FIFA Investigating Alleged Michael Bradley Incident

2009-06-29T11:36:45-04:00

2009-06-28T08:46:03-04:00

2009-06-28T12:20:20-04:00

rcoffma1

Tampa 434127

13 As much as I love the US team, and with Bradley were playing today, I have to admit that he made a stupid challenge. It was 2-footed, and connected with player and not the ball, which pretty much guarantees a red card. Could the ref have given a yellow? Sure, but a red is not out of the question. In big matches you have to avoid silly mistakes, AND beat the referee as well as the other team. Bradley will hopefully learn his lesson and keep his feet next time he's up 2-0 at the end of a big game. 5902340

2009-06-29T11:36:45-04:00

BigMike

Washington 145310

As much as I love the US team, and with Bradley were playing today, I have to admit that he made a stupid challenge. It was 2-footed, and connected with player and not the ball, which pretty much guarantees a red card. Could the ref have given a yellow? Sure, but a red is not out of the question. In big matches you have to avoid silly mistakes, AND beat the referee as well as the other team. Bradley will hopefully learn his lesson and keep his feet next time he's up 2-0 at the end of a big game.

56 FALSE! Watch the replay... Bradley gets the ball before he ever touches the man. It's still a hard, aggressive challenge and totally a legit call for a foul, but the ref could've made NO call on that play and been more in the right than he was with that straight red. I'm not sure this is a conspiracy against the US as much as it is a conspiracy against physical football for international matches. I think FIFA gets pressure from clubs to make sure that superstars come back from international duty in one piece, so there's probably pressure, whether explicit or implicit, for referees to be far more aggressive in international competition. And the US, as a less technically gifted side, has to defend aggressively and disrupt to beat a team like Spain. It's a bummer because it works against our style of play, but this kind of garbage has hurt other teams too, and it allowed Italy to dive their way to the cup in 2006. 5910827

2009-06-28T10:51:30-04:00

the real from trenton

Trenton 411569

2 Why do we keep getting him as a ref... seriously... i want to watch matches where the United Statets doesn't get South and Central American refs... HEY FIFA, THEY HATE US AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO SEE US LOSE, AND THEY ARE VERY UNPROFESSIONAL 5902036

2009-06-29T10:11:02-04:00

Hayden STX

Seffner 457183

Why do we keep getting him as a ref... seriously... i want to watch matches where the United Statets doesn't get South and Central American refs... HEY FIFA, THEY HATE US AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO SEE US LOSE, AND THEY ARE VERY UNPROFESSIONAL

55 Not all Latin American refs are that bad. He just happens to be a senior ref that always gets to officiate against us. The shame should fall on fifa because they allow this to happen. I believe that yesterdays game had the best crew. I still don't know how the lines man missed the call on the goal for Brazil. But stuff happens like that against the US all the time. Hello remember the hand ball on the line by the German Defender in the Japan/Korea World Cup. These officials need to be held responsible for the poor decisions made to change the shape of teams. If you haven't realized the 3 red cards given to the US players came at points in the game and positions on the field which were important to the team. Fixing???? I don't know. But some of these guys are not very good at being true professionals. The ref yesterday did a decent job. Oh and by the way, my prediction is what you saw yesterday is a preview of next years Semi-Final game. 5908880

2009-06-29T10:08:40-04:00

HateNBA

Mesa 23362

54 FIFA should investigate this referee and there is a strong patern of anti-americanisn in his decision. I call this RACISME. As an avid football fan, I see a bad patern against the USA National Team....btw...did I see lots of banners against racism in the statium??? mmmmmm 5908830

2009-06-29T06:48:42-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/346/124/thumb/EagleRising.gif 25 CA

mattman_r

Monterey 346524

53 Did anyone watch ESPNs final tournament Montage? A Spanish player kicked LD When he went to shake hands with Torres. Why doesn't FIFA ever investigate actual misconduct. This was on the world feed. Can't be too hard to rewatch. 5907217

