“Paul Kennedy recently noted at Soccer America that we owe a big thank you to Koman Coulibaly, the suddenly world-famous referee who made a controversial call against the U.S. a few days ago. “He accomplished what no one else could in more than 100 years. He made Americans care passionately about soccer.” Indeed, I may have to take back what I wrote last week in my post ‘Happy at the Margins.’ Maybe soccer has arrived in the U.S. On Friday it suddenly seemed as if we’ve joined the venerable ranks of the aggrieved nations of international soccer, the righteously indignant, the purveyors of rage and — in some quarters — bizarre, xenophobic, and racist conspiracy theories all aimed at one man and his whistle.” (Soccer Politics)