Here's a little secret in the soccer world: No one really understands the offside rule. Not all the time, anyway. That became very clear during the first half of today's World Cup opener, when fans and pundits alike called foul after the assistant referee lifted his flag just before Mexico's Carlos Vela slammed the ball into the net.

Have we seen the last of Jozy Altidore in the English Premier League? It's quite possible following the U.S. international's disappointing dismissal in Hull City's 1-0 home defeat against Sunderland on Saturday, a loss that guarantees the Tigers a one-way ticket down to the Championship for next season.

According to many young players, referees cheat. This seems to be a more prevalent sentiment when that team loses. However, it is highly unlikely that referees cheat. But they do make mistakes, like all of us. It is part of the game.

On Saturday, Manchester United's Nani scored a goal against Tottenham Hotspur which was extremely controversial and will be the topic of many conversations over the next few days. Looking at it again and again, the goal was a result of poor sportsmanship by Nani and a mix-up in communication between Spurs goalkeeper Heurehlo Gomes and the referee and assistant referee.

Han hecho un recopilatorio monstruosamente espectacular en totallycoolpix y aquí les agradecemos el esfuerzo de hacerlo y colocamos estos elementos gráficos para alegrar y sorprender a nuestra pupila deportiva.
01. A snowboarder soars through the centre ring of the Olympic Rings during the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics February 12, 2010.

Tuesday's Manchester Derby, doubling as the first leg of the League Cup Semi-Final, was sleepy for certain stretches but produced plenty of encouraging highlights for supporters of both sides, including:

1. Antonio Valencia. After receiving a gorgeous pass from Patrice Evra, thoroughly embarrassed Craig Bellamy, first with a neat nutmeg, then with a sensational step-around to set up Man United's first goal.

"I know Drogba is a world-class player, but he could play world-class volleyball on that evidence."
Bolton boss Owen Coyle gives a verbal volley to Didier Drogba, after the Chelsea striker's handball went unpunished.

Then there's the second one, when John Terry handles it.

When Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Michael Fucito collected a throw-in behind the defense of the Kansas City Wizards, turned and fired the ball past goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen in the second minute of stoppage time during last Saturday's match, his first career MLS goal propelled Seattle to a last-minute 1-0 victory.

Perhaps you saw this goal by Clint Dempsey get disallowed, or maybe you watched Argentina score a rather suspicious looking goal today against Mexico. In both cases, the person at the center of the controversy was the Assistant Referee. One of three officials,, the AR's are often overshadowed by the referee during the game--until a goal is scored, of course.

Those vacant, atavistic drudgeons who constantly serve to mire the progression of football as a entity, in direct friction with the conservatory morals they purport to adhere to FIFA have confirmed that they will be introducing two further 'chefs' to spoil next years Champions League 'broth', rather than asserting an iota of gumption and finally addressing the screaming need for goal-line technology.

In a frenetic Friday afternoon contest, Metro State used a couple of outstanding individual efforts and strong team play to a 3-0 victory over visiting Seattle Pacific University.

Metro State, which peppered the goal in the first two games of the season with limited results, scored in the 10th minute through Scott Grode.

Most media outlets are reporting that Arsene Wenger pushed an assistant referee and will be charged.

However, I'm told that this is not the case and he is in fact in trouble for patting the official on the back in a sarcastic manner.

It sounds pretty ridiculous but his manner in recent times has become more and more fraught on the touchline, especially when things are not going Arsenal's way.

Source: Himalayan News Service

KATHMANDU: New Road Team (NRT) stunned star studded Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) 1-0 to enter the semi-final of the San Miguel Knockout Football Tournament here at the Dasharath Stadium today.
The result meant former NRT player Raju Kaji Shakya made a winning start with the club as a coach.

Okay, well, maybe Salt Lake was correct to be mystified by the penalty reversal...because I'm baffled by the explanation.
Quote: Tamberino indicates that Hernandez did see a handball but was thrown off when the assistant referee he consulted told him "I have nothing."
"The assistant referee means 'I don't see anything and I have no info to overturn you,'" Tamberino said.

