This man does that…

I’m sure some of you have already seen this, but for those who haven’t, I think it’s quite a treat to watch.

On a final note, I’m Connor and I’ll be writing for the Referee section in addition to the USA Blog.

I mention this match because like most others, there were some heated words exchanged occasionally throughout the match. It’s the kind of thing that, if it isn’t dealt with early, could fester and grow as the match progresses. The infamous Zidane headbutt to Materazzi’s chest is likely a result of such unsporting behavior.

So when I heard a defender tell an opposing striker to “get up you pussy” after the attacker was stripped of the ball and ended up on the ground, I took note. I let the counter-attack continue, but when it died with the ball in the goalie’s arms at the other end of the pitch, I blew my whistle to stop play, which I’m sure was a surprise to most everyone in attendance.

I then walked over to the defender-cum-provocateur and showed him a yellow card, explaining that “this is for what you said a minute ago.” He seemed to be aware of his guilt and didn’t bother arguing. When one his teammates asked why I took the action I did, I simply told him “he knows why.” And then I added, “it’s because of crap like that that Zidane didn’t get to finish his career properly.”

Sure, Zidane should’ve risen above the insults without lashing out at Materazzi the way he did. But as FIFA have adjudicated, Materazzi was deemed guilty of foul and abusive language - a sending off offense that precipitated Zidane’s moment of madness. As a result, he will be suspended from the Italy’s next two international matches. And to a certain extent, it vindicates but does not completely exonerate Zidane’s violence (who was suspended for three matches, although he’s announced his retirement).

But maybe something positive really can come from this whole ugly situation. Perhaps it will give players pause to think about their behavior on the pitch in the hope that they will not sink to the level of Materazzi and his ilk. If, however, players prove to be incapable of changing their unsporting ways, it is up to us as referees to nip the problem in the bud before things escalate. And that’s exactly what I was doing last night.

Until next time…

peace,
ac

First of all, how does one really measure ’success’? Because if we’re merely talking about raw numbers - global viewership, gross receipts, advertising revenue, etc. - I suppose it could be argued that the tournament was a great success.

However, if we’re talking instead about more subjective things like ‘were the games exciting?’, ‘did FIFA’s directives to officials reduce foul play and moments of controversy?’, ‘were new fans attracted to the game of football?’, and ‘has FIFA’s commitment to fair play and the elimination of racism taken root on the field and elsewhere?’, I would say that results are probably quite mixed.

But to keep things within the realm of referees, the rules they enforce, and the fair play that they are commissioned to promote, I would argue that it’s probably time for FIFA to consider making some radical changes if they have any hope of ensuring that football is now and forever more known as ‘the beautiful game’.

At times throughout the tournament, the scenes on the pitch were anything but beautiful - and I’m not only talking about Zizou’s reaction to Materazzi’s shit-talking or the free-for-all that we witnessed when Portugal defeated Holland. I’m also talking about great players like Andriy Shevchenko - who deliberately tripped himself in order to win a penalty kick that he did not deserve. And I’m talking about controversially-awarded penalties like the one that Italy was awarded in the dying moments of their match against Australia (a call that I agreed with). And let’s not forget about Adriano’s goal when he appeared to be offside against Ghana. Or the French goal that never was against Korea.

The list could go on and on, but I think you see what I’m getting at.

The point is that when game-breaking decisions are on the line, it might be worth taking a second look so that we can be as sure as possible that we get it right. People who are afraid of video replay technology because they think it will slow the game down need to realize that the game already has plenty of stoppages. That’s why we have stoppage time. Plus, if we take the time to review close calls, at least we’ll be comforted with the knowledge that every effort was made to ensure that the decision was correct in the end.

And if each team only has a limited number of times that they can ask for a video review - perhaps three or four per game - it shouldn’t really slow things down that much.

Now, for those of you who don’t like that idea, then maybe you’ll like this instead - adding a second official to the pitch while still utilizing the two ARs for their existing duties as well. This could perhaps cut down on simulation and other deceptive tactics (including trash-talking) since there will always be a trail and a lead official. A potential down-side to this system is that it could lead to disagreement between the referees as their styles and tolerance for physical play might not be exactly the same. But perhaps it’s still worth exploring.

However, another modification I’d like to see happen at the highest levels of the game would be the introduction of post-match reviews by league officials to investigate actions which might not have been observed during the regular course of play. This might not be quite as necessary if video replays are used by officials during the match, however, it could still be useful in some circumstances.

On another front, and maybe I’m biased here, but until the announcers’ booths include people who REALLY know the rules of the game (i.e. people who’ve read the rule book and actually know how the rules are applied…which I guess might only be referees and the most astute students of the game), our sport will suffer. Because many viewers actually believe the sportscasters have an intimate knowledge of the rules - either because they use to be players themselves as is the case with Marcelo Balboa, Eric Wynalda, and Alexi Lalas, or because they have interesting European accents in the case of Tommy Smyth, or because they happen to have a mirophone in the case of baseball-cum-soccer analyst Dave O’Brien - it’s vitally important that they actually understand what is happening on the field when the referee makes a decision. And having watched almost every game of the tournament, I was completely blown away how confused and/or flat out wrong the announcers were in explaining the rules to the viewers.

And frankly, having read about the match commentary and post-game opinions from other countries, I’m not entirely convinced that this is solely an American phenomenon. In fact, it seems that no matter where you go, there seems to be a great misunderstanding about the rules of the game and the decisions of the referee. And unfortunately, I think this lack of understanding leads to the xenophobic, hate-filled, venomous bile expressed by countless people on this website and elsewhere.

“The Italians are all cheaters and killed Jesus”, “Cristiano Ronaldo caused England’s loss and the Portuguese are all a bunch of divers”, “The referees are all biased and a bunch of idiots”, “The Americans got screwed”…and the list could go on and on with much uglier language of course.

