My brother showed me this great picture of the play. The foot definitely makes contact with the face.
If it does, you can't tell from that photo. I say that as an international soccer photographer. Photos don't lie, but you have to understand what you're looking at.
So you are saying that you can't tell that his foot is touching Herrera's head? Interesting. It looks pretty clear to me, but if there is some sort of scientific method to analyze this picture that I am not aware of, I would be happy to hear it.
Now you're moving the goalposts? You were talking about getting kicked in the face. Actually, no. You can't tell that it "hit him in the head". Additionally, there's the question as to is it a high boot or did the player create the dangerous play by lowering his head? I'm not qualified to answer the latter question.
When you take into account the videos of the play that have already been provided, it is pretty clear that he does kick him in the face. The picture shows contact, the video shows Herrera's head movement after the contact. Maybe I am just biased, but it seems like a clear penalty to me. Maybe you might also have some sort of bias. De Vrij is around 6'2 and the ball is hovering close to his shoulders. Ron Vlaar's leg is way past his hip.
Hey guys, I know this "did Robben dive or not" topic is getting old, but I want I hadn't seen this angle before. It is hard to judge, but it seems to me that Marquez's boot is not even stomping Robben's foot... if you look closely, Marquez's right foot is clearly steping on the grass and not on Robben's left foot. Then, the whole over-dramatization makes me think Robben is just dragging his foot to make it look like a contact.
This picture is exactly why i think it was a foul. Marquez steps directly across Robben's path and does not touch the ball. The onus is not on Robben to somehow stop, go backward or to the side...it's on Marquez to be a smarter defender. There were two penalties that could've been given in the 1st half, one each way. At the end of the day Mexican fans (and I was pulling for them too) should be upset that they didn't keep attacking and that Marquez made a dumb and unnecessary error.
Sure the onus is not on Robben to get out of the way, but the referee is also supposed to determine who initiated the contact. If Marquez didn't initiate contact and, if there was contact (which I just don't see), then it would have been Robben who initiated it. I do agree with you on one thing though, Mexico should be upset at themselves for parking the team in the back for the last 30 minutes.
"Initiating the contact" isn't anywhere in the law book. "Tripping or attempting to trip" however is...and stepping across an attacker's path, not getting the ball, and leaving the attacker nowhere to go is easily perceived as a "trip or an attempt to trip". Why step in there and make the referee make that decision? As much as I hate Robben's theatrics...it's just a terrible play/decision by Marquez in the biggest of spots. To top it all off, Robben's going directly away from goal and there's like 3 more Mexicans waiting for him. Robben baited him and he took it. It's a rookie mistake by the most veteran of defenders. And yes, the fact that Mexico tried to park the bus for the last 30 minutes was unbelievable given the fact that they were a) outplaying Netherlands for the first 60 and b) that they can't defend on set pieces to save their life.
Of course referees take into account the initiation of the contact. If Marquez's foot is planted and not touching Robben, then any contact thereafter should be ruled legal (or is ruled legal by most referees). Did Marquez's decision make it hard for the ref to make the correct decision? Sure. However, Robben initiated the contact and dove. I really don't want to keep arguing over this play because I am actually kind of over it now. I'll concede to you that if Marquez could go back in time he would not have gone for the ball.
Ok, but I just don't understand how you think it's Robben's responsibility to avoid Marquez when Marquez steps straight across his path. Your "initiates the contact" idea doesn't hold water in other examples as well. Such as when an attacker pushes it past a defender and the defender steps into the attackers path...in that case you could argue that the attacker "initiates the contact" but the foul is always called on the defender.
What? This is very wrong. If you stick out your foot right into someones path, and you don't get the ball, it doesn't matter if your foot is moving or not at the time contact is made, it's still a trip.
This will probably be the last post I will make on this issue. It is not Robben's responsibility to avoid Marquez's foot, but I don't think that Marquez impeded Robben's path. There was no contact made by Marquez, Robben dragged his foot to make it seem like there was contact. I don't know if your examples is a good one either, because if the defender steps in front of the offensive player who pushed the ball ahead and trips or attempts to trip the player's progress, it will obviously be a foul. If the offensive player pushes the ball ahead and then, without any contact being made, drags his feet and falls down, it is not a foul. The rule says trips or attempts to trip an opponent. Marquez neither trips nor attempts to trip Robben, as on the replay it appears that Robben drags his foot.
You're focusing on Marquez stepping on, or not stepping on, Robben's foot. Somewhere in this thread there's a link to a vine that clearly shows Marquez' right leg tripping Robben by hitting his right knee. After I saw that video, to me, that became a 100% stone penalty, even at the tail end of a knockout match in the World Cup. And I think if you saw it, you'd agree.