FINAL - GER : ARG - RIZZOLI (ITA)

It will also likely make our officiating more difficult. "That wasn't a yellow in the WC, ref!" "Not a red in the Cup! " etc.

 

Calling a foul of Higuain was another gross mistake on top
As that is unthinkable on an international ref, I have to think that he knew the play was not normal and looked for a way not to call a penalty and oust the keeper. He had not the guts

 

If Neuer arrived on a collision course with Higuain, I'd agree IF and ONLY IF his knee was down. He had and enormous physical advantage over Higuain who had to look for the ball to arrive on his own head while Neuer was much much higher in the air and had leaped way over Higuain. This was by no means an equal opportunity collision and with Neuer bringing a lethal weapon to the party (and actually use it), it was overkill. All IMHO, of course, but so obvious it is amazing to read all the opinions to the contrary.

 

To accept that plays as no fouls is likely to get players killed
Horrible precedent

 

watching in real time at a bar i thought no call on the gonzo-neuer challenge. after replay i don't know how that wasn't some form of card., even in this WC.

 

Higuain looks like he is drooling on Neuer's knee. Send off for spitting.

 

In your world perhaps, but not for most everyone else. Yes, it wasn't a foul on the attacker, but it sure as heck wasn't a foul on the keeper either. 50/50 ball, the attacker lost the chase and the fact that both players were running at full speed, converging on the ball meant there was going to be a collision. The German keeper just happened to be bigger and reach the spot first.

 

There's a rule in the FIFA book that says a German goalkeeper can flatten anyone and get away with it.

and then there's this

 

So Higuain takes no responsibility for his run when he knew damn well that Neuer was going after the ball as well? He looked over to see where Neuer was and took the risk that he might beat him to the ball. You have two people chasing the same object and the law of physics dictates that they are likely to collide. It happens. Not every contact is a foul. Nor if one player gets it worse than the other does means it is a foul. As for the knee being up, make that run and show us how it is natural for the knee not to be so. One does not referee on a Kodak moment.

 

Still, it WAS a scary challenge, and nobody wants to see a player get hurt.

 

Go watch the replay. Higuain has established position. Neuer flies in and only reaches the ball first because he is jumping and has extended his arms to punch the ball away. Both players have an equal right to play the ball. However, Neuer has to go through Higuain to get the ball. I liken it the the cry for I got ball when in the process the defender wipes out the attacker. That is exactly what happens here and the keeper has no special FIFA dispensation that allows him to foul an opponent while making a play for the ball.

For those applauding Rizzoli I thought he was inconsistent. He allowed persistent infringement look at how Schweinstagger was hacked late in the game. He missed calls too.

 

Only for a handling calls does intent matter according to the lotg.

 

Surely NOT need for a knee up, nor it is "natural" as you pretend
Also he sees he is going towards Higuain and practically aims to his head

 

That play really does stand out. I wonder if the play had happened outside the penalty area if the decision would have been different. I think he didn't want to have to give a PK. But we all know that goalkeepers get away with murder everywhere in the world. I've never understood why, really.

 

Rizzoli missed two stone-cold second yellows in extra time (Aguero and Mascheran). He saw both of them happen. They were both clear, clear cautions if you're using the LOTG as your guidelines. He didn't give a caution to either player. I don't really know how you can call it a good performance - he saw something, considered the laws, and decided, "no, I don't think I'll apply those laws to what I'm going to do here." How can that be called good refereeing?

However, I thought other than the poor decision on the Neuer-Higuain clash, he was pretty good up until about the 110th minute.

 

And getting first to the ball is irrelevant as in all fouls when you hit an adversary
ENORMOUS PENALTY

 

Did he bite it? Maybe a four month ban is more appropriate

 

That one poor decision was HUGE and game changing
Unforgivable

 

At this level, easy enough to have a 5th official (medical) with the 4th. He is in charge of examining any player with head injury and determines if said player can continue. Team free to sub for player (takes 7-10 minutes to properly determine extent of head injury) and does not count against 3. If player can't continue, sub stays on with no sub counted. If player is cleared, he exchanges places with his 'replacement'.

Concussions/Head Injuries are very different than other injuries. One time, a player will stay on too long and get seriously (long term) injured or killed.

 

If that is going to be allowed, expect forward deaths
The knee is a murdering weapon

 

So you jump off of both feet from a run? It is not pretending. It is reality. The jump comes off of one leg and naturally the other leg will be extended with knee bent. I'm not sure how one aims for another's head when clearly his focus was on the ball, which he reached.

 

Yup. No worries though, Barcelona will still sign him.

 

Then you need to watch again.

He gave a very spot-on description of the actual action.