I agree

Well said.

Don't break the rules and waste 15 seconds every time you grab the ball as goalie and this wouldn't happen. No one for Canada to blame but themselves.

It's a rule that the keeper can't hold the ball for that long, just because hardly any refs make that call doesn't mean that it isn't still a rule of the game. Good on the ref for making the call because McLeod clearly held the ball for too long trying to waste time.

How many soccer games have you watched in your life? The refs don't make calls like that in high importance games else WC would be littered with calls like that. In fact in last ten years only one such incident is reported. US paid the official, IOC and FIFA are corrupt organizations. But what you expect from US, they bully everyone...

How much of my comment did you read Statickk14? I clearly said "hardly any refs make that call". You went and found the stat that proves what I said right, that call is almost never made, but so what? it's still a rule that is regularly broken and in this circumstance the ref had the guts to make the call that was clearly right, the keeper held on to the ball far too long

STFU! What can we expect from someone who thinks that the game is called soccer, what can Colemorgan knows about FOOTBALL? If that.. "Rule" is broken, in OUR sport... it's a Yellow Card, not a free kick!! Go support Seattle! The ref had the guts to create that call because she was on the U.S. payroll..

Why you mad bro. Chill bro. And since you clearly own football do I have to ask permission to play tomorrow?

Hey Chilldog, ho much do you want to bet I'm way batter than you at soccer/football, whatever you want to call it. I'm f*****g paid to perform freestyle soccer, what do you do for a living?

Here's a recent video just to shut you up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BsPK8W0xXE

Colemorgan, the goalkeeper committed an offense, but the punishment is usually a yellow card and not a freekick in the box.

Chilldog you're obviously a terrible person, but I'm sure that won't slow you down. CFL fan is obviously harboring some bias and jealousy. Everyone is bias though, what else is new.
It's easy to debate the call. Both sides have a legitimate argument. However, one thing is clear cut about the game and that is the absence of dignity. Olympic badminton teams were sent home for not maintaining the spirit of the Olympics by trying their best to win. Canada showed the same amount of disregard for competitive spirit. Even though they were trying to win, they attempted this in a disgraceful way in the midst of a brilliant display by Sinclair. As a life-long footballer, the worst (and I do mean worst) part of the game (diving included lol) is when teams get ahead and play without honor. Stalling, playing for fouls to eat up time, making no attempt to play honorably but rather disrupting the flow and competitiveness of the game by wasting time, it is terrible. Canada did it, there's no debating that. I feel Sinclair was robbed of a stellar effort (that deserved reward) because her team lost the honor to play with the competition for 90+ minutes. The only reason teams waste time is because they don't feel confident that they are the better team and that they are good enough to maintain their deserved lead legitimately. Canada knew this and unfortunately, it was appropriately exposed and punished.

arghh just shut up yeah the referee knew why Mcleod held the ball too long so you have to release it. i dont know why USA had a free kick and the canadian goalkeeper could of got a yellow for wasting time although this ref shouldnt be refereeing this match she was crap.

@Dre10; lol! Everything is cool, feel free to play!

@Colemorgan426; Impresive lowers, good chance on your career! Anyways I repeat, soccer or football that was a Yellow Card, even red if the ref is a hard one.. never ever a free kick. I'm a DT and I'm coaching women in Canada BTW!

@Mamor2007; That was looong to read! Thanks for your time! :)... Terrible person? :( Why? Because I said that the ref is on the U.S. payroll? Listen, forget the olympics and the "spirit", this is football and wasting time it's part of the game (Holding balls, making changes, diving or faking injuries) and it's punished with Cards, simple.

@Chilldog: "wasting time it's part of the game" LOL are you implying that it actually SHOULD be in the game?

@Colemorgan426: We should play a 1v1 sometime - I used to be a centre-back and there's nothing more I enjoy than watching a footballer that dances around in front of me, going nowhere! Although if you have the pace to back yourself up, then you could probably just knock it past me :-P

As a general statement after reading local news at my place and the comments that followed, it's sad that people in my country (most of whom know nothing about the sport) are still complaining about the ref.

I remember when I was 11, the most important thing our coaches told us was to never blame a) the keeper, because the ball had to get past everyone else on the team first, and b) the ref, because all refs are different and the other team was better/we didn't play our best.

Suck it up Canada, we lost.

Achiox, I don't do many moves when I play. That's freestyle which is something different, doesn't translate to playing as I'm sure you can imagine. I would be happy to wreck you in 1v1's though, with skill though, not just kicking it past and running

Ok boss.

This time I need to have the guts to come back on what I wrote... I found this on my Ref's Book;

Law 12
XII Fouls and Misconduct
...
Indirect Free Kick
...
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, ...
...takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands, before releasing it from his possession.

Good job Ms. Pedersen (Ref), Congrats U.S.A., try to keep that gold for your country and Concacaf!

I hope Canada will win the bronze!

@ Cole Morgan; I guess I'm eating my words! Respect.

then I shall eat my words as well, for I misjudged you chilldog
ahh people coming together on footy
I'm hangin this up on the refrigerator

Dinner is served

Cheers Mamor2007! Bon appétit!