All pre-match discussion of the appointment, play-by-play descriptions and post-match analysis of the officiating performance for this match belong in this thread. Analysis threads in this forum are strictly moderated. Supporters of participating teams are welcome and encouraged to participate. But all posters should take non-analytical posts to the group or rivalries forums. Thank you. Match #37 - Slovenia v. England, Group C Referee: Stark (GER) Assistant 1: Salver (GER) Assistant 2: Pickel (GER) Fourth Official: Aguilar (SLV)
Stark has had a pretty good match, but he gave an outrageous card for simulation to Johnson just after the start of the 2nd half which also ruined a potential England chance as the ball went to an England player.
ENG-SVN! I hope a few people comment on that simulation yellow, as it really was atrocious IMHO. The player is off balance trying to avoid a defender after playing the ball to a teammate in the box, gets hit slightly, goes down and is in the process of immediately getting back up when Stark stops play to caution him for simulation. I see no attempt to try to draw a foul, and I think had there been a foul that the referee would have played advantage!
I watched this match because my wife made me promise to save the US match for tonight when she gets home! That doesn't mean I wasn't following the US match on twitter but... Anyone, I thought Stark did a good job overall. The caution to Johnson still baffles me. I'm assuming it was for simulation, as the other posters have intimated, but I don't see the simulation there. Certainly not in comparison to some of the other crap we've seen in other games the past 10 days.
Any thoughts on the assignment of a German referee crew with a possible match-up with Germany looming for one of these two teams should they get through in the round of 16? Say that Stark had sent-off a key player for one of these teams and despite that they had still advanced to meet Germany. Now that man must sit out this match and that would be seen as a tremendous benefit to the German team provided by a decision of a German referee.
That was a terrible caution to Johnson. Not really a foul, but not at all simulation. On Stark's appointment: I don't have a problem with it just because there are too many factors that come in to play to determine if England and Germany play each other. If England won, as they did, the result of the USA-Algeria game detemined England's placing in the group. And then you look at Group D...there are just so many possibilities when you combine all the scenarioes from the two groups. If it was pretty clear cut that England and Germany were as good as confirmed opponents, then I might see more of an issue, but in this case no.
Johnson's caution might have been for persistent infringement. He was lucky to get away without a caution in the first half and was given a strong verbal warning instead, after his second foul in a few minutes. So even if there was not a dive or simulation worthy of caution in its own right, coupled with the other stuff may have been enough for Stark to get his YC out. PH
Johnson was in the shortlist book, but those were for tackles, not "diving", and this play is not a dive at all, but a very natural movement that took the player to ground. It is possible he had Johnson on his mind, but I still can't see any justification for calling it there.
PH might be onto something there. From the referee's angle, Johnson put his elbow into the defender's chest before he went down. Stark may have decided to call the foul and then book him for PI.