Olympic Soccer Heads Up: USWNT vs Canada - Starting Now

[Upton]

10. Not this shit..

Steve Davis NBC Sports soccer writer:

I’ll address the less popular issue, this unpleasant little matter that I’m sure most U.S. soccer supporters would prefer not to mention:

What a horrible moment for Norwegian referee Christina Pedersen to make such a highly significant decision, to award an indirect free kick to the United States in the 78th minute, adjudging Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod of time-washing.

And make no mistake, an indirect free kick from 17 yards may not be a gift from the heavens (as a penalty kick might be), but it’s a wonderfully fortuitous turn of events for the attacking team – especially one that is a goal down with 12 minutes remaining.

I’ve watched more professional soccer matches than I can possible count. (Best, ridiculously wild-ass guess: somewhere north of 2,000.) I have never – no exaggeration here, never – seen that called.

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/06/ahem-awful-call-in-u-s-canada-olympic-classic-erin-mcleod-time-wasting-goalkeeper/