Eufa president Michel Platini has arrogantly snubbed the use of modern technology in football suggesting that it widespread implementation could result in what he called "Playstation football". Football's world governing body FIFA had recently performed a major U turn on the subject of goal line technology after initial tests had proved poor and ineffective, but in the wake of Frank Lampard's "goal" against Germany at the 2010 World Cup there had been great pressure for the technology to be scrutinised further.

St Kitts and Nevis end their Digicel Cup with a win

Tuesday, October 26th 2010 – Grenada National Stadium, Grenada: St Kitts and Nevis won the battle for pride with a last gasp winner from Jevon Francis in their final game of Group E of the Digicel Cup.

With both sides going into the game knowing that it would be their last in this year's Digicel Cup, the sides showed great attitude by providing a growing crowd in the National Stadium in Grenada with some attractive attacking football.

Every year, football fans complain about the quality of the refereeing. This holiday, you have the chance to give your favorite (or least favorite) referee the gift of effectiveness...

FIFA Laws of the Game

Because if we aren't going to give fans video replays, we definitely need the referees to be up on how the game should be played.

U-15/16 Performer of the Week – Alec Dockser, D.C. United
Dockser put in two impressive performances in goal for D.C. United this weekend in a win and a tie against the New York Red Bulls and PDA. He made several key saves as D.C. United took control of the Mid-Atlantic Division early in the season, setting the tone for the upcoming Winter Showcase, when the club will return to action.

Filipe Luís Kasmirski in better times.

The use of war imagery for the headline may not be appropriate during these sensitive times, but it aptly describes Deportivo La Coruña's predicament as they conclude the first half of their season tied for fourth place, the final UEFA Champions League spot, with Mallorca on thirty-four points (Mallorca holds the tiebreaker over Depor with their 2-0 win at the ONO Estadi).

No United States referees will be involved in the 2010 World Cup either as match official or assistant referee. FIFA released the list of 30 referees for the tournament with two assistants per official, representing 28 countries. US official Jair Marrufo was the only American submitted on the provisional list of 38 referees, but he didn't make the final list.

Two teams with two different objectives. Hull City battling for Premier League survival. Arsenal battling to win the Premier League title. So, it was no wonder that the KC Stadium on Saturday resembled a battlefield with both teams getting physical as they attempted to become victorious.

We got what we wanted out of last night's game, perhaps not the way we would have liked, but it showed again that this team has the spirit and character to keep going when others might give up.

There was a lot for Arsenal to overcome yesterday. A terrible pitch, obvious tiredness from the midweek game against Porto, Hull's consistent and tactical fouling and one of the worst officiating performances I've seen in a long time.

Let me first congratulate Inter Milan on a well deserved victory in the Champions League. In both games against Chelsea, they were the better side and thoroughly deserved to go through to the quarter-finals.

As for Chelsea, the storyline involving this team in the Champions League is becoming painfully predictable.

I'm not sure I would go as far as saying Paul Tambernio, the U.S. Director of Referee Development, is saying the deciding goal in Saturday's game shouldn't have been allowed, but in this week's roundup of MLS games he does acknowledge that all was not as it should have been.

"We feel that the Seattle player [Evans] got an unfair advantage on the throw-in," Tamberino said.

Philadelphia Union took the long trip across the country to meet on form Edson Buddle and the LA Galaxy, and the game quickly went sour for the Union. After less than a minute they were behind. Buddle's cross from the left found an unmarked AJ De La Garza who slid in at the far post to make it 1-0 LA.

FIFA has named the referees for the first 16 matches of the 2010 World Cup, i.e., the first match for each of the teams in all eight groups. It will be a Brazilian crew for the USA-England match on June 12 at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa.
The match kicks off at 8:30 p.

FIFA announced the following officiating crew for the USA - England opener in Group C:Referee: Carlos SIMON (BRA) Assistant Referee 1: Altemir HAUSMANN (BRA) Assistant Referee 2: Roberto BRAATZ (BRA) Fourth Official: Eddy MAILLET (SEY) This is the third World Cup for Simon, who had England - Sweden in '02.

