Marseille vs Valencia....game gone bad [R]

[triplesevn]

I'm so upset with Collina. I would have thought he's the only man who would have understood the complexity of Barthez's challenge on Mista. I would never have given a red for the challenge nor would I have thought Collina would have.
I'm in total shock over it. Before the challenge, the game was even. It was good. Barthez made 4 fabulous saves while Marseille controlled the ball for the most part. It was not right.

As for the blame game, I do not blame Barthez. He came out like any keeper would have. Feet out and hands up and wide. The reply showed he barely nicked Mista too! (Diver) (Watch the rest of the game as he dives and fakes injury to kill time) (He was fouled once pretty good though)

But let's go back to the poor throw in and horrible clearance that caused the mess. I can not stand to see Barthez's name thrown around as other players should receive the blame too.

Marseille depended on Drogba too much. With the likes of Marlet and company, they should have done better.

One could say Valencia deserved to win but I for one, do not think so. Any team can take the match when 1 up.

All I can say is, it was a good game for 45 minutes!

Congrats Valencia....

[SportBoy333]

I wanted Marseille to win more than anyone but sorry I do blame Barthez on that one I thought the red card was justified. It didnt look like he barely nicked him to me it looked very legitimite I did not see a dive. I'm one of the biggest French soccer fans there is and even I do not blame the ref. As for the poor throw in and horrible clearence that caused the mess that may be true but years from now no one will remember that they will only remember Barthez. Maybe missing Mido hurt them. One less attacking option when they didnt have many to begin with.

[Jawz10]

Barthez charged out and basically made a two footed tackle on Mista. Any other player on the pitch other than goalkeeper and this wouldn't be a discussion. Straight red. As a neutral I'm dissapointed that the game was tilted in Valencia's favor so early, but it was justice. Thats why Collina's one of the best.

[The Double]

One could say Valencia deserved to win but I for one, do not think so.

I know since VCF won, they have nothing to prove. But, you don't think Che deserved to win? Drogba was on lock the whole game, Vicente was being Vicente, and Albelda was simply brilliant. Why didn't they deserve to win?

[Caesar]

The send-off was fully justified.

[minorthreat]

I know since VCF won, they have nothing to prove. But, you don't think Che deserved to win? Drogba was on lock the whole game, Vicente was being Vicente, and Albelda was simply brilliant. Why didn't they deserve to win?Because he's a Manchester United fan, and sore about all those times Valencia's thrashed them in the past few years? :D

[a3m74]

I think Colina did a big mistake,again it's the final after all what Colina did change the match,I think a penalty and a yellow card was enough....
Marseille was playing better in the first half and Camel Meriem was their best player on the pitch...I really hoped that marseille coach exchanged the goal keeper for a player like Marlet and leave Meriem because he was organizing all Marseille Play..

[Clan]

Barthez charged out and basically made a two footed tackle on Mista. Any other player on the pitch other than goalkeeper and this wouldn't be a discussion. Straight red. As a neutral I'm dissapointed that the game was tilted in Valencia's favor so early, but it was justice. Thats why Collina's one of the best.


It wasn't so much that he made a two foted tackle - it's that the leading foot was studs up.
Collina has only one call to make for that type of play.

Not a great game by any means, but, the best team on the day won.

[cachundo]

I'm so upset with Collina. I would have thought he's the only man who would have understood the complexity of Barthez's challenge on Mista. I would never have given a red for the challenge nor would I have thought Collina would have.
I'm in total shock over it. Before the challenge, the game was even. It was good. Barthez made 4 fabulous saves while Marseille controlled the ball for the most part. It was not right. There are probably a handful of reasons why Baldy deserved a straight red; some of the responses already indicated some of the reasons.

However, the serious transgression that was committed that made it an unquestionable red was for ==> denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

There was no question about that. It was very obvious. Straight red.

Kudos to Collina. That's why he's regarded as the world's best CR.

===

Note to Mods: Isn't the thread title a spoiler?

[Excape Goat]

It was a straight red offense. It was a clear foul inside the box. As mentioned before, it was a clear "denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity". I do not see any question about the card or pk.


But I did feel sorry for Marseille because the match was evenly matched up until that point. One single mistake.... you are history. Valencia did their job. They scored an insurance goal and kept procession.

[yossarian]

I agree that Collina was justified in handing out the straight red. However, given the circumstances of the match, etc., I wouldn't have cried injustice if he had awarded the penalty and used some discretion to only give a yellow. I say this, though, as a neutral that mostly wanted to see a good match and not as a criticism of Collina.

[Laggard]

Barthez didn't utter a word in protest. He knew instantly that he screwed up and was gone.

It was the call of the year. And a correct one also.

[yossarian]

Barthez didn't utter a word in protest. He knew instantly that he screwed up and was gone.

It was the call of the year. And a correct one also.

