It is good that FIFA thinks the referees are doing a good job in the World Cup because someone should certainly think so. After all, there are few fans who would admit to that.
From red cards to major stars like Kaka to the USA having a winning goal disallowed, the guys with whistles are not getting high marks.
Koman Coulibaly, the ref who made the call against the USA, had his Wikipedia page violated after the match and now is not on the list to work the next round of games.
"We are very, very satisfied with the performance of the referees," said Jose-Marcia Garcia-Aranda, head of refereeing.
Part of the problem is that unlike in other sports, the World Cup referees have not had to explain any of their calls.
"The duty of the referees is not to explain their decision ... (but to) try to do their best on the field of play," Garcia-Aranda said. "(Otherwise) they are not focused on the game, they are focused on the media."
About Reid and Mike
Reid Cherner has been with USA TODAY since 1982 and written Game On! since March 2008.
He has covered everything from high schools to horse racing to the college and the pros. The only thing he likes more than his own voice is the sound of readers telling him when he's right and wrong.
Michael Hiestand has covered sports media and marketing for USA TODAY, tackling the sports biz ranging from what's behind mega-events such as the Olympics and Super Bowl to the sometimes-hidden numbers behind the sports world's bottom line.