The bottom line is this people - football or soccer or whatever the hell we call it is JUST A GAME. Nothing more, nothing less. The fact that Italy beat France means very little in the grand scheme of things. So enjoy the month-long diversion from reality while it’s going on and learn to root for everyone in the hopes that maybe we’ll all actually see a beautiful game.

Because all too frequently, we’ve seen unattractive, cynical games expounded upon by people who seem to have forgotten what this whole grand experiment is supposed to be about - BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.

For quite a few years now I’ve held the belief that football actually holds the key to uniting the people of our planet. And while this might be true symbolically, it appears that too many of us don’t understand this…and it’s hurting the game.

I don’t really know what the answer is. Maybe there isn’t one.

It’s quite possible that human beings are not evolved enough to accept the relative meaninglessness of this tournament in comparison to issues of much greater importance - like poverty, famine, disease, environmental well-being, human rights, promoting peace, etc. But if each one of us cared about our fellow man and the issues previously listed nearly as much as we care about the relavitely banal game of football, the world would be a much better place.

I applaud FIFA’s efforts to ‘Say No to Racism’. It’s a step in the right direction. But now it’s up to you and me and the rest of us to take that message and build upon it.

Enjoy the beautiful game of football. Be passionate about it, but keep the ugliness out. We must all learn to band together both on the pitch and beyond. There can be no other alternative.

Good luck out there…and do what you can to make a positive impact in our troubled world.

Until next time…

peace,
ac

It will continue to be debated as to which one of the officials saw this act of violence - Elizondo, his near-side Assistant, the fourth, or perhaps even the fifth official - but to me it’s irrelevant. We ALL saw it. Nearly two billion of us. And for a man who many of us consider to be heroic in his sporting elegance and class, Zidane got what he deserved.

Maybe Materazzi deserved what he got too. We’ll probably never know what words were exchanged by the two players, but we’ll never forget Zidane’s reaction. And although there is some speculation that video replay was used to send off the French captain, the fact remains that he did what he did and was ultimately properly punished for his inexcusable actions.

Who knows, maybe this and many other controversial incidents will force FIFA’s hand to allow for the introduction of such technology to be employed on a very limited basis when tv replays are available. Perhaps by doing so it will eliminate much of the gamesmanship and controversy that often seems to surround virtually every football match.

Now, rather than dissect this match as I’ve done for so many throughout the tournament, I’d like to congratulate all of the referees and their assistants throughout the sixty-four game tournament. While some seemed more capable than others on any given day, each team of three was chosen from amongst the top referees in the world and all were eminently capable and qualified to be there. Sure, Ivanov will always be remembered as the guy who issued more cards than any other referee in a World Cup match, but his long and illustrious career likely includes hundreds if not thousands of other matches in which he has performed admirably (along with the teams).

Likewise, Uruguay’s much-criticized (by the American press primarily) Jorge Larrionda proved himself to be a referee of the highest quality and not a “quick draw McGraw” (as Marcelo Balboa called him) in matches when the players’ actions didn’t warrant strict punishment.

Sure, it’s always quite easy to blame the referee for poor decisions that affect the outcome of a game. But until the human factor is replaced by the precision accuracy of robots and machines, judgment calls will always come under scrutiny. And perhaps that’s yet another argument for limited use of replay technology when game-breaking decisions are made by referees. Maybe then we will be able to move just a little closer towards the perfection that we’ve all come to expect from people who must make split-second decisions hundreds of times throughout a ninety-minute match.

In real-time, it seemed absolutely undeniable that Materazzi had clipped Malouda in the penalty area in the 6th minute of the match. On replay, however, it was really difficult to tell. So just imagine trying to make that call when you only have one opportunity to get it right and it happens in a flash. I never was able to know for sure if Materazzi had gotten a piece of him or merely forced Malouda off the ball by angling into his path. But the point is this, Materazzi put himself in a position where the referee was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. By coming in recklessly and not playing the ball at all, whether or not he even made contact with Malouda is almost irrelevant. My guess is that even if replay technology were employed in this case that the penalty would still have been upheld. But again, I’m sure many of you will choose to disagree…and maybe that’s something we love about sport anyway - the controversy.

For me, Elizondo and his crew deserve plaudits not just for this match, but for the other four they officiated throughout the tournament as well. He proved himself to be an excellent communicator, in peak fitness, and someone who possesses the highest level of understanding of the game and its laws, including how they are to be applied.

It should be noted that before sending Zidane off in the 110th minute, Elizondo had only cautioned three other players - two of which occurred in the first twelve minutes of the match for reckless challenges and the third to Diarra in the 76th for dissent. The players came to play and Elizondo allowed this. Did I agree with every one of his decisions or non-decisions? Nope. But in the end, he proved that FIFA had made a wise decision to select him for a match with such gravity.

And likewise, the little-known (prior to the tournament) Toru Kamikawa, showed that FIFA had rewarded the Japanese ref for a job well done throughout his matches in Germany. Perhaps Germany’s 3 - 1 victory over Portugal in the third-place match will not be the last time we see him in a World Cup. If he’s young enough and maintains his fitness for the next four years, maybe we’ll see him in South Africa. And if he continues to show his command for the game, he might get his opporunity to work the final for years from now.

Finally, I want to thank Sean and Chris - the guys who created this website - for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on the games. In a world where everyone cares passionately about the success of their team, I felt it was important to show a different perspective than what we might be used to. Because there is and will probably always continue to be a great deal of misunderstanding about the decisions and thinking behind the decisions that referees make, I wanted to help you, the football enthusiast, gain some insight into how a referee thinks, works, and metes judgment on the pitch.

