The World Cup - USA vs. Slovenia - My impressions

Soccer. The worlds game. Apparently everyones except the United States. Granted, we have other sports to be involved in in the US, i.e. baseball, football (yes the American version), and of course basketball. However, from my point of view growing up in the last 21 years, soccer, or futbol, has been on the rise. The growth of the US league, Major League Soccer, has been consistent over the last couple of years. Players now come from around the world to play in our league, and we have players abroad in some of the best leagues in the world like the Premier League in England, Italian Serie A, as well as the German Bundesliga. But the focus has shifted this summer. It is not on anyone one league, but on the world. If you havent heard of, or have seen any commercials or advertisement for the world cup, then you live under a rock, or are completely retarded. The World comes together every six years for the World Cup finals. 32 teams representing 32 countries around the world have descended on South Africa and are now competing in a do or die battle for supremacy.

The US's most recent battle on the pitch put them against a Slovenian side of equal strength and play style. Both teams play extremely well in a 4-4-2 formation, and are strong on the wings. The first half was disastrous for the US, seeing the Slovenians go up by two goals by halftime. However, the team that came out in the second half was the polar opposite of the first. Suddenly the US decided to challenge on the wings, with Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey attacking relentlessly. Landon Donovan scored on a long ball down the right side. A defender dove to clear a ball, missed and Donovan pounced. He ran down to the endline, twisted towards goal, and pounded a shot over the hapless keepers head. DOMINATED. The next goal involved several players, including central midfielder Michael Bradley. Donovan crossed the ball into the middle 18, Altidore put it up with his head, and Michael Bradley pounced, scoring a goal with the sole of his foot. Enter Malian referee Koman Coulibaly. This man singlehandedly screwed the entire game, and he has screwed them before! During the African qualifying stage of the 2006 World Cup, he awarded a bogus penalty to the Ghanan side that would have sent them through to the World Cup. They failed to convert, but went through anyway. Could someone please tell me why a referee, which a record such as his, could be allowed to ref a game at the worlds largest international competition? ... Im still waiting... Honestly, I did not watch the game. However, as soon as i woke up, I started watching highlights. One word - Amazed. I looked at the replays over and over, from every different angle I could find. I watched each US player, and attempted to decide if what they did could be construed as a foul. I came up with nothing. Not only did this referee ruin the US's comeback, but he ruined quite possibly one of the biggest comebacks in World Cup history. I do not know if someone paid this guy off, if he is just a retard, but honestly, he singlehandedly ruined the world cup. What a fuck up.