ECUADOR OVERCOMES A LOT TO ADVANCE IN WORLD CUP

 HERE WE GO AGAIN (more short stuff, at least that’s the 

plan) …

Germany/Ecuador got off to a bewildering start Thursday in the 

2026 FIFA World Cup when the favored Germans scored in the 

second minute after gaining possession on a clear and 

unmistakable violation that was overlooked by American 

referee TORI PENSO … and the video replay booth as well.

In a match that Ecuador had to win to advance, PEDRO 

VITEwas clipped in the face by a glancing kick, resulting in a 

goal 

that former USMNT great LANDON DONOVAN, working for 

Fox as game analyst, immediately (and matter of factly) said 

would be disallowed.

“That boot was quite high. This will be called back,” Donovan 

said.

Penso, 40, first female to referee a men’s World Cup match, 

was surrounded by more bewildered than angry South 

Americans. How could she miss that? 

Better to ask, which Donovan did, how did the lads in the 

replay booth fail to recognize the obvious no-no … which has 

been known to result in a red card? In fact, they didn’t even 

bother to call it up.

“It’s hard for me to comment on the goal,” Donovan said, 

“because that was a clear foul … a boot to the face. I’m very 

shocked that was not even looked at.”

Play resumed after a couple of minutes. And Fox used the first 

whistle to show a replay of the controversial incident from 

another tell-tale angle … to which Donovan said, “He really 

kicks him in the face.

“I don’t blame [the ref]. It was hard for her to see. But the VAR 

absolutely has to intervene. That’s a massive mistake.”

Lead Fox announcer IAN DARKE then identified the VAR 

man in charge as “JOE DICKERSON … from the USA. It’s a 

huge decision early on. I’m surprised, in a way, the Ecuador 

protest wasn’t more vehement,” Darke said.

Donovan: “Ecuador will feel every call now should go their 

way. So, every time it doesn’t, it’s going to raise the 

temperature. You can see the Ecuador players’ frustration.”

In the ninth minute, Ecuador scored its first goal of the 

tournament, and that seemed to excite Donovan and Darke. “If 

anyone thought this was going to be another 0-0 or 1-0 game,” 

Donovan said. “Think again.”

“Oh, how they needed that,” said Darke. “That is the cue for 

bedlam here. Everywhere you look there are yellow shirts … 

Ecuador supporters. At last … AT LAST … they have 

something to celebrate.”

Believe it or not, the celebration kept going. In the 77^th nd 

minute, Ecuador scored again off a corner kick and won 2-1 to 

reaah the knockout round of 32 as one of nine third place teams 

to qualify … “back from the brink … against the odds,” Darke 

said.

And, a final thought from Donovan on Penso. unsoliceted, of 

course: “This game had the possibility of getting away from 

her, and she kept it under control. In the end I think she did a 

great job … I really do.”

SO, WHAT DO YOU think … will the Flying Squirrels, having 

it up to here with typical (it says here) Richmond inability to 

get anything right the first time, at least consider selling their 

rights to CarMax Park and leave town? Sometimes a sweetheart 

deal isn’t enough in the face of ongoing nonsense.

ALAN CLOSTER, left-hand pitcher for Syracuse and 

Richmond of the International League in the 70s. died June 11 

after a (thankfully) short bout with cancer.

A memorial service will be held in Kilmarnock, where Closter 

moved in 2014, retiring after 30 years with Phillip Morris. Date 

and time to be determined … although son Mike said plans call 

for it sometime in early August at Indian Creek CC.

We will have more on Closter, one of the good guys we had the 

pleasure of covering, along with other local notables who 

passed in the last couple of years. Stay tuned.

Until next time ...