I greatly appreciate all of you who’ve taken the time to read my posts and hope they have been of some value to you as well as providing you a modicum of entertainment too. For those of you who took the time to comment on my opinions, I thank very much for your thoughts whether you agreed with me or not. I simply enjoyed the ‘discussion’ and debate.

I apologize for not being able to always reply to every comment, however, as many of you know, I did take the time to provide lengthy responses to your questions when I had the time and/or inclination. Keeping up with the games, writing about them, and refereeing games in the evenings and on the weekends was an incredible challenge and not one that my girlfriend particularly enjoyed as it left very little time for the two of us. But now that Italy has lifted its fourth Jules Rimet trophy, maybe it’s time for us to return to living our normal lives once again.

It’s been my honor and pleasure to share this past month with you, and hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity to continue in some fashion in the future. Sean and Chris will likely be keeping me around to write for them and I look forward to providing you with more views from the middle in the months and years ahead.

Until next time…

peace,
ac

Before the tournament began I thought that Germany’s own Markus Merk would be there if the host country failed to make it to the finals, but after several mediocre performances in which he demonstrated himself to be overly-controlling in my opinion, FIFA has selected the South American-based crew.

Now, I haven’t agreed with every single one of Elizondo’s decisions, but for the most part, he has allowed the games to flow while still maintaining the control that is necessary for players and spectators alike.

For me, as someone who has dissected and often defended the referees’ performances throughout most of the previous sixty-two matches, I feel somewhat vindicated. When I earlier suggested that Elizondo might be one of the candidates being considered for this match, one person commented how little I know about World Cup history since the referee who officiated the opening match is rarely if ever chosen to work the final. Clearly, this factoid (if it’s even true) is irrelevant to FIFA as their primary consideration must be to ensure that the best team of officials is chosen for the task.

But perhaps even more relevant, it is further proof, if you will, that Elizondo and his Assistant properly handled the highly controversial second goal in Switzerland’s 2 - nil result over Korea. Many people commented that they made an utter hash of this after I had explained in great detail that their decision was ultimately correct to allow the goal even though the Assistant’s flag had been raised for a moment. To the American viewing audience who were completely misled on this by announcer Tommy Smyth, perhaps they’ll never fully understand why Elizondo and his Assistant were correct on this decision, but I suppose that’s why referees and not commentators and/or soccer enthusiasts are chosen to officiate soccer matches.

It’s true, I have for the most part defended the referees at this tournament, however, I have also been critical when I believed it was merited. Too many people who don’t really know what they’re talking about love to taint the game with their own misconceptions about how the rules are to be interpreted. Critics will always exist as long as judgement and human error come into play. But for me, Elizondo and the vast majority of his colleagues have done an excellent job at this year’s World Cup in Germany.

Were mistakes made? You bet! Were games decided, perhaps, by calls that were either incorrect or that YOU disagreed with? Quite possibly. But I suppose the only way to ever completely rid the game of such errors is to not play the games at all. And I think that’s something that none of us would like to contemplate.

It should also be mentioned that Japanese referee Toru Kamikawa has been rewarded for an excellent tournament by being selected to officiate the third-place match between Germany and Portugal. Congratulations to him and to ALL of the refereeing crews who worked this year’s World Cup Finals. As someone who will never even come close to what they have achieved, I am somewhat familiar with the incredible sacrifice and dedication that they have given to this game. And just knowing that you are included amongst the best in the world is an honor that few, if any, of us will ever achieve in ANYTHING throughout our lives.

Until Sunday…

peace,
ac

So let’s jump into the action and see how Larrionda and the teams fared. But before doing so, I’d like to give a special shout-out to ESPN announcer Marcelo Balboa and all of the American conspiracy theorists who think that this ref had it in for the U.S. in their 1-all draw with Italy. Clearly, FIFA disagreed with that biased assessment, not only by assigning Larrionda to a couple of matches in the knockout rounds (including one of only two semifinals), but they also suspended Pablo Mastroeni for three weeks as a result of how recklessly dangerous his red card offense was against Italian playmaker Andrea Pirlo.

But enough of that, how’d Larrionda do in THIS match.

In only the first minute of action, Malouda was through to goal, but a defender caught up with him and forced the Frenchman’s effort to go wide. And for the next several minutes, it was all France. Portugal would then take things back the other way and Deco would force Barthez to make a tough save.

A few minutes later I noted how surprising it was that there hadn’t been any fouls and that the teams clearly came to play. Moments later, in the 7th minute, France would win a corner. That amounted to nothing and then in the following minute Ribery was tracking a ball down but ended up on the deck after a bit of contact. No foul was called and rightly so as the ball went out for a goal kick.

Maniche cracked one just over the bar in the 9th minute after Ronaldo no-looked it back to him about thirty yards from goal. In the following minute, the first foul of the match would be called – it wasn’t all that much really – when Henry went down near midfield. I’m thinking that this probably set a record at this tournament for the longest stretch to start a game without a whistle for a foul.

Shortly thereafter Portugal had a call comin’ back out of defense. There was a lot of midfield play for a while and then France had an excellent opportunity, but Henry couldn’t latch onto a cross sent along the ground across the face of goal. But they were able to win a corner. However, a push in the back ended that threat though.

In the 16th, Figo took a crack at goal from twenty-five and then connected with Patrick Vieira on the follow-through. The Portuguese midfielder stayed on the turf and was eventually stretchered off, but it wasn’t a foul and Figo was back on a minute or two later.

More midfield action and then Abidal was called for going over the back in the 21st. It wasn’t the most high intensity match at this point, more like long-distance runners setting a slow pace. And then in the 26th, Deco won a call I thought he really didn’t deserve…and neither did Claude Makelele. Sure I was rooting for Zidane and Les Bleus, but I try to be objective in my analysis of the action. Just like when I’m refereeing a match.

