World Cup Controversy

June 22nd, 2010 |

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One thing you can say about the World Cup – it isn’t dull. Mixed in with the great goals, heart-breaking losses, etc, there are always moments of controversy that keep people talking for months, sometimes years afterward. Like it or not, some of the most memorable moments from World Cups past have come from these controversies, and the 2010 edition has been no different. Here are a few of the more contentious moments:

Suarez Handball against Ghana

Luis Suarez came into the quarterfinal match with Ghana as one of the tournament’s most exciting scorers, but also under criticism for his diving in Uruguay’s group matches. He left the match, a few seconds early, on a red card and having conceded a penalty for an intentional handball on the goal line. But according to the rules, he may have done the right thing. Join the argument about the Suarez handball

Fabiano’s Handball Goal

Luis Fabiano came into this tournament on most people’s short list for possible top scorer, but few expected one of his first goals to be like this. Juggling the ball on the edge of Ivory Coast’s penalty box, Fabiano commits not one but two handballs, then buries the ball in the net for a goal that, astonishingly, is counted. Worse still, the ref appears on video to laugh about it and mime a handball when talking to the player.
Read more about Fabiano’s goal including video.

Italy’s Penalty against New Zealand

Italy was down a goal to minnows New Zealand when a tug of Daniele De Rossi’s shirt saw the Italian midfielder fall (some would say too easily) in the box for an equalizing penalty. Some saw an overzealous ref, others a shameful dive, and still others say it’s a foul in the box, end of story. What do you think?
Check out the video and leave your thoughts on Italy’s penalty.

New Zealand’s Offside Goal Against Italy

This game was a gift that just kept on giving. In the same match as the above Italy penalty, we had a goal from New Zealand that looked very suspiciously offside. It’s a rare day that we have a match where one controversy cancels out the other.
See for yourself whether Shane Smeltz was offside.

French Team Refuses to Train

On the way to their historically poor exit from World Cup 2010, the French team story took a number of disheartening turns. Maybe the worst was when the French players, in protest of Nicolas Anelka’s dismissal from the team, all refused to train. As it turns out, not training sometimes leads to not winning. Go figure.
Read more about the French team refusing to train.