Match 11: NED : JPN - ELFATH (USA)

getting a bit chippy here - that foul by Depay at 83' was rough

EDIT: I think it was short of red but just...

 

I never expected SFP, just expressing a worry the match might get more heated to a point he has to call more fouls.

Edit: FWIW I'm somewhere between "mandatory yellow" and "borderline" on severity.

 

Oh God terrible positioning

 

Ohh

 

I mean it was an elbow in the face at high speed, that was definitely orange for me. I guess given the high bar it's never red But I've definitely seen red given for less without any serious controversy.

 

was going to say this - they've been pretty emphatic

 

It's a small thing, but Elfaths decision to stop play after knocking over the Japanese player is very emblematic of his style. Because the LotG don't really support doing that -- and yet, it gave him a chance to immediately diffuse what would have undoubdetly been frustration from Japan.

It's something that a USSF assessor would probably discourage, but which would be unsurprising from any top referee from elsewhere around the world.

 

An overall good job, spoiled a little by looking somewhat slow, static and casual in movement, which culminated in the collision with the Japanese player.
A-

PH

 

Would be praised by UEFA as per their latest teachings. Good performance and very good impression by Elfath, his excellent run of performances in FIFA competitions continues!

 

I think Elfath checked with Kubo about his condition and then based on Kubo's response, asked him to go over the touchline.

 

I think it was a simple as Elfath looking for the flag too early, not seeing it up, not expecitign it to be delayed. Baiscially your standard missed flag more than the tech.

 

for me this was classic Elfath. Great player management. Excellent foul recognition. Solid preventative interventions. Terrible field positioning. Several plays he was closer to the weakside AR than to the actual play. I also can't beleive how often he turns his back on restarts, on keepr with the ball, on fouls once the ball is "set".... way more than any other referee so far. I mean simply nobody else is that casual. But he gets away with it somehow. It takes tremendous confidence to do that at this level, which I suppose by now is just part of Elfath's charm/personality. By now it's the kind of referee he is. It makes him stand out, and that might pay off in assignments later.

 

Shouldn’t be the case with comms, right?

 

It shouldn't be the case, but did you see the wide angle? The AR's flag went up earlier than if it was the auto notifacation. It was a standard delayed flag, and you can see Elfath look for the flag after the ball was played but before the player touched it, and as soon as he touched it, the flag went up, that's why I don't think it was delayed, but that Elfath just missed it. Maybe it was loud? Maybe there was other talk from the VAR or 4th? Who knows.

But honestly he refed a great game... its the old assesor joke that if after the game we are talking about missed flags, all is well.