Tournament Referees Announced

Two things on this.

First, we will once again have a dedicated Copa 2024 subforum, which is up and running here if you want to bookmark it: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forums/copa-américa-2024-referee.1698/

Second, it seems like in 2016 the referees were announced May 4th. We're almost inside a month of the tournament. Not having an announcement or even leaks is bizarre, given you would think that invited referees would have to know by now. On that point, there is direct overlap with Olympics again, though not in the group stage. Will be interesting to see if either of the CONCACAF referees (Fischer and Martinez) pull double duty. Seems pretty clear that the Olympic CONMEBOL referees (Falcon and Abatti) are newer referees who will get their first big FIFA look while senior colleagues do Copa.

Once we have names appointed, we'll shut this thread down and move discussion to the dedicated board.

 

Hahaha. This is amazing.

First, if you're going to wait to May 24th to be so highly selective about who gets chosen and use performance to make those final important cuts, it's pretty amazing that you basically just bring everyone. Twenty-three referees. 23!!! There are 24 group stage matches. What a farce.

Second, Italy's #3 with VMOs from Italy. Rizzoli connection in effect.

Third, I love how CONCACAF countries can't even get their flags here. Really, no one in South America can create the little icons with North American flags?

Fourth, I really love (not actually, of course) how the women are treated so separately. Like CONMEBOL isn't even pretending. Why wouldn't Alves be listed on par with Sampaio and Claus? Why wouldn't Penso be in the CONCACAF grouping? There's only one reason. Even when you go down the assistants, look at Venezuela, for example. Three male assistants get grouped under the first Venezuelan flag but then the fourth, female, assistant is listed seperately at the end. Seriously? If Rodriguez is, in theory, in Herrera's crew, then why would you do that?

It will be very interesting to see if all 23 referees and potential crews work. Last time, in 2016, there was a separate reserve list that ultimately was not a reserve list (I think one or two names didn't work out of five enumerated reserves?). This time, it could be the opposite with some of these 23 actually being reserves. Because otherwise the assignment will be very, very interesting. There are some clearly weaker crews here. Do you use them early to get them out of the way or do you wait and gamble on having them work decisive MD3 games?

It would be fun to analyze these selections if CONMEBOL just didn't take the entire continent and basically the only five CONCACAF referees that would even be considered.

 

Two other observations that are implicit in the above:

Peru, Colombia, Venezuela and Uruguay do not need to have two referees there. If you're cutting, those seem to be the obvious cuts.

And CONMEBOL couldn't make, with Brazil, the decision that UEFA had the guts to make with France. If Sampaio and Claus both warrant inclusion, Alves does not need to be there. Particularly as she's not even #3 by any stretch of the imagination in Brazil. But CONMEBOL couldn't have a tournament without women and it would be really weird if Penso was the only crew there, so they needed to bring their best crew. Which leads to this. And I'm sure Brazil getting three referees helps lead to the first point above (Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay all having two). You start making political decisions and you end up with a bloated corps of 23 referees for 24 matches. It's just insane. It's worse than what CONCACAF does for Gold Cup.

 

Huh. It was still live this afternoon when I created the other thread. Very strange.