A minute later, Zidane wanted a call as he was in the attacking third of the pitch, but I thought Larrionda made the right decision not to blow his whistle. However, Vieira definitely was guilty going back the other way even though he suggested that it was perhaps a dive by his opponent.

In the 28th, Henry did well to beat Miguel with a couple of fakes and shimmies, but he was unable to pick out one of his teammates in the middle. Going back the other way Cristiano Ronaldo won a call he really didn’t seem to deserve, but the AR called that one and Larrionda went with his decision.

And now we come to the game’s point of controversy. Did Carvalho trip Henry or not in the penalty box? Larrionda was emphatic in pointing to the spot upon blowing his whistle. And I have to say that after seeing the replay it was clear that the Portuguese defender did catch Henry’s ankle. And while it might not necessarily have seemed like much to the average viewer at home, it was very likely enough to stop his progress and knock him off balance. And while I don’t doubt that Henry may have “helped” the referee to make this decision, I believe that the penalty was the correct call.

And who stepped up to the mark to do what only one of four Englishmen was able to do against Ricardo in the shootout at the end of their quarterfinal match a few days ago? Zinedine Zidane. And just like he did so well against the English, Ricardo guessed the right way, to his right. But Zidane was perfect, cracking it into the side netting to give France the opening lead in the 33rd minute.

Barthez snagged a cross in the 35th and then a minute later stopped a thirty-five yard shot. On the next play a Portuguese player was down in the box on a cross. Was it a dive? Was it a shove? Or was the player just going for the ball? Well on replay it appeared that it was nothing more than Ronaldo diving to reach the ball with his head. It was a lame attempt really and maybe that’s why a couple of his teammates raised their hands in protest, but in the end, Larrionda got it right…no foul, no simulation…just a missed opportunity.

On the next play Ronaldo did well to win a corner. On the kick, there didn’t seem to be any infraction by the Portuguese strikers, but Larrionda called a foul for some contact on Barthez. It made no difference really as he had won the ball anyway.

France on the attack now and Ribery wriggled between a couple of defenders near the touchline. As he broke free, one of them seemed to stick a leg out as the Frenchman ran by. No call from the AR and nothin’ from Larrionda, but a few seconds later he’d award the French a kick at midfield.

Zidane was “fantastiche” (this according to our German kommentator) in the 42nd, but Figo put a stop to his former Real Madrid teammate’s progress and got whistled for it as well. Another call went France’s way, but then it was Henry with a little touch foul in the Portuguese defense to end the attack.

Ribery was fouled by Nuno Valente with an arm to the back of his head on an aerial ball, but a minute later the rising young French superstar was done an injustice when he got knocked in the back.

In stoppage time Portugal mounted an attack of their own and took a shot that hammered Vieira, just a few yards from the shooter. The Portuguese wanted a call for handling the ball, but no referee would ever give that as it was without question NOT deliberate and Vieira’s arm was not extended away from his body.

As the halftime whistle blew, I noted that despite the lack of any cards, a number of Larrionda’s decisions did surprise me a little. However, the most important call of the match was one that I believe he got right. No doubt, some will disagree, including a few of the guys who I watched the game with; but the onus was on Carvalho not to make illegal contact with the attacking Henry. And on that point, Carvalho was guilty.

In the 47th minute Figo was rightly called for a foul as he tried to go over Thuram while he was on the ground. You have to go around a player to get to the ball, not over him; and the Portuguese attack would end.

Going back the other way Henry almost beat Ricardo from a tight angle, but the keeper did well to get an arm to the ball just as it was about to slip underneath him and into the goal. Instead, it spun out of play for a French corner. From that, the ball would eventually find its way to Ribery who wheeled and dealed and ripped a shot from twenty-two yards, forcing a tough save by Ricardo once again.

The following minute Henry begged for a call he didn’t deserve, but then the French would win the ball back when Figo was called for the high boot. A few minutes later it was Pauleta’s turn to beat Thuram, turning on him quickly and sending a shot into the side-netting left of the goal.

Ronaldo won a corner a minute later. Nothing. Back the other way Henry won a corner after finding some space down the left touchline on a counter-attack. Nothing for France.

Portugal then won a foul, er actually a throw-in, which confused and annoyed Figo who had some words with the referee. Thuram was then fouled on a French counter, but then the Portuguese turned things around and Miguel beat a couple of defenders before dishing the ball off. As he did so he went to ground and thus, was unable to receive the return pass.

The Portuguese players remonstrated extensively that Miguel had been knocked to the turf, but the replay clearly showed that Larrionda got this one right as the attack-minded defender landed oddly after passing the ball and injured himself on the play. Three minutes later he would leave the game for good, unable to continue.

And before the Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira entered the match in the 63rd minute to replace his fallen compatriot, Abidal was down for the count for France after taking a stinging cross to the face. It seemed legit as I doubted that he was trying to work some time off the clock.

In the 64th, Barthez snagged a cross and a minute later the ref played the advantage when Figo went down to the turf. The play would end, however, when Pauleta was flagged for being barely offside.

On the next play of the match, Larrionda emphatically said “NO” to Pauleta who clearly wanted a call to go his way. Two minutes later, the Portuguese striker made his exit to make way for Simao Sabrosa. Immediately, he seemed to be obstructed on an attack, but the referee whistled him for a hold; a tough decision I thought.

Then Wiltord came in for Malouda to bring on some fresh legs for the French midfield. Barthez would then collect a cross, however, Portugal, now a little desperate, would soon win a corner.