As I said, I agree that the call was technically the correct one. As for Barthez...he is certainly changing his tune now. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=301217&cc=5901

[ttrevett]

Barthez charged out and basically made a two footed tackle on Mista. Any other player on the pitch other than goalkeeper and this wouldn't be a discussion. Straight red. As a neutral I'm dissapointed that the game was tilted in Valencia's favor so early, but it was justice. Thats why Collina's one of the best.

I completely agree with you. First, it was a two footed lunging studs up challenge. Reckless and could have possibly injured the attacker. Second he esentially prevented a goal by taking the attacker (Mista?) down. Last man challenge is a sending off for anybody. I'm not sure what the discussion is about.

[ttrevett]

As I said, I agree that the call was technically the correct one. As for Barthez...he is certainly changing his tune now. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=301217&cc=5901

Barthez is a bloody idiot. His first reaction to the red was the correct one. He makes rash decisions and his team pays the price. The French national team coach should pay attention.

Does the red card in a UEFA event carry over to UEFA's EURO 2004?

[MiamiAce]

Collina made a HORRIBLE CALL.

I'm not a fan of either team and in my eyes, Collina completely decided the outcome of the game by exercising excessive power on a VERY weak tackle. Anybody who plays soccer (with card warnings) knows that when a goalkeeper gets a red-card, it's actually a double-whammy, the worst type of penalty possible in the game. Not only is your starting (and best) goalkeeper sent off BUT also another one of your starting 11. And in this case, a penalty shot was also rewarded. Perhaps this could be considered a triple-whammy. On replay, it does show Barthez sliding in with 2 feet, but he barely caught Mista. In point, Mista did more of a dive than Barthez did more of a tackle. In my honest opinion, at the most that should of constituted of a yellow card plus the penalty. Instead, Collina determined the outcome of the game by sending off 2 Marseille starters plus the penalty. This was a FINAL, it does not deserve such an impact and decisive call based on a mere weak tackle. Collina certainly should have known better.

[Excape Goat]

I agree that Collina was justified in handing out the straight red. However, given the circumstances of the match, etc., I wouldn't have cried injustice if he had awarded the penalty and used some discretion to only give a yellow. I say this, though, as a neutral that mostly wanted to see a good match and not as a criticism of Collina.


Actually, I am using the same reasoning to praise Collina. Yes, It was a big game, but the ref should call it as if it was regular game. It was a foul. It was a straight red card offense. This does not matter if the game was UEFA Cup Final or a Sunday league game. I have seen matches destroyed because the refs hesitated on calls. Collina did not hesitate yesterday. Yes, it destroyed the entertainment value of the match, but it did not destroy the game.

Frankly speaking, I used to think of Collina as overated, but after the call, I know he is the best. I will miss him when he retires.

[MassachusettsRef]

I'm finally and completely dumbfounded by the criticism or referees from fans on bigsoccer.com

Fans cry and scream that they want "consistency" and the "rules enforced" but then when a referee does exactly what he's supposed to do, they moan and groan that he "has ruined the game", "should have known better" and "can't do that in a UEFA Cup Final". Also, whenever MLS or "lesser" referees "screw up" in a domestic match, Collina is pointed to as the example of what every referee should aspire to. But, when Collina shows his courage and character by doing what he has to do in a big match, he is then criticized by some as the reason for a match's demise.

There are sometimes serious and legitimate complaints about officiating--just as there can be serious and legitimate complaints about defending, goalkeeping, finishing, etc. But when threads like this pop-up, and more than a few fans actually complain about what is the only appropriate call, it makes the other criticisms look petty and foolish as well.

Collina did exactly what he was supposed to do and, quite frankly, exactly what he had to do. Anyone that says otherwise simply doesn't know the laws. All this nonsense about "you can't do that in a UEFA Cup Final" is crap. If that's a red card offense (and it is) all the way through your domestic league and all the way through European competition, then it'd be an utter joke and a travesty of justice if suddenly the referee was allowed (and expected) to keep the red card in his pocket and "exercise discretion and only give a yellow".

[Casper]

As for the blame game, I do not blame Barthez. He came out like any keeper would have. Feet out and hands up and wide.

Who was your goalkeeping coach? That was, shall we say, not good form.

What will be forever forgotten is that Barthez looked completely in command up until that play.

As for those who say "Collina changed the game - he should know that's is a huge price to pay to red card a goalie and award a penalty," well, there's a reason red cards are given for fouls by the last defender. There's also a reason that red cards are given for studs-up tackles. This play was arguably both.

Considering that a couple of Marseille players completely lost their cool in this game, I thought it was a very solid Collina performance to maintain any level of calm.

[Laggard]

Collina made a HORRIBLE CALL.
Collina completely decided the outcome of the game by exercising excessive power on a VERY weak tackle

Actually, Barthez decided the outcome of the game by making a stupid play for the ball. Collina did what he had to.

Law 12: Player is sent of if he "denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity
to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by
a free kick or a penalty kick"

He came in cleats up and tackled an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball. Both of which are punishable by a free kick.

What more do you need?