Either live or on TV, or even in footage of old matches. I'm more interested in high-difficulty matches.
Wasn't a super high difficulty match but I watched my college soccer team lose in the first round of a conference tournament and was super impressed by the referee (now a PRO official). I didn't think he missed a single call. Also, Clattenburg in the CL Final killed it.
disclaimer - I'm not a ref just a lurker - but I remember the 2006 World Cup match between the US and Italy that ended 1-1; the ref got absolutely creamed on US television, but I thought he got every big call right; 3 red cards correctly given (2 straight reds and 2 yellows to Pope) and McBride was offside according to the rules at the time. That was an extremely tough game to officiate.
I watched that match in a workingman's bar near the airport in Milan with my wife and four kids, who then ranged in age from 12 to 20. I had a little too much wine and was lustily cheering for our side; the kids were worried about getting out in one piece. We survived.
Just looked up highlights from the game. All three reds looked easy to me, how did he get creamed by the US media?
I recently retired to my safe room and retrieved a 8mm film reel showing the most awesome Refereeing ever. I was magnificent. My socks were tucked neatly into my knickers and my boots [when they were really boots] were shiny. Fernando Lamas came up to me after the match and said, "you looked marvelous!" [maybe it was Billy Crystal!].
I don't have video of it, but last year I was AR1 for a DA game where the CR was a local referee who is on the National track - I'd heard of him but never refereed with him. It was during a DA weekend and both teams were from out of state, but you could tell in pre-game both teams had hot-headed, intense coaches with parents and players to match. His pre-game was quick and succinct. Skipped the "run all the way to the end line" stuff since he presumed that, since we were here, we knew the basics. Instead focused more on the art of refereeing, eye contact, different signals to indicate different changes in tactics - like tightening up the match, for example. Otherwise it was "stick to the prescribed USSF signals". The game was hard, spirited, and the players, coaches, and parents were exactly as pre-game predicted. It was a masterpiece. He got some chatter, and let the "players play" as the expression but when needed, had the game under complete control. Players and coaches had moments but he managed them, while still letting them get that initial burst of temper out of the way. By the end, handshakes and smiles all around. Both coaches said "best game all season", something they probably hadn't said in years.
As far as the professional stage. I would say Rizzoli was pretty good at the 2014 WC final. It's tough because when a referee has a good performance I tend not to remember the match. While I remember referees who screw up or have a a tough match.
Wasn't that referee Jorge Larrionda? The thing I remember most about that match was the Pablo Mastroaini send off. Larrionda was turning and just looking over his shoulder as PM did a two footed slide tackle on Andrea Pirlo. I didn't think Larrionda could have even seen it, but he didn't hesitate to send Mastroaini off.
thought that the referee crew on this NPSL playoff match between Miami and Chatty did an excellent job at the very end of the kicks...this really could have resulted in a major brawl...always expect the unexpected folks, you can start the video at 1:48:
Excellent job ignoring unsporting behavior by the player who came to confront the keeper? That's two yellows, one for approaching the keeper and another for touching his face.
How in the heck is that an excellent job when somebody sticks a finger into another players face (mouth?? who knows where he had that finger!!) when he has NO BUSINESS being there. Agree with AremRed.
Possibly shouldn't pull the thread OT but that's a load of crock. Higuain looks up to see Neuer coming out and then alters his run and when the ball is played he is both inside and sightly ahead of the ball. It's no different to when an attacker backs in under a defender that's in the air heading the ball.
Howard Webb was pretty good in what would be one of his last matches in Brazil vs Chile. I still remember him calling the wonder handling in the penalty area and giving a DFk coming out.