Still on the attacking end a minute later in the 72nd, Portugal was called for offside, but I think the AR might’ve been a little hasty on his decision as the ‘guilty’ player appeared to have been the one who ran back towards his own goal, thus allowing one of his onside teammates to play the ball that came over the top. But who really knows?

Govou would then come in for Ribery like he did against Brazil. And then two minutes later Portugal was offside once again.

Postiga came in for Costinha in the 75th minute, clearly an offensive move as a striker replaced a defender. On the very next play two Portuguese players went down in the box almost on cue it seemed as the ball passed their way. But Larrionda saw nothing untoward and he was probably right as neither player protested the decision.

But a minute later, in the 77th, Ronaldo did well to trick the referee into giving him a call when he went down without virtually any contact about twenty-five or so yards from goal. The shot was directly at Barthez, but it must’ve been a knuckler because he misplayed it, allowing it to bounce off his body and directly back to a couple of hard-charging Portuguese attackers. But the best that one of them was able to do was to head it over the bar.

In the 78th, Zidane was clipped in the ankle. A couple minutes later Ronaldo went down to ground far too easily in the penalty area and Sagnol rightly yelled at him for trying to unfairly win a call from the referee.

Moments later Thuram DID hold Ronaldo, but the ensuing free kick was easily cleared. Going back the other way, Carvalho was way late AND came in from behind on Henry. The only thing that saved him from being tossed out was that his studs were not showing. And this, folks, was the very first caution of the game – in the 82nd minute.. But it would cost Portugal as it meant that Carvalho would only be a spectator in his team’s next match.

Figo then won a corner that was poorly kicked. Three minutes later, in the 87th, Manchester United striker Louis Saha, who only played a total of about ten or fifteen minutes combined in France’s matches with Brazil and Portugal, received his second booking overall (his first of the night) as he came in a little recklessly from behind. He might have gotten the ball, but he got the man too. As a result, he too would be unable to participate in France’s next match. Maybe David Trezeguet will get some playing time as a result.

France would then win a foul in their defensive third after some nice work by Zizou. Figo would not get the call he wanted in the 89th. And then Zidane was fouled by Nuno Valente as we learned that there would be four minutes of stoppage time.

It was all Portugal in these desperate final moments. They’d win a foul in their own defense and then Meira had a good opportunity from twenty, but the shot was blasted well over the target.

In the next minute a cross was misplayed by Barthez and Portugal would win a corner. Ricardo came up from his goal to join the attack now.

France would knock the ball away, but the Portuguese keeper kept it alive by kicking it back up over his head with his back to the French goal, sending it into the mixer. Figo was able to latch onto it on the left eventually, crossing to the far post, but Barthez ultimately got his hands on it, and as he so often does, made a poor decision.

He played the ball only about twenty yards to a teammate in the middle of traffic. Not much time was left now, but Portugal stole it back and played it through with one last desperate attempt to score…but it was stopped by a flag from the AR. The attacker had clearly mistimed his run. And now, it surely was all over. It would be an all blue final pitting Les Bleus from France vs. Italian Azurri. The French have been dominant in their white tops at the tournament, so watch out if it’s Italy and not France who comes out wearing their blue unis.

Zizou congratulated Larrionda and then traded jerseys with his former teammate and friend, Luis Figo. This is the end of Portugal’s “Golden Generation”. Cristiano Ronaldo will obviously be the heart of his country’s future football glory. Thierry Henry was seen hugging and having a few words with the talented young midfielder. Perhaps he was telling him not to pay attention to the hate-filled garbage in the English media. Hopefully when he steps back on the pitch again at Old Trafford with his teammate Wayne Rooney, life will go on and the English fans can stop blaming him for their country’s failings in Germany.

And in the end, I can’t help but wonder if maybe some of FIFA’s new mandates have finally begun to sink in with the players as most of the quarterfinals and certainly the two semifinals were carried out in a manner befitting of the motto “My game is Fair Play”. Certainly, tonight exemplified that to the maximum extent possible for a match of such gravity. But then again, maybe the players were holding back just a little, perhaps fearful that they’d miss a chance at the final if they were to receive another yellow card. If so, don’t expect the players to worry about such things on Sunday.

And lastly, to all my new friends at WorldCupBlog.org HQ here in Berlin – Sean, Chris, Bob, Nick, Mika, Peter, and Mihai – thanks for a great week. I didn’t have any idea what to expect before I got here, but you’ve all made me feel quite at home. Hopefully, when the World Cup concludes later this week, it will only be beginning of greater things to come.

Until next time…

peace,
ac

I took a few minutes to look at a memorial near the entrance to Fan Fest where a makeshift memorial had been erected along a fence to remember some of the people who had died trying to escape the repressive Communist regime that once ruled these parts. For Gen-Xers like myself, a divided Germany was what we knew throughout our formative years and beyond.

Thankfully, those days are behind us now and the world slowly evolves. Hopefully we can continue to adapt to a changing planet and lift each other up in the process.

Along those lines, I wandered back towards HQ from the Brandenburg Gate along the Unter den Linden – aka ‘Embassy Row’, at least to me. A couple of clicks to the east, amongst a number of impressive museums and churches, I came upon something bizarre that I’d passed on the bus ride from the airport to the Alexanderplatz a few days earlier; a square filled with nearly a hundred-and-fifty six-foot tall fiberglass bears each painted in a unique way.

So I stopped to take a look and quickly learned that FIFA had commissioned the display to promote unity amongst the people of this planet. The display at the entrance to the plaza had text written in several languages and here’s some of what it said: “We have to get to know each other…it makes us understand one another better, trust each other more, and live together more peacefully.”

As someone who believes in the power of football, the statement above resonated deeply within me when I read it…and that’s why I wanted to share it with you.

