Match 24: UZB : COL - TAYLOR (ENG)

After 15 minutes this seems like a potentially very challenging game in the Azteca. Uzbekistan is playing (very) physically, they seem already to understand the Dark Arts, and Colombia has looked really frustrated about many things already. Throw in the altitude and the intense pro-Colombia crowd in this stadium and this has all the makings for some fireworks.

 

66º F in Mexico City... altitude break!

 

I've definitely had an assessor bitch at me when my shirt matched a team's socks.

 

Hope that cameraman is okay.

 

1. That’s absurd
2. Refs are told what to wear at the wc

 

Agreed

 

So just another men’s match between a Latin team that wants to be skillful and a central Asian team that has no skill other than being physical. I feel like I know just what Taylor is dealing with. Except I’ve never been handicapped by FIFA telling me to manage everything.

 

Not booking either one of the two Uzbek fouls on Colombia’s 45+2nd minute counterattack is an interesting choice.

To be honest I don’t blame the Colombian coach for being frustrated. Not cautioning Khusanov for his challenge at 4’ really set the tone, and not for the better. Uzbekistan are taking all the leash Taylor is giving them and are really trying to play rough.

 

I bet I know his name!

 

No amputation, no foul.

But he was consistent with it…

 

Taylor got away with one. Why he doesn’t call a foul at 90+8 with the Uzbek player literally rolling over the Colombian on the ground is beyond be. It’s not an advantage but the Colombian somehow gets up, keeps the ball and ends up lifting that crazy 40 yard lob that led to the last goal. I guess being lucky helps.

 

It was in Mexico after all. Has anyone check that the referee wasn’t secretly Cesar Ramos wearing a prosthetic? Because that’s almost what it felt like.

It was weird to see Taylor employ such leniency in the game. Usually he is more strict outside of England. I don’t think he did a very good job, unless FIFA really is demanding this approach.

Contrasting with Letexier’s handling of Côte d’Ivoire, Taylor did not discipline the team who had a gameplan of committing hard fouls, choosing not to sanction potentially reckless Uzbek fouls at 4’, possibly 14’ (no replay), 23’, 45’+2’, and 81’.

The 7th minute SPA YC to Colombia seemed slightly harsh even in a vacuum, so rather out of place in this match. Khusanov, already booked, had a similar foul in the 75th minute and got away with it.

I think Taylor is very lucky that Colombia held a lead most of the second half. Prior to the first goal, Colombia were becoming very frustrated by the physicality, and this could have caused major problems if they were losing (Luis Diaz’s 2-footed challenge in the 83rd minute, which didn’t garner any attention, is a hint at what could have been).

 

I think it is as simple as Taylor understood the nature of the Latin (SA) style vs. physical UZB, and the potential for things to get dicy, so he took control early. He had a few hard fouls (iirc) and then gave the early caution, and then things settled (helped by the goal). So it's not fair to compare it to fouls later in this game, much less fouls in other games. Honestly, Garay should have learend from watching Taylor on this game.

 

I don't know why you don't think it was advantage. A slow whistle leads to thinking...hmmm, I wonder how this will work out if I don't blow the whistle...then next thing you know, amazing goal. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't coms between he and AR, casue the AR would have been the one to call that foul. The fact they both resisted and Columbia scored is really cool.

 

My comparison to Garay would be the exact opposite. There were plenty of challenges in Taylor’s game that were higher force and more likely to cause an injury than the SFP in Garay’s game that did (rather unluckily) cause one. If fate had been as cruel to Taylor as it was to Garay, this injury would’ve occurred in Taylor’s game instead, and we’d easily be able to blame him for the result. No one would be arguing that Taylor had a good game if he had been so unlucky.

 

I'll defend my comparison: Garay made a mess of his game, and was very poor regadless of the "unlucky" leg break. His AR1 didn't help him, Garay never controlled the game, he missed every CMI, and the game was out of hand. In contrast, Taylor got his game under control early, which allowed him to let it out more later, culminating in the no call that led to the third goal. That wasn't luck, but good refereeing supported by solid AR1 work. That was my comparison.

 

You say Taylor got the game under control early. When exactly are you talking about? Because to me it looked like Uzbekistan were playing wack-a-mole exactly until they went down a goal. The goal was the inflection point, not anything Taylor did.

 

Well, it's a few days ago now (2 world cup days = 14 human days), so my memory may be shady, but iirc correctly he called and "upsold" two early fouls, making a bigger deal about them than needed. He had quick whistles, slowed the restarts, talked to the players, then followed all that with a yellow for the next foul... again, quick whistle and early card. Yes he was helped by the goal. But also by being present and assertive. I do confess I don't like his demeanor, and I perfer Oliver (or either Letexier or Turpin) any day. But for me, Taylor showed he knows how to referee and get control of a volotile game, and his approach ended up paying off, that's my only point. But I don't doubt that others my disagree.

 

I get your point, but Taylor has proven he can referee well before this match. Has been a top ref for nearly a decade.