Well, fair play points won't matter. These 2 hours have been pretty wild to experience watching on TV. Mexico still needs a goal to advance on goals scored.
Well, that was fun! I think this game is in the category of "impossible to look great" for Oliver. There is only so much desperation you can overcome via man management. Overall, he kept the lid on, and that's probably the best he was ever going to do.
I feel bad doing it, but... 4. Too inconsistent on his cautions. Weird game management (injuries and players), and a big question mark over allowing a player to shove him in the back without sanction. That said, it was entertaining. Good foul recognition. Players accepted him by the end, (but the game forced them to behave, too). He also gets lucky that it isn't decided from fair play points. I actually liked how the game played, but, I just have the big issues I noted which drop him just below average.
Thought he had a great game. He benefits from being one of the most well known officials at the World Cup so players generally accept his decisions when they'd probably be much more angsty with another lesser referee. Seemed to have a good rapport with the players, didn't get caught up in the atmosphere, didn't overreact and flash endless cards but only when really necessary. Of course there might be one or two incidents he may have handled differently, but I think overall he'll be rightly pleased with that performance. Well supported by Burt and Bennett too. I reckon FIFA will have enjoyed that performance on what would have been a very tricky game for many other officials, and I'm sure he's not done his chances of getting a KO game any harm tonight.
You may be right, especially with your guess on FIFA's opinion. But you are going against the wind on this site which has a bias against English referees and refereeing due to the peculiar refereeing approach of the EPL/PGMOL. PH
I'm in with a 9. An outrageously challenging game, and he called it consistently throughout. There are probably not more than 12 referees in the world that could have handled this game like that. He was flexible and firm at the same time. I really liked how he handled thig match.
I love English refs and refereeing, personally. Some of the best in the world. But, in this case I explained my reasons for a score drop, but I don't think you should think it's due to bias. I gave Taylor a 9 and Elfath a 4 or 5... Can't recall. Do you think there is really an anti English trend on this board for real?
Never been my impression about referees on here. (VAR is a whole different thing . . .EPL is bizarrely bad at that)
Certainly based on the recent few years. Lots of disagreement on decisions made and not made and of the quality of most of the guys working EPL, even the ones with white badges lower on the list than Oliver and Taylor. And the peculiar application of VAR didn't help. I think it is mostly due to the failings of the leadership and training over the past 10 or so years, which now may change with the appointment of H. Webb Esq. as the new head honcho of PGMOL. BTW, I wasn't commenting on your score per se. You are entitled to your analysis and opinion, just like anyone else. But having said that, there is a huge difference between your score and the views of @Englishref which sounds like a 9 if he assigned a score. Remember the old Olympics scoring system in judged events in the cold war years? Eliminated the high and low scores to try to neutralize the effect of the East Germany judges! PH
I'll have to watch this game again since I was at work and had the game on my phone, but for me Oliver gets a minimum 7 simply because he managed two challenging teams in a cauldron with so much on the line. This would have been one of the games that I could have seen descending into total chaos, and it really didn't come too close to that. For me, watching this game again will help me determine if he gets higher than a 7. I think the big issue for me right now lies with the leadership at PGMOL, which I firmly believe will change with Webb. In my view, the only referee that I really think is not up to par given his perceived status is Kavanagh. I think the rest of the group is at least good, but is hamstrung by said leadership.
I only watched the first half before heading off to class to educate the masses but I thought he had a very good half. I also thought his decision not to send off the Mexican player for the shove was a really good choice. For better or worse Michael Oliver was the guy who sent off Gigi Buffon for this. He cannot be known as “the guy who sends you off for contact” even if we want players sent off for this behavior. He got right up in the players face and got angry. I don’t know that I have ever seen him like that. He didn’t go all the way to Collina crazy eyes and head butt the guy but it was close. IMHO that showed a different referee than the one 4 years ago. A better referee who was much more in control of himself. my $0.02
Watching this game very late. Oliver pulls a Lahoz! Helps up a player while showing him a yellow at 90+0:30!