Each of the nearly 150 artistically-designed bears was unique in its representation of a different country. And while some were more aesthetically pleasing than others, two in particular specifically built upon the message of peace – Bhutan, a sacred nation high in the Himalayas, and Jamaica, an island nation in the Caribbean known for its positive vibrations and optimism. Also, the Vietnamese bear had this quote inscribed on it, “He Who Doesn’t Love, Doesn’t Live.”

Additionally, there was one metallic-looking bear on all fours (unlike all the others that were on their hind legs only) at the front of the plaza that was intentionally set apart from the others in a conspicuous location. On it was this quote by Albert Einstein, “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.”

And with that, we now turn to the 9pm kickoff from Dortmund between hosts Germany and a new-look Italian squad. Promoting fair play was none other than the referee who always seems to be happy despite the gravity of the situation – Mexico’s Benito Archundia, who was about to referee a record fifth match at one World Cup finals. Clearly, FIFA had a lot of faith in this guy, and frankly, he’s proven himself to be a consistently even-handed official in each of his previous four matches.

As he walked out of the tunnel, smiling as usual, with the teams behind him, I predicted a 1 – nil result for the home side, confident that the Mexican official would continue to shine.

Fireworks would go off outside of our window during the German national anthem. I found it somewhat ironic that this was America’s Day of Independence from its colonial birth under the imperialistic reign of the British monarchy.

And with that, the match commenced.

Italy controlled the ball to start, but lost it in the second minute due to the first of many offside calls against them. Gattuso committed a foul in the following minute, but Perrotta would soon be fouled at the other end of the pitch. This would lead to Lehmann’s first save of the match as the ball skimmed off the shoulder of a defender.

Good ‘no-call’ by Archundia in the 5th, but moments later the whistle would go Germany’s way when Pirlo took down Ballack. Klose went down two minutes later and it was hard to tell if the ref played the advantage or simply felt there had been no foul. Either way, Germany maintained possession as the striker may have embellished a bit.

A good Italian movement would lead to a corner kick in the 11th, but that would eventually end with a goal kick. Back the other way, Lukas Podolski’s shot from nineteen was blocked by a defender and then Pirlo was fouled going back the other way. But that attack would end with Zambrotta being called for offside. Shortly thereafter Italy had the ball again and it was Toni who was offside going down the left flank.

Germany mounted a flowing attack, but Podolski was too late to arrive on the scene in the box to get a shot off. Still in that end, Ballack nodded the ball over a defender as he ran laterally up at the top of the box. The Italian moved his upper arm slightly towards the ball and it skimmed off the outside of his right shoulder. Ballack waved his arm emphatically, hoping to get a penalty kick for this slight infraction, but Archundia wasn’t buying it. Technically, yes, one could perhaps argue that this was hand-to-ball, but to give a penalty for something so trifling would have been an injustice. I was glad that Archundia stood his ground despite the brief protest.

Back the other way, and Perrotta was sent through on goal with a well-timed pass. Lehmann came at him like a bat out of hell and knocked the ball away just before he clattered into the hard-charging Italian. Perrotta was down for a minute, but no foul had been committed.

Back and forth it went, Germany eventually winning a corner in the 17th, but it would only result in a throw-in for Italy. They’d get fouled then lose the ball, win it back, then lose it again, eventually resulting in a little foul by Materazzi on Podolski. The Polish-born German would soon get a shot off from sixteen, but his effort was well over the crossbar.

In the 22nd, Ballack wanted a foul he didn’t deserve, but moments later the home side would get a whistle near midfield. Some brief words were exchanged by the players, but Archundia was quickly on the scene – for the first time in the match – then spotted the ball for the German free kick.

The attack would soon die with the ball in Buffon’s arms. And going back upfield for Italy, Zambrotta was fouled by Borowski. The ball was sent into the mixer and it may have gone off Borowski and out over the end line, but a goal kick was signaled and play continued with Lehmann’s kick.

In the 27th, Borowski begged for a call he didn’t get, but moments later Klose was fouled anyway. The attack would end when Materazzi was fouled late in the penalty area.

The first card of the match seemed likely when Phillipp Lahm took down an Italian attacker near his own corner after he’d been beaten, but Archundia merely sent him a look that merited caution on the part of the German defender. This would lead to a sixteen-yard blast by Totti, but it was blocked.

Toni was offside again in the 30th, Italy would soon win it back though. Grosso nutmegged his defender then won a corner after driving into the penalty area from the left. A second corner kick was won, but that would go right to Lehmann who does well to protect his goal in these situations.

Podolski was whistled for handling the ball in the 34th, but the Germans quickly regained possession, knocked the ball around with a few nice passes, then Schneider should have done better, but only managed to crack it over the crossbar from the right side about twelve yards from goal.

At the other end, Camoranesi tried to save a difficult ball from going over the end line and ended up sliding into an advertising placard a few yards off the pitch after bumping into Metzelder. The German defender had done very little, but the samurai-looking Argentine-born Italian was unwilling to shake his hand as he ignored the outstretched arm on his way back up the pitch.

Mertesacher gave up a corner in the 37th. It was easily cleared and then going back the other way Ballack committed a foul near the corner flag. The AR set the spot since the Italian kicker tried to move it forward a yard or three.

In the 39th it appeared that Germany might have gotten fouled a couple of times, but the ref seemed content to let ‘em play, judging that no infraction had been committed. In the following minute, however, there was no mistaking Borowski’s tackle from behind and he was shown the first yellow card of the match. After another German foul, the ball would be headed over the crossbar by the Italians.

In the 43rd, and it seemed very out-of-the-blue to me, the referee warned Jens Lehmann about time-wasting as he set up to take a goal kick. Maybe that was just Archundia’s way of nipping things in the bud.

