2012 London Olympic Games - Day Ten- General Thread

[rjblue]

Yeah, that call has kids all over Canada shaking their heads.

[kylet3]

The US got a good last goal, but anyone who knows an OUNCE about this game knows that "refereeing" was the worst I have ever seen in a woman's soccer match. The bias was so alarmingly blatant. The amount of US handballs not called, the b/s "penalty" called that wasn't a penalty, the purposely trying to injure our players at the end of the game... I've never had so much disrespect or ill will for one team in my entire life. All I can say is go Japan!

[chipso1]

USA! They never gave up and kept fighting til the end! Alex Morgan () and Megan Rapinoe are rockstars!

Also, mad props to Sinclair for her hat-trick!

[beepbeep]

What was Condoleeza Rice doing at the Brazil vs Spain men's basketball match?

[millyskate]

My landlady has switched the channel to boxing and I just don't get it. I can't for the life of me tell which boxer is meant to be winning.

I thought the British guy was getting slaughtered by the German, but the British was declared the winner (unsurprisingly, commentators and audience content). In the second match, the Indian guy appeared to be slaughtering the Uzbek, but the Uzbek is declared the winner. This time, the commentators and audience boo loudly.

Now, it's Japan v Turkey and I still have no clue what's up. The Japanese is declared the winner and bursts into tears it seems, before promptly gathering himself and resuming his boxing demeanor. The Turk was certain he'd won and is in disbelief.

[skipaway]

Yeah, that call has kids all over Canada shaking their heads.

Had a lot of the experts also shaking their heads. It's weird that officiating seems to always have a hand in controversial matches.

[mazzy]

My landlady has switched the channel to boxing and I just don't get it. I can't for the life of me tell which boxer is meant to be winning.

They seem to have constant bribing/judging skandals. There also seems no will to clean up the mess.

[jeffisjeff]

I watched a bit of it at work and then managed to get my daughter home in time to see the end of the US-Canada game. She loved it! USA! I didn't see the bad call, but it is hard to feel sympathy when the Canada's head coach was complaining even before the game started. I don't follow soccer very closely, but what I've read indicates that there is quite a bit of irony in the Canadian team saying that the US team is too rough. From what I saw of the game, both teams are very physical!

[Proustable]

I managed to get my daughter home in time to see the end of the US-Canada game. She loved it! USA! I didn't see the bad call, but it is hard to feel sympathy when the Canada's head coach was complaining even before the game started. I don't follow soccer very closely, but what I've read indicates that there is quite a bit of irony in the Canadian team calling the US team too rough. From what I saw of the game, both teams are very physical!

Oh, I wonder if the reffing was in response to the blatant attempt from Canada's coach to sway her to his side (but that call was pretty terrible - none of the players on either side actually knew what was being called). Canada tends to be the more generally physical team, but the USA actually had more fouls (by one) this time.

[skipaway]

Congrats to Cyprus for winning their first ever medal. They earned a silver in Sailing.

[professordeb]

The Canadian coach's comments were about plays/positions the US takes when the ball in kicked in from the corner. I don't understand what he meant but some "talking heads" in Canada felt it was to take the pressure off his players and onto himself.

As for the game itself -- well that just reinforces why I don't watch much soccer. Two really bad calls against Canada with resulting US goals. One call was against the Canadian goalie for holding the ball too long. Supposedly they should only hold it for 6 seconds but I counted how long the US tender held the ball and it was longer than 6 seconds but no call. Then there's a hand ball call when a Canadian player gets hit on the hand by a moving ball yet not one of many hand balls by the US were called. I can put up with shady calling -- as long as it's the same both ways but it wasn't in this game. Should be interesting to see if the US gets the benefit of those same calls when they take on the world champs.

Canada -- time to reset and play for bronze. Getting that medal would be sweet as it would end the drought of this country never having won an olympic medal.

Gold medal match -- meh! Don't really care one way or the other who wins -- six of one, half a dozen of the other. Good luck to the four teams still playing soccer.

[rjblue]

It wasn't a physical foul, it was a technical foul. It seemed like a made up call- legal- but like a costume deduction on a outfit that had been worn three times before and not received a deduction.

My son plays soccer and basketball. I just roll my eyes when I hear people talk about how much more fair referreed sports are over judged ones. The only fair sport I've seen is curling- the players police themselves.

[Skittl1321]

So synchro swimmers can hold their breathe forever, huh? Also the camera that shows underwater at the sake time as above is awesome.

[professordeb]

It wasn't a physical foul, it was a technical foul. It seemed like a made up call- legal- but like a costume deduction on a outfit that had been worn three times before and not received a deduction.

My son plays soccer and basketball. I just roll my eyes when I hear people talk about how much more fair referreed sports are over judged ones. The only fair sport I've seen is curling- the players police themselves.

Actually it's not exactly like a costume deduction. In this case, they called it on one team but not the other. Either call it or not, but do it the same for both teams. It's the fact that they called it against Canada but not against the US.

[wickedwitch]

Actually it's not exactly like a costume deduction. In this case, they called it on one team but not the other. Either call it or not, but do it the same for both teams. It's the fact that they called it against Canada but not against the US.

From what I remember from my refereeing days, it's generally a call you make only after warning the goalie, so maybe this was the second or third time it happened.

[professordeb]

From what I remember from my refereeing days, it's generally a call you make only after warning the goalie, so maybe this was the second or third time it happened.

The ref was calling against Canada for both the goalie time problem and for a hand infraction while ignoring when the US did the same.

[jeffisjeff]

I didn't see the bad calls, so I cannot say whether they were really bad or not (well, even if I had seen them, I wouldn't be able to say ). But for those who are alleging consistent bias against Canada, what are you suggesting is the motivation?

[Skittl1321]

Does anyone know enough about kayaking to explain the technique? It looks like they are pedalling, their knees move so much. When I learned to kayak the legs were passive. At first I though it controlled a rudder, but in tandem, both are doing it, so it can't be that.

[Citlali]

To me is not an anti canadian bias but a PRO USA one, if a team has a reputation of champion a lot of referees turn blind to possible faults or "help" them with out of the blue free shots or penalties... This is also pretty obvious in men football, specially for Brasil.

Of course that happens in a lot of sports when the great players (or skaters) always receive the benefit of the doubt.

[Norlite]

The gold Royal Mail boxes in each medalist hometown is the coolest idea yet!