Match #45 Ghana : Uruguay Friday, 2 December 2022 18:00 local time (10:00 EST) Al Wakrah Referee: Daniel SIEBERT (GER) AR1: Jan Seidel (GER) AR2: Rafael Foltyn (GER) Fourth Official: Yoshimi Yamashita (JPN) Fifth Official: Vasile Marinescu (ROU) VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER) AVAR (1): Pol van Boekel (NED) Offside AVAR (2): Ciro Carbone (ITA) Support AVAR (3): Paolo Valeri (ITA) Stand-by Offside AVAR (4): Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
Indeed. I scoffed at the idea he could even be assigned it. Not rooting for failure, because I really liked Siebert at EURO 2020. But he's been shaky of late and this is not, um, a EURO 2020 match anyway. I don't think this is an overstatement to say this game probably makes or breaks whether or not he's back in 2026.
I'm just going to get this out of the way. Suarez paid the price for the red 12 years ago but it was not a "technical foul", it was downright cheating. That was not the spirit of football. He lost respect from me that day. Forever.
I mean, your mileage may vary but I think any player in that position would have done the same thing. I would think the serial biting would be a bigger issue in the respect category.
1’, huge missed caution, studs to shin contact… I really worry about Siebert here, just looking at the teams I never thought this game was a good assignment for him, and that’s a bad start that will only make it harder.
1’ in and it’s already a foul that looked like an intentional rake of studs by Ghana. Nice way to start.
All the more bizarre given the context of the match and that incident 12 years ago. I understand his desire to not preside over The Battle of Nuremburg II but.... Edit: Or is that The Battle of Nuremburg III?
This game is going to be unreffable now. The only thing saving Siebert, maybe, is that this occurs so early. But that can cut the other way, too.
History repeats itself, life imitates art, yada yada yada. I think this game is going to be an absolute mess. It had a good chance of that even with a truly big gun on this. I don't think Siebert is even close to the right guy for this matchup. I will not be surprised if all hell breaks loose at some point.
The first player for Uruguay to touch the ball after that save was clearly in the D when it was taken.
Saw that. It was actually Valverde. That's straight up shocking. Easy caution, I imagine. Guess playing for Real Madrid makes you feel tall...
Now that the penalty was missed, let’s go back. Did he not raise his hand for OS, and then put his hands towards his eyes to indicate blocking of the view of the ‘keeper? So, VAR overruled the OS and then got him to go to the monitor for the PK? And, no yellow for the ‘keeper? Dr. Joe is watching a different game. and, as I am typing this, they show the OS animation.
No fan of Suárez but his comments on this were actually reasonable. Basically “I did it, I got a red card and they got a penalty kick. That’s what happens. If I hurt someone I should apologize but I did what many players would have done” there are a LOT of reasons to lose respect for Suarez but this seems to be one of the less significant ones.