Ref’s ruling overturns goal, baffles U.S.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Maurice Edu kicked the ball into the net. American players jumped around wildly, thinking they had capped a historic comeback, turning a two-goal deficit into a 3-2 victory over Slovenia in the World Cup.

“Then I heard the whistle,” Edu said.

Referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali had called it off.

Over and over, American players asked, “Why?”

In English. Then in French.

“He just ignored us,” Landon Donovan said. “Or he didn’t understand.”

Perhaps Coulibaly, working his first World Cup game, will never explain himself. By the rules, he doesn’t have to speak to the media on game days, and his next availability isn’t until Monday. Perhaps it will remain one of those unsolved soccer mysteries.

What’s known for now is this: Donovan and Michael Bradley scored second-half goals that did count, and U.S. hopes to reach the second round remained alive with a 2-2 tie Friday.

And for one moment, Edu felt “pure excitement.”

It did not last.

Now it comes down to Wednesday’s match against Algeria.

“My guess is there’s not many teams in this tournament that could have done what we did and arguably won the game. And that is what the American spirit is about,” Donovan said. “And I’m sure people back home are proud of that.”

Slovenia (1-0-1) leads Group C with four points and would have qualified for the second round with a win. The U.S. and England (both 0-0-2) are tied for second with two points each after England’s 0-0 draw with Algeria (0-1-1).

The top two teams in the group advance, so the U.S. would make the second round with a victory against Algeria. The Americans could also advance if they tie the Algerians while England draws Slovenia, provided the U.S. maintains its advantage in goals scored over the English, currently 3-1.

“We can still get through,” goalkeeper Tim Howard said. “Being down 2-0 in a game, I’ve played long enough to feel very lucky and fortunate to come out of it still in the World Cup.”

It was the second time in a month that an official’s call had thwarted American sports history. Just a few weeks ago umpire Jim Joyce’s decision cost Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Different sports, yes, but enormous consequences in both cases.

This would have meant so much more than one World Cup match, more than the largest country in the tournament, with 300 million people, tying the smallest, with 2 million.

“I’m a little gutted, to be honest,” Donovan said. “I don’t know how they stole that last goal from us.”

Donovan took a free kick from the side of the penalty area in the 85th minute, as players jostled in front. Aleksandar Radosavljevic held Michael Bradley in a bear hug, and Edu spun away from Bojan Jokic and, one step into the 6-yard box, stuck out his left foot and put the ball in.

It was unclear to the U.S. what Coulibaly called. At the time of the whistle, American captain Carlos Bocanegra, a few feet away from Edu, did have an arm around Nejc Pecnik, preventing the Slovene from jumping for the ball.

“Whistles were blown very early. No explanation,” Bocanegra said.

“There’s no point talking about it,” said a disgusted Michael Bradley, the coach’s son.

But there’s no forgetting it, either.

“What I’ve heard is that there were three fouls in the box, and all of which were against Slovenia players,” coach Bob Bradley said.

“In the midst of the game with everything that’s going on, it’s rare that when a tough call is made that a referee at that moment will give you an answer,” he said. “Sometimes after the fact you might get an answer, but that’s not always the case, either.”

The outcome thwarted the Americans’ comeback from a first half in which they had a 14-7 edge in shots, but Slovenia scored on both of its shots on goal, by Valter Birsa and Zlatan Ljubijankic.

Bob Bradley made two lineup changes at halftime, inserting Benny Feilhaber and Edu for Torres and forward Robbie Findley, who got his second yellow card of the tournament for a hand ball (although the ball actually hit his face, not his hand) and will be suspended for the Algeria game.

Donovan started the comeback in the 48th minute, and Michael Bradley tied it in the 82nd.

It was the third World Cup goal for Donovan, his first since 2002, and his record 43rd for the national team.