Analysis: AUS-SRB - Larrionda (URU)

This should tell everyone where FIFA thinks Larrionda ranks in the referee heirarchy. I think this is the biggest match of the entire group stage, and has the potential to be a real challenge. I think this combination of teams and referee will provide one hell of a match!

 

Over/under on red cards??? I'd say 1+.

 

Well if Australia continues their current form I'm thinking at least two send offs. They have been quite undisciplined in their play.

 

Cahills send off should not have been.
Harry's - he wasn't able to move in time.

I hardly call the red cards undisciplined.

 

It's not really the place to continue this discussion, but Australia's play has been very undisiplined and overly aggressive going back to their last couple WC tune-up matches and continuing into their first 2 WC group matches. For whatever reason, I sorta root for Australia -- maybe because they have a handful of familiar EPL players. But they have definitely been guilty of a higher number of physical, reckless, and/or stupid challenges than most teams.

Larrionda definitely may have his hands full in this match.

 

I have no idea why FIFA thinks highly of this referee. He has experience surely, but he's not very good IMO.

 

Actually, in terms of yellow cards Aust is the "best" team in Group D.

Serbia 6 yellows (plus 2 yellows = 1 red. Lukovic)

Germany 5 yellows (plus 2 yellow = 1 red. Klose)

Ghana 5 yellows (and Addy should have had 1 red)

Aust 4 yellows (2 straight reds, both debateable).

6 teams have more yellow cards than Aust so far.

Link: http://english.sina.com/sports/2010/0619/325473.html



Maybe an early red from this card happy ref to a Serbian might help our cause and we could go on with it this time.

 

I stand by my claim. I think most neutrals would agree.

Each game is different. Comparing the number of cards to other teams in the group has SOME value, but not a ton. The referee plays a huge role. A card-happy ref has saddled many teams in this WC with a pile of yellow cards that really were not reflective of rough play.

And a straight red sometimes has a way of making a team realize they better cut the crap and play football, i.e. don't take a bunch of yellow cards.

Good luck to Australia in this match. I hope they win and play well.

 

You are 100% correct, and other tackles from behind have gone unpunished.

Why wasn't Vidic issued a red card for elbowing Cahill in the face?

Exactly the same as the incident the other day where a player was given red. Consistency is a joke this tournament.

 

Oh dear. Serbia a little unlucky there to not get a penalty. Thoughts?

 

I think (THINK) that's a penalty. His arm comes up and plays the ball there. But I can see the other side of that as well.

 

Not a penalty to me. Feel sorry for the Serbs, but I think larrionda got it right.

 

The possible handling? Personally I think the no-call was correct. His arms were far from his body, but were a natural position for someone jumping. This wasn't an example of trying to make himself bigger to block a shot or pass.

 

There was Serbian defender whose arm was flailing at the same time, so Larrionda may not have been sure who it hit. He had a good angle on the play.

 

It will certainly make for an excellent example, whichever way it "should" be called. I think Cahill was waving his arm for balance, but I also think USSF would give the penalty there.

 

I am sorry, anyone that thinks that is hand ball should not be refereeing. This is not a slur against anyone here, but that was totally accidental and ball went to hand, hand didn't go to ball.

 

Yes, they got one right. Good call.

 

This insult seems very popular on this board for the last couple days

 

I think that is no way a penalty.i also think (like Simon) that this game was signficantly better than his first game (I think with Portugal). He kept control, and the last 15 minutes were wide open. The players were not keeping up with the play, and he was. It was obvious his fitness surpassed the teams, and he seemed to mentally keep up too.

Did anyone else think he sort of made up a foul (around 75 min or so) to stop the play to deal with the injured Serbian? I like that, and think it also bought him game control, by slowing it down. That was a critical point, because it was starting to get heated. I think that decision allowed the last 15 minutes to be played at a frantic pace but w/o real nastiness.

Larrionda is one of my least favorite referees, but I think this was one of his best games that I can remember.

 

Also, the first caution to Australia I think was the first caution of the tournament where a player both got the foul, and got a caution for embellishment (or was the caution for something earlier? On the ESPN game cast it looked like he got it for exaggerating the foul, even though Larrionda did call the foul).

 

At 48:24, Australia #6 got cautioned for studs on an ankle, #2 was the player who got whacked in the back of the head and put hands to his face on flopped to the ground. It would have made an interesting test case, but it didn't happen.

 

My bad.