2009-06-29T06:45:39-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/346/124/thumb/EagleRising.gif 25 CA

mattman_r

Monterey 346524

52 We're not even commenting in the brazil game you moron. 5907187

2009-06-29T00:12:23-04:00

167

Fanatico do Selecao Brasileira

North Miami Beach 86366

51 YOu are just a bunch of sore losers. LOL. 5906081

2009-06-28T23:52:16-04:00

ndh

San Francisco 802431

50 JRSCOTT: note that I did not say whether it should have been a red card or a yellow card or no card at all - I simply stated that the tackle was a dumb tackle. It was studs up (when it didn't have to be) and when you do that, you put yourself in danger of a red, whether warranted or not. If you have been watching international tournaments in the past few years, FIFA has really cracked down on studs up tackles and referees are under direct and strict instructions to punish studs up tackles and tackles from behind. Do either and you put yourself in danger of a red. 2-0 up, with a finals spot minutes away, it was a dumb tackle. 5905907

2009-06-28T23:38:36-04:00

ijf8090

Princeton 802706

49 Guys - you need to get a grip. Bradley's tackle was very poor, he was late and his studs were showing - probably a combination of fatigue, adrenalin and the quickness of his opponent. That makes it a potential red card. If the ref had spoken to him before it might account for the card - bottom line he's an experienced professional, there was no need for that tackle in that area of the field at that stage of the game with that scoreline. He should know better. If it's true that he approached the ref after the game - he again should know better and should be disciplined. 5905768

2009-06-28T23:37:30-04:00

ijf8090

Princeton 802706

48 Guys - you need to get a grip. Bradley's tackle was very poor, he was late and his studs were showing - probably a combination of fatigue, adrenalin and the quickness of his opponent. That makes it a potential red card. If the ref had spoken to him before it might account for the card - bottom line he's an experienced professional, there was no need for that tackle in that area of the field at that stage of the game with that scoreline. He should know better. If it's true that he approached the ref after the game - he again should know better and should be disciplined. 5905752

2009-06-28T23:16:39-04:00

rivaldrix

Alexandria 802588

47 We get Larrionda pretty often...never fun. The USMNT should hold their heads high today though. They lacked the depth that we (Brasil) sometimes take for granted, and Bradley was a big loss. Feilhaber and Clark did pretty well. Three reds in a five-game span is absolutely ridiculous, and the last one didn't even look like a card. 5905635

JOHANNESBURG -- The main story today is the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/la59j6" target="_blank">U.S. meeting Brazil </a>in the final of the Confederations Cup (2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN, Univisión), the first final in a major tournament in the history of U.S. men's soccer. But there is another developing story here. Soccer governing body FIFA tells SI.com that it is investigating an alleged incident between U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley and referee Jorge Larrionda that took place after the U.S.'s 2-0 upset of Spain in Wednesday's semifinal, according to FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot. Larrionda had sent off Bradley in the 87th minute for a tackle on Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso. As a result, Bradley--the son of U.S. coach Bob Bradley--is suspended for today's final. The Spanish daily AS <a href="http://tinyurl.com/l2g3ok" target="_blank">first reported</a> that Bradley had allegedly confronted Larrionda in the tunnel following the game. But that report had no byline and cited no sources. This is the first time FIFA has confirmed that an investigation is taking place. "FIFA is looking into the matter and cross-checking all available evidence," Maingot wrote to SI.com in an e-mail message. "Therefore, for the moment, we are not in a position to confirm the nature of the incident." Maingot did confirm that Larrionda filed a match report after the game, per FIFA policy, but the FIFA spokesman added that as long as the investigation is ongoing, it would not reveal the content of the report. "A decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee concerning a possible additional match suspension might come in a couple of days," Maingot wrote. A U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman had no comment. If Bradley does receive an additional suspension, it could be applied in terms of matches, days or months, according to Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. If FIFA were to apply such a suspension in terms of matches, it would be unlikely to affect Bradley's availability for the U.S.'s important World Cup qualifier against Mexico on August 12. FIFA suspensions are in effect for official FIFA games, which would include the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup. Bradley is not on the U.S.'s Gold Cup roster, but he could still serve a potential match suspension (if there is one) during those games. Larrionda, a FIFA referee from Uruguay, also refereed the U.S.'s World Cup 2006 encounter against Italy, in which he sent off three players (including Americans Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope). Grant Wahl’s new book, The Beckham Experiment, comes out on July 14. You can pre-order it <a href="http://tinyurl.com/layry6" target="_blank">here</a>. You can also find him on <a href="http://twitter.com/GrantWahl" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/194/315/thumb/wahl_grant.jpg 11 MD

Grant Wahl

Baltimore 194615 68901