Perrotta was called for a foul in the 44th and showed the referee what he thought of that by signaling with his hands that Ballack had taken a dive. Consensus amongst the guys I was with seemed to agree with the Italian assessment of things.

In the 45th, Totti charged recklessly towards Ballack for the ball and the German bent over, thus allowing the Italian’s momentum to carry him over Ballack’s back in a spectacular flip. Fully aware of the situation, the referee whistled Totti for his out-of-control charge on the play.

And the final act of the scoreless first half was another offside decision against the rangy Luca Toni. In all, it was fairly entertaining and evenly played as both teams had a number of goal-scoring opportunities.

Things started off slowly in the second half and then each team would be flagged for offside in the 47th and 48th minutes respectively. In the 50th, Klose found some space and drove into the box with Gennaro Gattuso hassling him along the way. As a result, his shot as he went to ground wasn’t terribly dangerous as the Italian midfielder had done well to track him back into his own penalty area.

Back the other way Grosso made a slashing run into the box, but he was offside when he received the pass.

In the 54th Friedrich gave up a corner that he probably shouldn’t have, but Lehmann was right there to snag it out of the air anyway. Borowski wasted an opportunity a minute later and in the 56th, Podolski was called for a wayward arm that found Materazzi’s head.

In the 56th minute Metzelder came in from behind to win a ball, but would earn himself a yellow card in the process as Archundia didn’t want to let things get away from him.

A high boot by Toni in the 59th was followed by a bit of an elbow by Totti – a good call that was difficult to spot in real time. Perrotta was offside once Italy won the ball back and then there was a good no-call in the 62nd as Italy gathered some momentum.

Momentum they would soon lose as Germany built the attack quickly out of the back, eventually getting the ball wide to Schneider who found Podolski with his back to goal about ten yards out and to the right. The striker turned on a dime, but Buffon fisted the ball clear and the rebounded shot was well over its intended target.

Totti was fouled in the 64th and then a surprising call was made against Toni moments later. It was unclear what he had done, even to Jurgen Klinsmann, who looked slightly puzzled along the toucline.

Grosso would win a call, but Italy would quickly return it when Zambrotta was whistled for backing into Borowski on an aerial ball. Podolski was unable to beat Cannavarro and then Borowski would once again protest from the ground near the touchline, but it seemed like he had taken a bit of a dive.

Materazzi was fouled in his own box in the 69th and then Camoranesi was flagged for offside at the other end of the park.

In the 72nd, Gattuso went down injured and Klose came over to help him stretch his leg. Again, referees love seeing this kind of sportsmanship. Players taking care of one another really makes for a better game for everyone involved.

Moments after Borowski exited the match to make way for Schweinsteiger, Totti was called for backing into an opponent. Then a straight striker-for-striker switch was made for Italy as Gilardino came on for Toni. The fresh-legged forward was almost immediately called for offside.

They’d win the ball back and force a corner on a long cross. That would amount to nothing and in the 77th Ballack came in a bit late on Camoranesi. Pirlo’s blistering effort from thirty-five yards out was directly at Lehmann. And then going back upfield, Gautsso committed a foul against Ballack.

In the 81st was, to the viewer at home, a controversial moment. Materazzi was called for foul in the back of an opponent and the ball was set about twenty yards from goal. On replay, however, it was clear that if a foul had been committed, then it was done so inside the penalty area. But as referees, we’ve all been there. Sometimes when it’s really close like that you can sell it as though it happened outside rather than inside the box. And that’s what Archundia did with little or no protest from either team.

Ballack’s kick was nowhere near the target and then Odonkor came in to replace the marginally-effective Bernd Schneider. Italy was offside once again soon thereafter and then it was Ballack committing at least his third foul on the rugged Gennaro Gattuso.

In the 88th, Lehmann made a great play against an onside Perrotta and with Italy still on the attack, Lahm made a nice defensive play when the ball was sent through by Italy. Mauro Camoranesi was rightly booked in the 90th when he came in from behind and then even committed another foul in the same minute. The free kick, which was much like a corner, was headed out of danger and Archundia would blow his whistle soon thereafter.

At midfield for the coin toss before the overtime periods were to begin, the referee continued his upbeat ways, smiling during the brief ceremony.

Italy would have three strikers now instead of their usual two as Iaquinta came on to replace Camoranesi, who actually had been pushing forward from midfield for much of the match. The offensive maneuver almost paid immediate dividends as Gilardino found himself all alone in front of Lehmann near the right post. He didn’t get much on the ball, but found a crack in the German’s armor, slipping the ball past him and off the bottom of the post.

Italy would then win a corner, from which the ball would fall to Zambrotta whose crushing effort from the top of the penalty area rattled the crossbar. The Germans were quite fortunate not to be down a goal at this point as Italy won another corner.

This they would survive unscathed before heading back up the other way where Lahm was held down low near the corner by Zambrotta. The Italians would clear this, but then Germany found the ball near midfield and driving back, a wicked shot found Materazzi’s head and sent him to the ground.

In the 98th, Podolski appeared to slip to the left of the Italian penalty area, but the referee would award him a free kick he probably didn’t deserve as Cannavarro was demonstrative in his protest. It was a dangerous opportunity for the Germans, but nothing would come of it.

Pirlo’s shot in the 102nd was way over the target and a minute later it was Ballack and not the Italians who was performing some theatrics, clutching his face when on replay it appeared that he’d never even been touched. Moments later the Italians, clearly not wanting to go into penalties, brought on their fourth striker, Juventus’ Alessandro del Piero.

During the minute of stoppage time, Totti seemed like he might have been fouled, but the whistle never blew and Germany quickly countered. The ball was centered to Lukas Podolski whose header from twelve yards out posed very little threat to Buffon’s goal, despite shouts of excitement coming from nearby apartment windows.

