WORLD CUP USA ‘94: ROUND OF 16 : Spotlight : CONFESSION GOOD FOR SOUL, NOT BELGIUM

Belgian newspapers emphasized the possible significance of the national team’s missed penalty chance during the game against Germany on Saturday. A penalty shot could have meant a tie game and the possibility of beating Germany.

The Belgian (Soccer) Federation had sent an official complaint to FIFA. The Belgian daily La Libre Belgique, headlined, “Confessed mistake is half-forgiven,” underlining that the referee has publicly confessed his mistake in this particular case and can no longer be a referee for this World Cup.

Kurt Roethlisberger of Switzerland admitted he blew a call that would have given Belgium a penalty shot in the 70th minute of a 3-2 loss to Germany.

Although public confession will not change the result of the match, Jean-Francois Jourdain writes, it nonetheless serves the cause of Belgium to sweeten the pill for the end of the American adventure.

Another referee, Italian Pierluigi Pairetto, will also no longer work during the rest of the Cup, after FIFA decided his yellow card on a foul by Romania’s Miodrag Belodedici just outside the penalty area was insufficient.