FIFA investigating Canadian women's soccer team after Olympics semi-final loss

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      An investigation into actions made by the Canadian women’s soccer team following Monday’s match has been launched by FIFA, the international governing body of soccer. Canada suffered a 4-3 defeat against the United States in the semi-final round at the London Olympics on August 6.

      “Following the Olympic women's semi-final match between Canada and the USA played at Old Trafford on the evening of 6 August, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee is currently analysing incidents that occurred after the conclusion of the match," read a statement made by FIFA Tuesday (August 7). “Further information will be provided only after the Committee are in possession of all the elements of the case.”

      While the “incidents” FIFA is referring to remains unknown, several Canadian players including B.C.’s Christine Sinclair and head coach John Herdman were critical of questionable calls made by referee Christiana Pedersen following the match. Canada will play for the bronze medal against France on Thursday (August 9).

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      Comments

      28 Comments

      DavidH

      Aug 7, 2012 at 12:41pm

      Team Canada should drop their shorts, spread their cheeks, and invite the IOC to "investigate" their dark orifices. Maybe the IOC will find the referee's brain up there somewhere.

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      Martin Dunphy

      Aug 7, 2012 at 12:41pm

      The only thing that FIFA should be looking into is its referee. Disgraceful, bloody disgraceful.
      Every time Canada went ahead she gave the US--prohibitive favourites for gold--an opportunity to get back. There were several other refereeing incidents that aren't even being talked about that the US could have used to manufacture even another one or two goals.
      I hope the 30 pieces of silver are well spent.

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      ikeddy

      Aug 7, 2012 at 1:48pm

      It is very sad to see how FIFA and IOC is handling this whole thing. The referee obviously was not calling a good game. She seemed to favour the American team throughout. She certainly was not consistent. Now the Canadian team is being investigated by FIFA for their comments. The team was clearly upset on how they were treated during the game. FIFA and the IOC should be investigating the referee and NOT the Canadian team. Still proud of how team Canada played. They should be playing for gold. I hope that they win the Bronze and show the world that they deserve a medal. The U.S. team should not be their. I will be cheering for Japan.

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      Jamie Brennan

      Aug 7, 2012 at 1:54pm

      This was an awful display of incompetence and, perhaps, bias. Great effort by the Canadian women. Maybe could have been better on crosses, corners into the box. Nevertheless, if FIFA compromises the team's ability to go for the bronze, a curse on them. Wasn't the FIFA election tainted by scandal? Surprise? No.

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      Richard Frizell

      Aug 7, 2012 at 2:26pm

      FIFA's statement is very terse and Canada may very well be in for a nasty surprise. Sinclair's comments could very well get her suspended from play in the bronze medal round.

      With respect to the refereeing, Canada got away with bloody murder a few times. Canada's Melissa Tancredi, who finished the match with just one yellow card despite being called for at least seven fouls, stomping on the head of fallen U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd in the box. Tancredi appears to deliberately step back in order to plant a boot on Lloyd's head, but what could have very well been a straight red card that wasn't called at all. The referee did stop play soon after to check on Lloyd's condition, though.

      Yet Tancredi still felt it reasonable to accuse referee Christina Pederson of fixing the match to her face during the game. From the Toronto Sun:

      When asked what she said to Pederson after the call [that led to the penalty], she said: "I hope you can sleep tonight and put on your American jersey because that's who you played for today. I was honest."

      If you add up all the calls and non-calls for each side, they still might not even out in the end. But then again, they rarely do. The point in showing this is simply to illustrate that the Canadian team's conspiracy theories are a bit silly.

      As for Tancredi, if this is brought to the attention of FIFA, she could still be punished for it. Colombia's Lady Andrade was later given a two-match ban for punching Wambach in the face during a group-stage match after the referee missed it.

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      DavidH

      Aug 7, 2012 at 4:19pm

      If there is any punishment against a Canadian player or coach, the entire Canadian Olympic team should withdraw from further competition, in any sport. Enough is enough. Stand up for what is right.

      The reality is that the Olympics have been riddled with disease for as long as I can remember - corrupt judges, doping, incompetence, and on and on. So let's not pretend that this particular referee was unusual. It was only "notable" because it was a critical game that drew media attention.

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      Martin Dunphy

      Aug 7, 2012 at 4:36pm

      And why didn't the referee give a yellow card to American sweetheart Abby Wambach, who, by her own admission, went running up to the ref "five or seven times" loudly counting down the seconds in her ear every time the Canadian keeper had the ball in her possession?
      No real referee, especially in a game of that import, would ever stand for such disrespectful and in-your-face behaviour from a player more than once.
      After perhaps the seventh time, she caved and awarded a free kick? Instead of merely booking the keeper and adding a few seconds to the clock at the end of the half?
      Not to mention the US ball played a good metre out of bounds and brought back into play without being called by the ref or line officials.
      And the US handball that was not called, one that was more avoidable than the Canadian one that led to the tying goal and extra time that never should have been.

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      bobby sqadrille

      Aug 7, 2012 at 5:19pm

      And worst of all, Carli Lloyd didn't even get a card for sticking her head under Tancredi's boot, when Tancredi innocently tried to stomp on the ground. Not even a warning. Lloyd could have seriously wounded Tancredi by twisting an ankle with her cheekbone.

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      DavidH

      Aug 7, 2012 at 5:21pm

      And I noticed today that even women's gymnastics has an appeal process. A coach can appeal a score and have the athlete's routine reviewed. Today, that process even resulted in a change in medal standings.

      But soccer is somehow holy and referees are infallible? In appeal/replay situations, at least three of yesterday's calls would have been overturned, and would have changed the result of the game.

      The only sport that comes close to soccer, in terms of stubborn denial of clear evidence, is baseball.

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      Peter Stephenson

      Aug 7, 2012 at 5:38pm

      Its all about TV ratings. A USA final gets a big TV audience and lots of advertising dollars for big American media. So, the pressure is on the referee without even saying anything to her about what to do. Plus, she seemed a bit confused about the rules. As for Abi W, they'll never give HER a red card. Great player but absolutely poor sportsman yelling at the referee--she should have got a yellow at the very least. Count the seconds off for Hope Solo waiting for her team to move upfield? Not bloody likely!

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