Monday, June 28, 2010
Associated Press
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa
Germany’s latest World Cup victory over England will be remembered not for any of the brilliant goals, but for the one that didn’t count.
Ask anyone — players, coaches, thousands of fans in the stadium and millions more watching on television — and there’s little question that Frank Lampard put a shot in the net late in the first half that would have tied the score.
But referee Jorge Larrionda waved play on, and Germany used two second-half goals by Thomas Mueller for a 4-1 victory Sunday.
The Germans are headed to the quarterfinals. The English are shaking their heads in disbelief.
“It’s incredible,” England coach Fabio Capello said. “We played with five referees and they can’t decide if it’s a goal or no goal. The game was different after this goal. It was the mistake of the linesman and I think the referee because from the bench I saw the ball go [in].”
Germany coach Joachim Loew couldn’t argue that point.
“What I saw on the television, this ball was behind the line,” Loew said. “It must have been given as goal.”
It wasn’t.
ARGENTINA 3, MEXICO 1
JOHANNESBURG
Carlos Tevez scored twice — once on a disputed goal — and Gonzalo Higuain added another as Argentina beat Mexico to advance to the quarterfinals.
Tevez was offside when he headed in a pass from Lionel Messi in the eighth minute. The referee awarded the goal after consulting with his linesman, the pair surrounded by angrily gesturing Mexican and Argentine players.