U.S.A. Beats Algeria in Stoppage Time, Advances To Knockout Round [Video]

Without some late game heroics from Landon Donovan, the title of this article could have read completely different. And as someone who watched the entire freaking game (sorry…match), the lead to this story was almost another U.S.A. robbing of yet another goal by another piece of s**t ref.

Landon Donavon scored the game winning goal in the 91st minute giving team U.S.A a victory over Algeria, in what was without a doubt the most exciting soccer game I have ever witnesses.

Now I am admittedly a casual soccer fan at best. I do not watch the Premier League, and there are only a few names on the United States team that I actually knew before the World Cup started. But watching this game did make me realize just how exciting Soccer can be, and just how frustrating it can be all at the same time.

I just don’t understand why the refs are so horrible? This game is not like basketball where there is constant action going on and sometimes you can miss a foul here or there. It is all right in front of you. The U.S. was robbed of another goal in the 21st minute of action when a ridiculous off sides penalty was called as a goal was being scored. It was a close call, but damn it, when there are only so many chances to score goals in soccer why the f**k do refs feel the need to take them away?

And off sides in soccer could be the dumbest rule in the history of sports. I understand you don’t want people cherry picking the whole game, so there has to be some type of off sides. But why can’t they do it more like hockey? Something that resembles a Blue Line? Maybe when players are in the box, off sides is not longer valid? Maybe I’m in the minority here, but it just drives me crazy.

As for the U.S., they will now move on to the Knockout round against the runner up of Group D, which will either be Germany, Siberia, or Ghana. As someone who played FIFA on Sega Genesis growing up, I know that Germany is not exactly a team who want to mess with. But either way, it is just exciting to see the U.S. moving on and at least getting a chance to see what they are capable of when ties are no longer allowed. F**k ties.

All and all, very exciting game to have watched, and maybe this soccer thing even has a chance to catch on in the U.S. At least in 4 year intervals anyway.