We probably should have a poll for worst call of the tournament thus far, but I'm not sure we have that many poll choices. And as many have said, Fifa needs to re-evaluate it's measures to stop all the diving and play-acting, especially when referees award fouls for anyone who goes down.
I think that the officiating has been consistently horrible. However, I do not place the blame on referees. Instead, the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of FIFA. For some reason that elludes me, FIFA decides to stress particular fouls and facets fo the game every four years at the world cup. Consequently, coaches and players who have been playing the game under one set of standards are being asked to accomodate radical changes to the game. The referees are stuck in the middle as messanger boys (i.e., whipping boys) for FIFA. I understand that FIFA wants to correct cynical play that creeps into the game after a period of time, e.g., shirt pulling, diving, delaying the game. However, the world cup is not the appropriate forum for such clarifications. While it is certainly the easiest forum to make your points heard with the entire world watching, it is the wrong place, wrong time. The world cup should be a celebration, not a correction. I can only hope that FIFA employs more common sense in the future, now that this particular world cup has gotten so out of hand.
Bad poll. The officiating is the worst I've ever seen, but this cup isn't as bad or worse than '90. There should be another option in the poll.
The refs have been apart of almost every game I have seen during this WC. I could go a weekend watching the domestic leagues and not notice the refs during a game.. Its really digusting.. somethin needs to be done.
I don't think its that bad. We haven't seen anything of the level of Spain v. S. Korea or Italy v. South Korea yet and I doubt we will. There will always be controversial calls in soccer, this world cup is no different. PKs and red cards will always be debated because they are so subjective and open to interpretation. I think what you're seeing is, to be honest, incompetent former players bashing officials for no reason. The majority of neutral news souces viewed the US-Italy calls as nothing particularly bothersome. Mastroeni should have known better than to make his challenge and Pope's second was behind/from the side (only he got the ball). Balboa and Wynalda simply don't seem to understand FIFA's new iniatives to crack down on tackles from the side/behind. Its understandable because in the period they played in many of these yellow cards would simply be fouls. We're in a different period now. But until I see a ref red card a player for getting fouled in the penalty box and earning a legit PK (Totti v. South Korea) I'm going to plead for some perspective here from everyone.
The refs have been bad, but no game compares to the Portugal vs. Netherlands game!!! That was chaotic and unnecessary!!! That Russian ref was RIDICULOUS!!!
Friends, this is officiating at its absolute worst. No accountability, no fair play, no fair officiating. Is FIFA even aware of the bribery scandals plaguing the nations of two participants who are still in this world cup (small letters)? I reiterate here: millions of tickets are sold to attend this tournament. NOT ONE FANS BUYS A TICKET TO SEE A REFEREE. I call upon ESPN, Nike, the National Football League, IMG, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to buy FIFA and insert some sanity in the organization.
im judging the performance of the refs based on how many teams are home due to a bad reffereeing decision USA NED AUS It seems like the old guard teams are immune to these ref blunders, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Portugal, England Just a coincidence?
I have to agree and disagree. Award for best embellishment goes to the Italian. Award for stupidest move to allow a PK to be called goes to the Aussie. You can't go down in front of a guy running toward the six yard box and assume he won't fall. He did impeded the progress and keep him from getting off a good shot or pass.
I agree with B Rock. I dont think the ref are too horrible this world cup as the stupid ESPN commentators are making them out to be. I do not even want to start on Balboa, he's bad. Anyways US-Italy ref wasnt not too bad. Sure little misses here and there but Pablo's two footed tackle in the middle of no way, i wonder what is going to happen. Elbow was definitly a good call and Pope's second, right on B Rock, yellow from behind. As for not calling alot at the end of a match, most refs do. As for NED v PORT was that ref card happy maybe, but all were cardable offenses. In the end i think it is the horrible American ESPN anchors doing the bad job. Making a meals out of nothing. Tommy Smyth and R. Davis are only ones that should be up there. (PS watch it on Univision más pasión)
Bro, we could argue this forever, but the Italian didn't fall until he changed direction on his own, then fell. His progress wasn't impeded, but whatever. Bottom line - FIFA sucks, they are to blame.
