I just recently watched the 2002 World Cup Final again and it's remarkable how only 12 years later the game is so differently officiated. Take a look at what Cafu did to Jens Jeremies at the 1:07 mark (17 minutes into the 2nd half). Am I wrong or is that pretty obvious SFP even at that time? It's interesting that Collina didn't give a card there and that no one really complained there as well. There was one German guy that kind of raised a fuss, but no one really said anything. I don't know if that was because Collina had so much respect from the players or that no one thought or expected that to be a red card. The more you watch it the more gruesome the tackle is. Jeremies is bleeding in both legs and they allow him to play with blood on. Once again, it's a different time, but it was around that time that nasty tackles were starting to get punished more and more and in that World Cup you had Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry sent off for studs up tackles that were pretty controversial at that time. Granted it was the same referee that sent them off both. I was really blown away that Collina didn't give Cafu a card at least. It's especially odd compared with the first, and only, two cautions that Collina gave in the first 10 minutes of that game. I don't think the first one he gave to Roque Junior would be given in today's game and I think the second one to Klose might be a red in today's game. I'm pretty sure that Rizzoli would have sent off Cafu if that was last week. Just some other general observations from the game. I forgot how often attackers were called for fouls on corners and crosses at that time. Alot of the fouls in that game were for pushing on corners and crosses. To me, many of those were not fouls. If you watch the first goal (1:11 mark or 21 minutes into second half) that Ronaldo scores you can make a case that Ronaldo fouls Didi Haman when he disposses him. I think it's certainly a foul with what Collina calls at that time, but again no one really complained. In today's game I don't think that would be a foul. Also, I don't know if Collina is that well respected or the players were better behaved, but the lack of dissent was really surprising. Even in well officiated games today there is at least one or two outbursts of dissent over just little decisions.
Not sure what you're drinking tonight but it is very clear Collina had zero angle on this play and this would have 100% been on the AR to make the decision as he had a perfect view. Not only did he have a bad angle, it appears a Brazilian player walked straight in to his viewing angle at the moment of the tackle as well. As for the AR, it's also possible another Brazilian playing was blocking his view. Regardless, I agree it is absolutely SFP. Can't get much more clear. Lunging with two legs, both knees locked and both toes straight up.
You'd think the UEFA #1 would have seen that! I believe the AR is Phil Sharp. This would have been the 62nd minute of him officiating with Collina - perhaps ever unless they crossed paths at some other tournament - but the 62nd minute of a WC finals game. So that's one big difference - nowadays the officials would know each other much better. It also appears to me that there is no radio comms between them, but I could be wrong. So the AR would have seen the foul, observed the referee call the foul, concluded that the referee saw enough to make a decision, and would have had no good way to tell the UEFA #1 referee anything. So what does the AR do now after he sees the referee take no further action? Wave his flag madly to get the guy sent off? Rather unlikely to occur.
Random thoughts, in no particular order: 1) It's a SFP red card in today's game, for sure. 2) I'm not certain Rizzoli goes red last week, though, given the tournament standard's and given the fact that he didn't send off Aguero or Howedes. This is SFP in any domestic league, but this wasn't "oh my god he killed him that has to be red!" type red. It was a shade or two up from Geiger's call in the France/Nigeria game--stonewall red in most competitions, but I think I'd put it in the orange category if it happened last Sunday. 3) Back to point #1, it's a red in today's game. And the focus we've had on certain types of tackles has definitely changed over the last decade. I don't think this was a certain red in 2002. In fact, I don't recall discussing it at all when it happened and I would suggest there might have been similar tackles throughout that tournament not sanctioned as SFP. In short, the answer to the question of whether the way we call these things has changed or not is 'yes.' Even the language has changed in the past 12 years. "Endangering the safety of an opponent" only came into play if the tackle was from behind. It had to be with "excessive force" for a red to be given here. Now, today's standards would put a two-footed lunge like that as excessive force... but that wasn't necessarily the case back then and there was a lot more discretion. 4) That said, as pointed out, I don't think Collina can see it clearly and I would even suggest Sharp likely can't see it cleanly. Take the initial view and put it together with the first replay. I'd argue #5 is almost certainly between Sharp and the point of contact. Watch how Sharp's eyes immediately follow the ball so he can render an in/out of play decision. He doesn't react to the impact of the tackle at all. 5) Again, as said, even if Sharp did see it, these are crews that never work together. And they had no radios. I stand by point #4, but even if it's not true, it's a pipedream to think an AR was going to insert himself there, given the standards and technology of the time. 6) It's funny this call gets brought up because I always believed that Klose's yellow card (9th minute) was the type of elbow that FIFA said was a red card for most of the past decade. I think the only think that might save Klose in today's game is the uncertainty of whether or not he knew he was being challenged by an opponent. But, in 2002, there wasn't the same sort of focus on elbows on aerial challenges. So a red would have been completely unexpected, particularly in a WC Final. But it reinforces the fact that interpretations and focuses change--even if the basic Laws don't. 7) No matter what you think of the elbow or the call, Collina's handling of the Klose caution is absolute master-class.