FIFA defends Japanese referee in World Cup storm

Pretty much what you'd expect from FIFA. Defend the indefensible, excuse the inexcusable.

Of COURSE FIFA is going to defend this! What else are they going to do? admit they made a mistake that could well have cost Croatia the game? Look at the Brazilian newspapers clearly thanking the ref in Japanese! If that's not a flat out admittance that there were calls made in their favor to help them win, I don't know what is.

Nishimura is an embarrassment.

“He had a very good position,” said Busacca,

That isn't a case for the defence, it just makes the decision a million times more incomprehensible.

Nishimura is an embarrassment.

What an absolute load of rubbish.

Whether you like it or not, that Croat pulled on Fred's shoulder whilst he was in possession in the box. The Croatians had already been warned about their conduct in the box by the referee before this, and to do that in a game against Brazil at home in the World Cup is just stupid defending. Did Fred make the most of it? Sure did. As do most footballers.

So, Nishimura made a call as he saw it - and he just happens to be the ref. Football is refereed by humans, not machines, and so 50/50 decisions will remain in the game. In fact, even if there were a review system in this case, I'd say 50% of people say it is a pen, 50% say it isn't.

Nishimura is no embarrassment, he's a human referee.

You're having a laugh.

Four goals scored in the game.

All of them by Brazil and the Croatian team think they lost the game because of the ref.

Think again!

"Of COURSE FIFA is going to defend this! What else are they going to do? admit they made a mistake that could well have cost Croatia the game?"

@SmithinJapan. My following comments are not directed at you solely but your quote highlights the whining that is one of the reasons the US really doesn't like soccer. I'm not a soccer fan so I cannot intelligently say if Nishimura botched the call or not but Croatia lost 3-to-1. That means that if you subtract the one goal from the penalty kick they still would have lost. Bad calls happen in all sports and good teams shake it off and fight back. Bad teams, like Croatia, fold and all of the crying and whining combined with the fake injuries and dive-taking really detracts from the sport even more than the zero-zero draws that some people enjoy.

strange bunch of people within this fifa