While doing my usual pencilling in of predictions for the group phase appointments, it struck me that if FIFA stick by their continental neutrality, then come the final group games, 12 of the 16 games are UEFA vs A N Other. That suggests that UEFA referees can probably be expected to cover all the all-UEFA games and be used in the early days. It does also throw up questions about the 4O, as all the 4Os at the 2010 competition were also confed-neutral. If there is only 1 UEFA reserve ref and 12 games needing non-UEFA 4Os, it means the other 7 are going to be very busy in the final 4 days, or the non-UEFA main refs will be busy on the sidelines, and we may see some UEFA refs 4Oling to their fellow UEFA colleagues with a lot of the non-UEFA refs held back for the final group games as ref or 4O. Something to think about...
Another way to look at this is there are 19 all-UEFA or no-UEFA matches in the first round. There are 9 UEFA referees. Will they all be limited to 2 matches in the first round, with one guy possibly getting 3? If so, confederational neutrality will be preserved and your point about the end of the first round being heavy for the non-UEFA guys is well taken. That could create problems in the R16 if most of the matchups are UEFA v non-UEFA. Of course, this means we will get a really early signal about confederational neutrality. Aside from the possibility of a UEFA referee getting the opener, if we see a non-UEFA referee on Mexico v Cameroon or Spain v Netherlands or Australia v Chile... it will make it almost a mathematical certainty that confederational neutrality will have to be broken later if the aim is to work toward 2 first round matches per referee (which, as I noted in the other thread, is impossible... but you can get close). At the very least, it would complicate the puzzle great for FIFA if confederational neutrality is a principle they are trying to follow. I don't think 4Os are going to be confederational neutral this time. I hadn't really thought about it, but the way you lay it out makes it almost logistically impossible.
I'm going with the principal of 23 referees getting 2 games and 2 getting 1 to begin with. I've gone with Mazic (as the vastly less experienced UEFA referee) and Roldan as only getting 1 game, but doing 1 or 2 4O appointments. I think a couple of the all-non-UEFA ties will be reffed by a non-UEFA referee. All complete educated guesswork of course!
I hadn't thought about trying to figure out who gets only one first round game. There's a chance that either A) mistakes will weed people out, as in the past or B) a referee might get 1 first round game and then get saved for the second round (remember, this what happened with Collina in 2002). But all things being equal, if two referees were going to be denied a second round game solely on reputation, I'd guess Vera and Doue. I suspect they were the "bubble" refs, so to speak, insofar as initial selection goes. Roldan--I've only seen him a little bit--but he's supposed to be a huge potential talent; would be surprised if he doesn't do well at this tournament. And Mazic's performed too well in UEFA to get selected and then just given one game. That's my opinion, at least.
Yeah, I think after the first round of appointments it'll be clear who won't be getting a second game, as it was at the last world cup. This is purely guesswork at this stage!
No. I can count four (excluding Geiger). - Irmatov's AR2 is from Kyrgyzstan - Doue's AR2 is from Burundi - Both of Gassama's ARs hail from another country. AR1 is from Cameroon, AR2 from Rwanda - Haimoudi's AR1 is from Morocco Some of the support referees have an AR that is from another country as well. - Alioum's assistant comes from Cameroon - Bennett's AR hails from Kenya - Moreno's AR comes from the USA - Lopez' assistant comes from Costa Rica - Carrillo's AR hails from Paraguay
So that leaves 3 CR-AR support pairs from the same country? I would have guessed all support pairs would be from different countries. Can support CR's not be from any country that already has a front-line CR? So Clattenburg couldn't be a support CR?
Not sure if this is the right thread, but I've heard that Joel Aguilar from el Salvador will whistle Argentina - Bosnia
There is an announcements thread. You've heard it because it's already been announced. Check that one first.
Also closing this thread in an effort to streamline the forum. The specific question has been dealt with. Additional questions along these lines can go in the Predictions or Announcement threads. Thanks.