R16 Analysis: PAR-JPN - De Bleeckere (BEL)

Brazil vs Portugal handling was called on Brazil. Player cautioned. It stopped Ronaldo from a break away on the right wing. That one was justified.

But I agree that in general most of them have been cautions when it was not worthy of one.

 

Journalist, Sid Lowe wrote: "Instead they have Paraguay, winners on penalties against Japan. And only after the referee, in what can only be interpreted as yet another attack of refereeing cowardice, opted for the old wash-your-hands-of-it classic: the foul by the attacker, a 'foul' that consisted largely of getting steam-rollered and forearm-smashed by a clumsy oaf. He decided that rather than give a Japan a 90th minute penalty he would give Paraguay a free kick. He gave them a lifeline they grasped."

Anyone see that?

 

Anyone have video of the elbow in the 79th minute? I'm having trouble finding a clip. If someone could post one, I'd be grateful.

 

Spain crosses over adversity

I am assuming Sid Lowe was referring to a play at 87:35 where Hasebe ran into the penalty area looking backward to track down a high long ball from Endo 40 yards out near the touch line, and undercut Da Silva, who jumped pretty much straight up to head the ball out.

In short, he doesn't know what he is talking about.

 

I did. It was a penalty, but one of those boneheaded fouls that seemed unnecessary and which did not prevent a dangerous play. As such, some would have found it "harsh" to call a penalty against Paraguay in the last minutes of the game for that foul. Yet, clearly there was no foul by the Japanese player, who was instead fouled in the box. The contact was too clear to let play go on and the referee had one of two choices: call a penalty for Japan or call a foul on Japan. He opted for the latter.

 

Was it the incident with Hasebe that PVancouver described?

 

Hard to say, since I saw the incident very differently. I saw a clear foul on the Japanese player, who didn't undercut the defender but was instead clearly pushed down by the defender. The time of the play may have been what PVancouver stated, although I am not sure right now.

 

If that was it, I agree. That incident does seem to be the closest to what he wrote.

 

Yes, I watched the replay and there is no question the Japanese player was fouled in the penalty area as noted, but De Bleeckere decided not to whistle for a penalty because the player had his back turned to the goal, but the Paraguayan player went over the top and knocked him down trying to win the header.

 

Paul, I did not see it as an undercut. The Paraguayan jump over and onto the Japanese player. The Japanese player did not undercut him.

 

After looking at it again, Da Silva did aim his elbow at Hasebe's head. It would have been a harsh penalty but it could have been called.

The elbow was the initial point of contact, but an instant after that, Hasebe's shoulder and back took out Da Silva's legs. Da Silva was there first.

I didn't realize that excused fouls in the area.

 

De Bleeckere is the number 1 referee in Belgium and maybe he may be lead the finale...
I hope so !