The topic of shoddy officiating has come up again in the wake of Adriano's goal for Inter-Milan against AC Milan in this past weekend's derby -- a game which Inter won 2-1. While the likes of Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson are already on record as supporters of video replay, UEFA president Michel Platini feels an additional referee is the way to go. Might I suggest a third solution?
It would help if everyone associated with the game actually understood the rules. Indeed, it's one thing for an official to make a mistake in the heat of the moment, but what I found most appalling about the Adriano incident was the debate that ensued after the game, as if there was any question whether the goal should have been disallowed.
Too many people have lost sight of what constitutes a handball, reading far too much into the concept of intentionality. Adriano's infraction on Sunday was every bit as clear as Torsten Frings' goal-line clearance for Germany against the United States in the 2002 World Cup.
Likewise, the last-defender rule, a smart creation by FIFA aimed at discouraging defenders from hauling down attackers in the open field, has been butchered by officials, who routinely send off defenders and goalkeepers for legitimate challenges on the ball; ironic, considering some of the awful tackles that go unpunished in the middle of the park.
Perhaps a rewrite of the "Laws of the Game" is in order, or referees must be injected with a bit of common sense. In the meantime, Platini and others can debate the merits of video replay, but it won't make a difference if the wrong people are operating the machinery.
The Beckham bounce
Most of you are probably familiar with the "manager bounce," the phenomenon in which teams tend to play exceedingly well in the first few games after a coaching change takes place, as the players are eager to impress the new boss. I submit to you a similar dynamic exists when a player switches clubs.
Watching David Beckham trudge along for 57 uninspired minutes this past Sunday made me wonder if we are witnessing the final throes of the Beckham bounce. Going from the Galaxy to Milan had to be a major shot in the arm, propelling him in the first month.
But things were always bound to even out, and a few more performances like the one he put forth against Inter should probably give Milan pause for thought. Fortunately for MLS, which is clearly ready to sell Beckham for the right price, on-field performance long ago stopped being a consideration for the Rossoneri in the transfer market.
The defense rests
U.S. fans pining for the day when American players will be good enough to represent the top clubs in the world can take solace in the fact just about any central defender Bob Bradley has called up in the past two years could walk into Milan's starting lineup right now.
The derby loss was the latest horror show for a back line that specializes in making opponents look more potent than they really are -- definitely the case with Inter, which has suddenly become extremely overrated heading into next week's Champions League clash against Manchester United.
Indeed, the contrast Inter will find when coming up against a Red Devils' defense that hasn't allowed a league goal since early November will be incredible. As I've mentioned before, if Jose Mourinho can find away to come out on top in this tie, he really is special.