World Cup 2010 Candidates

Wow.

My thoughts, from top to bottom...

AFC - No surprises (among the names I know) and you have to think Australia will get two guys at the World Cup this time, as Breeze has worked the highest level games in Asia. If that happens, I would see it as another sad statement about USSF refereeing (Australia can get two but the US gets none--at least in the last WC?). Also, isn't Irmatov the guy that butchered a few games at the WYC?

CAF - Don't know much about these guys except Codija, who I imagine will referee a late round game unless he has a disaster along the way. Damon and Benouza are the other guys that have been around--not sure about the others.

CONCACAF - Okay, obviously a lot to assess here. First, Aguilar has been pretty bad at the FIFA tournaments and Gold Cup from what I've seen. There has to be better in Central America. Archundia and Rodriguez are locks from Mexico and I'm actually surprised that a third Mexican didn't make the candidates list. Batres must go back and he'll be a candidate to work in the latter stages for certain. Wijngaarde and Moreno are there to fill out numbers. And, I fear, so is Marrufo.

I'm pretty sure Stott isn't there because he didn't want to be considered (someone can correct me on that). But pushing Marrufo over Vaughn is confusing to me. I'm not sure which one was better last year, but Vaughn has more experience and has certainly earned the opportunity, I think. Taking nothing away from Marrufo (in an ideal world, it'd be nice to push two Americans--which probably would be happening if Stott had gone to the last World Cup as a full referee), but my gut reaction is that Vaughn should have had first crack. And my second reaction is that an American just isn't going to make it. Marrufo is going to have to set the world on fire to get picked--he's never been to a FIFA tournament and he's never even had a World Cup Qualifying match. I wish him luck, but if a guy like Stott with years of international experience gets bounced (with political reasons playing a big factor) then I just don't think a novice American has a chance in hell. I see nothing but disappointment for USSF and American referees coming up. (also, if Marrufo is listed here, then why on earth was Toledo sent to Copa America over him?!?!)

CONMEBOL - A lot of new names here. You've got to figure that the old stand-bys will make a return. Honestly, given the numbers per confederation, it looks like CONMEBOL has set itself up to send the highest proportion of its candidates. I can't see guys like Simon, Torres, Larrionda, Ruiz, etc. being denied. And Pezzotta will go. So that's at least 5 from South America.

OFC - O'Leary could go. The rest will not.


UEFA - Definitely a few surprises. Vink over Braamhaar isn't one of them to me (not anymore, at least--I still don't know why he got selected for EURO, but one he did, it followed that he would be on the WC list first).

Not having Mallenco is a huge surprise. I thought he was one of the best young referees in the world and Spain could have sent two referees last time, so you'd think they'd get two candidates this time.

The big surprise is Einwaller. I don't have a clue who that even is. I don't think he's ever done a UCL game. How he makes this list over Mallenco or even that younger Icelandic referee they've pushed a little is beyond me.

Also, no Russian referee at all. Kind of weird.

With that, a best guess at who might make the cut:

BREEZE - AUS
MODH SALEH - MYS
NISHIMURA - JPN
SHIELD - AUS

BENOUZA - ALG
CODIJA - BEN
DAMON - RSA

ARCHUNDIA - MEX
BATRES - GUA
RODRIGUEZ - MEX

LARRIONDA - URU
PEZZOTA - ARG
RUIZ - COL
SIMON - BRA
TORRES - PAR

O'LEARY - NZL

BENQURENCA - POR
BUSACCA - SUI
GILEWSKI - POL
LARSEN - DEN
GONZALEZ - ESP
MICHEL - SVK
ROSSETTI - ITA
SKOMINA - SVN
STARK - GER
THOMSON - SCO
VASSARAS - GRE
WEBB - ENG
OVREBO - NOR

And I'd lay even money right now that either Mark Shield or Lubos Michel referees the 2010 World Cup Final.

 

If it's the same system as last time, each candidate gets paired with two assistants (from his home country unless it is a "small" country and then they could be from nearby countries).

For the next two years, they work together in international matches. And each crew goes to at least one of the upcoming 4 major FIFA tournaments (U20, U17, Confed, CWC). Crews are then selected for the tournament. If any member of the crew fails the fitness (or psychological) test, then the entire crew is disqualified. This happened to Mejuto Gonzalez last time and is why you had the "second best" Spanish referee being the one that was the fourth official on the WC Final.

 

Really? Ok. My mistake.

In fact, had I known that, I probably would have been able to guess he'd be on the list. Of course, giving (or getting him) that game was probably due to the fact that he was going to be on this list. He's still never worked a CONCACAF Qualifier, like Vaughn has. And he wasn't sent to Copa America, like Toledo was. It's as if someone decided he was going to be on this list and he got sent to OFC to do this qualifier (which, by the way, bodes well for him in general, because FIFA has to confirm/make [?] that assignment). The question still remains--why?

Maybe Marrufo, with his Dad's history, just has a better connection with CONCACAF and a better chance to shine with FIFA. If that's the case, I suppose this is a good strategic move on USSF's part.

 

Ah, I was thinking about this and forgot to comment.

One of the upsides of the new system that was touted is the fact that a country can get two sets of officials to the World Cup if they are worthy (which couldn't happen in recent history). That's great. But my question now is, who decides how the list is filled out?

It would seem, based SOLELY on the New Zealand situation, that FIFA tells each confederation how many referees they can nominate and the federations, in turn, put names forth to the confederations. There's really no other plausible scenario. It is inconceivable that FIFA selects the nominees itself. Otherwise, you would have to think that several European countries would get 3-4 candidates before anyone else--save, maybe, Mexico--gets a second candidate.

If the goal is REALLY to get the best in the world (while maintaining somewhat of a geographical representation) then you have to think that Italy's or Germany's or France's "second guy" (all of which are unproven now) for 2010 (nevermind Mallenco or Clattenburg) is already better than anyone in New Zealand.