Football or soccer, whatever you call it- we all refer to it as the beautiful game. A game with the richest history in all of sports- it just means so much more to so many more than every other athletic event in the world.
However, after watching this incredible sport for so many years, it’s hard not to notice how stale things have become regarding the way things are managed. Don’t get me wrong, football is still exciting, but for some reason, the individuals responsible for organizing this sport are obsessed with keeping it medieval. In a world where adaptability and evolution are the names of the game, football remains a sport that old wrinkly fingers are trying to keep old. Heck, even FIFA have forgotten about improving the sport and have instead resorted to another sport- money laundering. The winner of that sport gets to walk off without going to prison.
In North America, organizations such as the NHL, MLB, and NFL are consistently trying to improve rules and regulations to do things like lower the risk of concussions, fix rules, and modify refereeing to ensure the integrity of the sport. In the last two years, it seems like the only thing football has figured out is what a concussion is… kind of.
The NHL introduced the coach’s challenge, which allows each team to have one opportunity to have a referee’s call reviewed. The NHL also introduced newer rules relating to body checking to help avoid head injuries, and changed ‘icing’ rules to avoid injuries as well. Major League Baseball looks to continuously modify rules each year, while the NFL recently changed the “helmet-hitting” rules to avoid head injuries.
What has FIFA done to modify anything in the last few years?
The Premier League introduced goal-line technology around two seasons ago, and it has worked gloriously. However, retroactively, its brilliance makes the long wait for its implementation even more senseless. What does UEFA, the organization that handles the biggest club tournament in the world, do? Instead of adopting a method that is now proven to work, they hire another referee to stand at the goal-line for 90 minutes to keep the ‘human’ element in goal-line calls. So, if the one time in ten games that a goal-line decision needs to be made, this referee happens to peer at a rather attractive person in the crowd, or sneeze, or catch a blade of grass in the eye, the ‘human’ element will very much be present in another bad-potentially devastating-call.
Hanging on to the past’s lack of video technology, inconsistent calls (have we figured out what a hand-ball is yet?), and bad officiating is like saying, “Hey, we don’t want to take racism, homophobia or hate crimes out of our past. The human element of that was great.” I’m not comparing hate crimes to sport, but not adapting to the times is pretty silly. Football, as a whole needs to grow up, get over itself, and introduce changes for the good of the game.
The ‘human’ element brought in from having consistently botched calls has brought us quite a few moments that make us cringe and hate ourselves for loving this beautiful sport. Remember this Frank Lampard goal in the 2010 world cup which wasn’t called a goal? It would have made the game 2-2. Instead, Germany scored the next goal and made it a 3-1 game, moving them on to the quarterfinals. Disallowed rightful goals, how exciting!
Better yet, how about the Republic of Ireland missing the 2010 world cup due to an uncalled handball on Thierry Henry? Henry used that hand to control the ball, assist William Gallas on France’s world cup qualification-clinching goal. Letting down an entire nation’s dreams due to the incompetence of a referee? How exciting! Henry even admitted the hand-ball and offered to have a replay with the Republic of Ireland. Of course, FIFA declined because that would just be too sporting.
Maybe the lack of video review allows the ‘human’ element to push the bigger, marketable and more famous football nations to go forward in the bigger tournaments? Who really knows?
Another example saw a referee make a series of botched calls that pushed the United States women’s national team into the final in the Olympics at the expense of the Canadians. How about the 2007 UEFA Champion’s League final? Liverpool lost that final 2-1 to AC Milan, with both goals by Pippo Inzaghi. Inzaghi’s first goal was clearly offside, and his second goal was handled. Nothing screams integrity like handball and offside goals to win a tournament, right?
These aren’t small calls. These are defining moments.
How about the non-call on David Villa’s hand-ball goal to snag one point for New York City FC versus Toronto FC just a couple of weeks ago, or the foul by Brad Davis right before he scored the game-winner for Sporting Kansas City?
These are just small calls that flow under the radar.
So why is the idea of a coach’s challenge considered so hysterical in football? Why is it that anytime an individual mentions modifying the game to increase integrity, all hell breaks loose? Soccer is getting old, these calls are getting annoying, and the sport needs to mature. I’m sorry baby-boomers, you’re old and things change. I’m sorry Goose Gassage, Don Cherry, and soccer elders: Latin American baseball players are great and exciting, Russians can actually play hockey really well, I’d love for a number of Cam Newtons to be running around, and soccer needs video reviews.
In an exception to the North American sports rule, Major League Soccer seems to consistently try be like Europe. Fact is, MLS will probably never be like European soccer, at least not in the next five years. Even if MLS does grow to rival Europe, it’ll always be played down as being inferior. So stop trying to feed egos that don’t need to be fed anymore. Stop putting Europeans into the all-star roster who have not made an appearance in your league. Stop being inferior. MLS is a tough league to play in. Every foreigner not named Giovinco has struggled to settle in right away, so don’t get the red carpet out for every designated player that joins the league. Grow the Major League Soccer brand, and please tell me that brand isn’t a soft version of soccer where everything is a red card. The fact that Ted Unkel, Mark Geiger, Dave Gantar are still regular referees is shocking. Throw in this new guy Ismail Elfath? My word, MLS has a roster of stars with the ability to change a game in the blink of an eye, and they’re not even athletes! Must be great for the league, right?
Instead of following in the footsteps of a very flawed European system and approach to the game, MLS should take a leadership role in reforming the sport. Push referees to a higher level, introduce video replay, and take the game forward instead of brandishing your insecurities and following Europe. Until then, I just hope I can watch a team win a game genuinely and satisfyingly, instead of winning on a botched call.
Main Photo: Odd Anderson, AFP/Getty Images
