A coming-out party, or how to win a draw

One could look at the match v El Salvador as a negative. Leading the Hexagonal in Concacaf's World Cup qualifiers, the US should have been able to win in Tegulcigalpa. The MNT has only one loss in Bob Bradley's career in WCQs while winning 15 qualifying matches. So by rights, a 2-2 result should be an indictment.

Here's the thing: I can't recall the last time the MNT came back from two goals so late in a match to gain points. I'm quite sure it's "never".

The team didn't play so well but never gave up - a hallmark of all MNT squads since at least the 1990s. This time, however, that can-do spirit was matched to the best talent the US has ever had. The difference maker, quite obviously, was Jozy Altidore.

Why Bob Bradley insists on keeping him on the bench is a mystery. You can say all you want about his lack of playing time at Xerez (wanna bet that doesn't continue much longer?) or that he's only 19 or... whatever. The thing is, this. kid. can. play.

He has the size to match physical defenders, is strong on the ball, and always wants the ball. More importantly, he knows what to do with the ball once he gets it. Don't forget that this is the kid who overshadowed David Beckham in the "Beckham match" at the Meadowlands some 18 months ago.

This time, Altidore came on around the 60th minute and instantly changed the tenor of the match. Within minutes he had created a shot on goal. A lackluster squad suddenly had a focal point. That's what Jozy can do. Not only did he score the first goal but if Hejduk had missed getting to his header for the win, guess who was right behind Frankie, sure to pick up the ball and almost certainly ready to put the ball away?

So let's hope we see more of Jozy. A 19 yr-old with his skills should be starting, and if there are reasons why he's kept on the bench, then find a way to work around them. No one else on the squad can do what he does.

Diamonds, after all, need light to shine.

Let them speak out!

Pathetic. Simply pathetic.

The FA ruled that Brad Friedel's red card should be rescinded. The Villa keeper now gets to play in a match that is critical for both Villa and Manchester United. Considering that referee Martin Atkinson got the play right, this could be a very momentous and expensive ruling.

Frustratingly, there is no explanation from the FA for its decision but there damned well should be.

The play, in a nutshell: through-ball into the penalty area, Torres latches onto it at the last second and pushes it to his left. Friedel, thinking that Torres would never get to the ball, has gone down on a knee to scoop the ball into his arms. But the touch that pushes the ball to the right means that Friedel is now exposed to an on-rushing Torres, so Brad turns into Torres and trips up the Liverpool striker.

There are no defenders between Torres and the goal, since he has blazed past the second-last defender, who was to his left. Well within the penalty area, about 12 yards from goal, it is only Torres that will be able to get to the ball, which is within one step of his stride.

This is a clear-cut, textbook-perfect example of Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO), which requires a sending off.

It is irrelevant what Friedel claimed, that he was only turning to protect himself against Torres, who jumped to hurdle the keeper. The fact is that his action, inadvertent though it might have been, caused Torres to unfairly lose his advantage. The contact itself was not worthy of a red card, it was so because it was DOGSO.

Atkinson did the right thing in sending off Friedel. The referee correctly applied the Laws of the Game, which stipulate that the referee not care the time of the foul (1st minute or 90th, a foul is a foul), the score of the game (like this one, which wound up 5-nil), or even the stakes at hand. A foul is a foul is a foul.

What is particularly annoying about this is that the commentator got this call all wrong. No surprise there - I highly doubt that there is a commentator anywhere that has ever taken an officiating course. The cry was "oh no, not a red card, the referee's got this all wrong". This is the only thing that 99% of people watching the match will hear about this call - especially now that the FA has decided not to explain itself - and so ultimately, the only impression that remains is that the referee has screwed up again.

There is an easy solution: allow the referees to have a post-game conference to explain a seemingly controversial call (I say that because this one was textbook simple). How much better for everyone if Atkinson could say publicly: "the reason Friedel was sent off was because he fouled Torres, and thus denied him a chance to score a goal. Since there were no other defenders between the spot of the foul and the goal, and since Torres could have easily reached the ball, this was a clear red card offense."

Short, simple, straightforward. Perhaps a press conference is not needed or required but certainly media should be able to send in a couple of questions about critical decisions. The referee can have the opportunity to address them through an official spokesperson. I mean, all sorts of ways can be devised to shed a little light on what transpired without mucking things up.

Transparency is rarely a bad thing, especially in those cases where referees have made the correct call in the first place. And surprisingly to most people, that's an overwhelming percentage of those cases. If the FA thought the call was too harsh, then they should say so.

After all, the FA should be heard on record why Manchester have to face one of the best keepers in the league instead of Brad Guzan.

Getting the call right

There's been a lot of controversy about Brad Friedel's send off in the Aston Villa - Liverpool match earlier today. I haven't seen a clip of the play yet but let's hope Atkinson didn't get the call wrong. It would be a stroke of fortune for Manchester United, who play Villa next. Having Friedel, one of the best keepers in the league, out of the match can only help a Manchester side that is not-yet-but-nearly struggling.

More when the FA's decision comes out....