The World Cup is finally underway, and all the evidence of the opening day suggests that we are yet to see the team that will lift the trophy. South Africa and Mexico served up a cracking 1-1 draw to kick off the tournament, before France and Uruguay played out an utterly uninspiring stalemate. There were impressive moments (none more so that the terrific strike from the brilliantly named South African Tshabalala) but nothing that will scare the rest of the competition.

The acclimatization for my new camera continues as I decided to put up some shots I captured before, during and after the games...
(Pictured above) Sengkang's new signing An Jae Cheul (no 7) reacted candidly after a smiling assistant referee Amos Lim ruled the ball in favour for Ivan Lovric's SAFFC after a tussle near the line.

Having given the television coverage a review/kicking over the weekend, it's time to take a look at the radio coverage of this World Cup.

Ian Dennis is our host, and Jacqui Oatley and Graham Taylor are our commentary team for the opening stages, with Dennis taking over. Oatley is one of three prominent ladies at the World Cup, alongside Gabby Logan, and ITV's Kelly Cates.

International Herald Tribune - Found 2 hours ago Archundia and Marco Rodriguez will take charge of the glamour games among the last World Cup group-stage matches. FIFA has put Archundia in... Mexican refrees Archundia, Rodriguez get top matches to close World ... - Los Angeles Times Mexico refrees Archundia, Rodriguez get top games - Denver Post Mexico refrees Archundia, Rodriguez get top games - Boston Globe Canadian assistant referee to work Brazil-Portugal match - Toronto Star Online Explore All

(Getty Images)

And those words are: Streak broken.

One of the sports cliches I hate the most is the one that blames the refs for the bad result your team of choice suffers. Unless we're talking some kind of payola scandal, generally speaking, over time your team is going to get its share of bad calls in its favor as well as those that go against it.

Despite Germany's clinical elimination of England, we had a controversy with regards to Frank Lampard's potential equalizer in the first half. Two years ago, I had the great pleasure to interview Ian Blanchard, Head of National Referee Development at the English FA.

In response to Sunday's incident that saw Carlos Tevez score a goal when he had been offside as the ball was played his way, giving Argentina the lead in a Round of 16 match they eventually won, 3-1, over Mexico, FIFA today produced its comprehensive response.
The answer? Hide the evidence so nobody - not the players, the coaches, or perhaps most importantly, the fans, know what the hell is going on.

David Villa's goal for Spain against Portugal Tuesday was top class. Everything from Iniesta's pass to Xavi's back heel to David Villa's killer strike that rebounded off the goalkeeper and back to him, and then into the top of the net.

But it should have been disallowed for offside.

How to Train a Referee

By:Jim Morrison
Smithsonian.com, June 22, 2010

The ball is lighter, the players are faster, the tactics are more complex. And if you're a referee working the 2010 World Cup and you can't keep up and be in the right position, you may blow the call, outraging the hundreds of millions of fans watching worldwide.

Celtic's hopes of reaching the Champions League group stages lie in ruins after a sorry performance in Portugal against Braga, which ended in a 3-0 defeat for the Scottish Premier League runners-up. They were outplayed and outclassed throughout as Neil Lennon lost his first European match in disappointing circumstances.

During the 2010 World Cup, there were quite a few controversial incidents that happened on or near the goal line. Just a couple of examples including Frank Lampard's goal for England against Germany which was disallowed because the referee and assistant referee ruled that the ball didn't cross the line.

Today MLS made two rulings on plays from this past week's game between New York and Dallas. Both plays have big repercussions on this coming weekend's game for the Wizards against FC Dallas. First of all, the most talked about incident from the game this past week, the incident between Thierry Henry and Kevin Hartman after New York had scored to tie the game 1-1.

By Ollie Irish

More abysmal refereeing in Serie A...

It takes several Roma players to contain the fury of Mexes, but you can see why the French defender was so angry. Firstly, the challenge was outside the box (just), second the assistant referee kept his flag down, third it looked like Mexes got the ball cleanly.