Chavez Slams Referee for 'Robbed' Goal in Venezuela Soccer Loss

[naaman fletcher]

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, who is being treated for cancer in Cuba, said he would complain to soccer's governing body in South America after a referee "robbed" a goal in his country's semifinal loss to Paraguay in a regional tournament last night.

Paraguay beat Venezuela 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw in a game that stretched past midnight in Mendoza, Argentina. Venezuelan defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo had a 35th minute header goal waved off by Mexican referee Francisco Chacon for being offside.

Chavez, a baseball fan who once aspired to be a professional pitcher, said in messages posted on his Twitter account that he watched the game with former Cuban President Fidel Castro. Venezuela, which had reached its first semifinal in the 95-year-old Copa America tournament, was "robbed of a victory goal," he wrote.

"I think we should raise our voices because we have the authority to do so before CONMEBOL," Chavez said in a Twitter message, referring to South America's soccer federation. "Why the devil did that referee disallow such a spectacular goal? Was one of our glorious artillerymen offside? None of them! Fidel and I both saw clearly the goal they took away from us."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/07/20/bloomberg1376-LOOQ4P0D9L3501-1AGQSFTRP73R2OLQ7H4PG5CC4I.DTL

[Bacchus39]

1. the ball deflected off a Venezuelan player into the net. the player was in an offsides position n/

s

[naaman fletcher]

2. Hugo and Fiel saw it clearly. nt.

[joshcryer]

3. Thanks, I wasn't really interested in looking for a play by play.