exactly great.
Horrible call, but Canada still has no one but themselves to blame for not putting the ball in the net. A tie against Costa Rica would have went a long way...