U.S. Soccer Shame at World Cup

It was an embarrassing performance once again by the U.S. soccer team at the World Cup. Despite having a man advantage against Italy, the American team (the only U.S. score was as a result of a own-goal by Italy) could not score. They then committed a stupid foul and lost the advantage. And then if that weren't bad enough, the U.S. got a second red card which left a man short. Other than the initial minutes, the American soccer team was an embarrassment.

Incredibly, despite playing terribly, the American team still has a chance to move into the next round by defeating Ghana on Thursday. That won't happen. The Africans showed their strength by beating the team that beat the U.S. squad.

The Americans seamed happy with getting a tie with the powerful Italian team. It seems our side is not serious about advancing in the world's greatest soccer tournament. They are satisfied with any positive result.

Soccer isn't very big in the United States. Nonetheless, FIFA, the official world federation, had the U.S. ranked fifth prior to the start of the World Cup. That ranking was unjustified.
Therefore, a myth has developed that somehow we should expect the U.S. team to advance to the elimination round. What we should expect is that U.S. soccer perform along the lines of the last World Cup in where we beat top ranked Portugal (also unjustified ranking) and came close to beating the great German team. We expected better than what we're seeing -- junk soccer by our team.

On other World Cup soccer issues, the refereeing this time around has been atrocious. The giving of yellow cards has become epidemic in this Cup. It is time FIFA change the rules of soccer. For starters rules need to give the game more flexibility to work. Don't automatically keep a team a player down when a player gets a red card. A soccer match is seriously damaged when one team has a player advantage. Why the team be punished for the actions of one player. Losing a player should only used in rare instances in where the health of players are endangered. Otherwise, eject the player and allow another to come on. Similarly, don't carry-over yellow cards to the next game. Start a match with a clean slate. You always have the option of giving that player a red card if he continues the conduct. Don't punish the team and the fans for the action of one individual. A referee shouldn't have so much influence in the result of a soccer match.

Another rule change that might make soccer games more exciting, would be to give a team a free direct at the top of the penalty box (at the top of the oval circle) whenever a player is knocked down in the penalty box when it isn't severe to give a penalty shot. There are many cases in where players are knocked down inside a penalty box and penalty shot isn't awarded. This would, once again, give the referee flexibility. It should also be done when players are tripped up when they are breaking away and are clearly on the way to the opponents net with a good chance of scoring. A yellow card isn't enough or appropriate. Giving direct free kicks would discourage tackles on break aways. Soccer is a great sport in where the outcome should be determined by soccer players with the intent of entertaining soccer fans -- not referees. There is too much violent behavior in soccer matches.