As another poster already wrote, bashing the ref is always an item in the sore looser`s kit. And if you watch the posts in this forum, you can see ultimate proof. Don`t get me wrong. There were many disputable decisions. But it`s absolutely tiredsome so read endless bickering "If the ref would have decided otherwise in the 47th minute...if ....if ...if". And the conspiracy theories - sorry folks, this is grotesque. The recent poll - with 50% saying the refs ruined the WC - does tell a lot of the ref quality. And it does tell a lot of the dumb loyality of many fans.
The officiating has been so consistently awful that it has literally impacted my enjoyment of the tournament. Normally, I don't miss a game of the World Cup. I even watch the most unenticing of match ups. This time though, I've skipped games and haven't really cared about it. I DVR'ed the Portugal v. Netherlands game and when I found out what a three ring circus it was, I just erased it off of the DVR. It's been a complete joke.
An Argentinian defender tackled a Mexican player in that game two-footed and scissoring. He was the last defender and didn't even get a yellow card. It's just been so horribly inconsistent. Even if the three ejections in the USA-Italy game were correct, the guy was so whistle happy the first 60 minutes and then it was like it lost it the last half hour.
To me, it looked like once he stepped over the Aussie he realized that he had pretty much run out of options. He knew that he most likely wasn't going to score so he did what he thought was the next best thing, flopped to the ground. You should have to kill someone to get a penalty kick with only seconds left in extra time. I'm talking about jumping kick to the neck style play. The referee completely cheapened that game and it's a damn shame.
That's a recipe for disaster. You think players play-act and embellish now? Wait til you see what happens once you institute this sort of officiating. If it's a penalty in the first minute of the match, it's a penalty in the last minute of the match.
Somebody on another thread said that that match reminded him of those Brazilian league matches on Fox Sports World, the ones where 70 or more fouls weren't uncommon. However, I have to say, around the 70th minute of Ukraine/Switzerland, I was thinking, "where's Graham Poll when you need him?" His referee stylings would've definitely livened up that one.
I think it's time FIFA took a long hard look at changing the officiating in it's matches. There's no reason that they could not add 2 more linesman on opposite sides of the pitch. Also all referees and linesman should be able to make a call. There also needs to be a serious crackdown on diving and instant replay can be used I think without interruption to the match. Offending players should be sent off after a determination is made. Reply officials can also verify a goal.
You're stupid if you don't think the refereeing has been foul As for the conspiracy, not sure what you mean - but their doesn't have to be a conspiracy to mean that he's set it up to make a lot of money - and be as crooked as possible. All this made me think back to when Sepp Blatter was challenged for control of Fifa about 2 years ago I recall. ....wavy lines.... "Sepp Blatter, FIFA's president, was accused of corruption and mismanagement by none other than his most senior administrator." ...Mr Blatter had repeatedly made unauthorised payments from FIFA accounts. He had also, in the presence of witnesses, handed over a cheque for $25,000 to a former referee. Mr Blatter later admitted making the payment, oh there's more http://www.economist.com/research/backgrounders/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1143080 The chief gripe against him was that he was corrupt. This coupled with the Italian scandal made me think about how it could work. He could have just selected refs that he knew were liable to take a check, doesn't even have to be from him. Say for instance the Uruguan ref that did the US game this WC but got done by Uruguay FA for "abnormalities" in 02. So my friend you, and all the rest of us, are what is known as "Suckerus Majorus" in latin. Put that in your pocket and save it for your it isn't a conspiracy file.
Everyone I know here thinks the rules are broken. Actually I don't blame the refs. I agree with the top bit, but instant reply only after the match for further punishment - can't stop the flow. My contribution - sin bins of 10 or 35 mins depending on card colour and two penalty spots, one where it is now and one on the top of the box for minor infractions where the goal is not threatened, incidental handball on the cross in etc.
Actually, the Russian Ref did a commendable job of trying to keep control when the players had lost it. He gave cards for cardable offenses. Nuff Said!
Not really a cooincidence. The number of cards are hurting the weaker teams because they have less depth than the stronger teams. A Ghana without Michael Essien is a different team. On the other hand, Brazil could survive without Ronaldo. You remove the star player for some of the weaker teams, and there is not much left. So, since FIFA emphasizes strict refereeing for the World Cup, they are essentially ensuring the status quo of the final four including Germany, Brazil, Italy and the other historical strong teams.