In the second fifteen-minute overtime, Iaquinta won an Italian corner, but Lehmann was there as usual. Two minutes later, Del Piero thought he’d been obstructed then tripped his opponent from behind out of frustration.

In the 110th, Odonkor looked to the AR for a call, but got nothing. Neuville came in for Klose a minute later and then Italy, onside, were snuffed by the German defense.

Back the other way and Podolski found himself unmarked fifteen yards out and at an angle. Buffon stoned him, but Germany would win a corner.

Back the other way it would go though, and Italy won a corner…Podolski was called for a foul…and then Pirlo was fouled for Italy. Back and forth it went before Pirlo’s rippin’ shot from thirty yards forced a tough save and ultimately went out for an Italian corner.

In the 119th minute, there it was, Pirlo collected the ball just outside the German penalty area and sent a deft through-ball about six yards ahead to an onside Fabio Grosso – the defender that Australians still claim took a dive to beat them in the Round of 16. On this occasion, however, there was no controversy as Grosso one-timed it with his left foot and curled it around Lehmann and just inside the far left post.

It was unthinkable, Germany were out. For how could they possibly score now with so little time left. However, as little time as there was, Italy still had time for a second as they stole the ball near midfield with the German defenders pushing all the way up. Two-on-one, the ball was sent left to Del Piero who drove in towards Lehmann before side-footing it to the far right post past the helpless keeper.

Two goals in three minutes for a shock finish in Dortmund.

In the end, the Italian squad and its fans should be proud of their performance amongst difficult circumstances. Not only did they manage to shut down Miroslav Klose and the rest of the German attack, but they did so in a way that did not detract from the game. They played with both offense and defense in mind and did so without resorting to the typical gamesmanship that so often plagues their matches. The Azurri proved their mettle today and in doing so, have perhaps muted their critics in the process.

Hopefully they can give another performance like that on Sunday. And maybe Archundia will be there again as well.

Until France v Portugal and another look at Uruguay’s Jorge Larrionda – the referee who’s been on the receiving end of so much derision and scorn by the American public and press…

peace,
ac

Now, a study by a Belgian researcher pretty much sums up what I’ve been saying all along – that referees frequently make mistakes in offside decisions and that invariably these mistakes go against the offense. Take a look and see for yourself…

The researcher points out that only 4.3% of these wrong decisions actually result in the referee denying what otherwise would have been a goal-scoring opportunity. But I wonder how they define that. To me, anytime you wrongly flag an offensive player for offside you take away a potential goal-scoring opportunity. And since, I believe, the majority of wrong offside decisions are made in favor of the defense, I would argue that the 4.3% figure should be revised significantly upward.

Anyway, I thought I’d bring this study to your attention on this day off and solicit your comments. I’d be curious to hear what you think about this study and my opinions on it.

Enjoy the game tomorrow…

cheers,
ac

Eight years earlier I was in Vegas for the final between these same two teams and placed a wager on France that I’ll never forget. I figured, ‘these guys are playing in Paris and they’re a 2.2 to 1 underdog…how can that be?’. So I put ten bucks down at the Golden Nugget’s sports book; and figuring that if they were gonna win, they’d probably do it by taking a lead in the first half, so I put another ten bucks down that France would have the lead at halftime and go on to win the match. The odds for that second wager were 7 to 1.

Sure I didn’t get rich that day, but I did make over ninety bucks. Not bad. So why was I incapable of thinking that history could repeat itself in this quarterfinal match? Brazil hadn’t looked terribly impressive so far, despite recently beating Ghana 3 – nil. And France, despite having a mediocre first round, looked fantastic in their 3 – 1 victory over a solid Spanish side.

It would be Spain’s Luis Medina-Cantalejo in charge of this one. And for those who quickly forget, he’s the guy who worked the Italy – Australia match; supplying a questionable red card to Italian defender Marco Materazzi as well as awarding a highly controversial penalty kick (a call that I agreed with) to the Italians in the game’s dying moments with the match still scoreless.

As has been the case with all of the quarterfinal matches, the team captains spoke to the world about the need to eradicate racism. Cafu and Zidane spoke briefly on this subject. It’s worth noting that this is not the first time that the Algerian-born Frenchman has done this. For it was during his country’s elections several years ago that he spoke out against the xenophobic anti-immigration rhetoric of Prime Ministerial candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen. It’s something that I admire about the soft-spoken superstar; he’s willing to take a stand on important issues such as this that transcend sport.

With the match about to commence, I was pleased to see that everyone was all smiles. And perhaps it’s because so many of the game’s opponents are actually teammates the rest of the year. On both sides were players from Arsenal (Henry and Silva), Real Madrid (Zidane and Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos), and Bayern Munich (Sagnol and Ze Roberto).

And moments after the referee blew the whistle to start the match, it became clear that we’d be in for a very special treat as Zidane immediately showed us his sublime brilliance, working the ball seemingly effortlessly before passing the ball forward into space to an offside Thierry Henry who chose not to go for the pass in light of his illegal positioning beyond the defense. Henry’s proclivity for hanging out offside was something that we’d see much more of as the night progressed.

In the 3rd minute of the match Ronaldinho won a foul when he was pushed off the ball twenty-five yards from goal. But Juninho’s effort went directly into the wall and out of bounds for a corner. Barthez would punch that away and then back up the field Zidane was whistled for knocking Juninho off the ball. The Brazilian attack would eventually come to an end, though, when Juan was flagged for being offside; albeit, just barely.

In the 7th, Makele committed a foul and the Brazilian attack would once again end, thwarted by an offside call against Ronaldinho. Two minutes later the referee made a good decision to award a corner kick to Brazil after the ball came off Sagnol. But Roberto Carlos’ cross was sent into outer-space, thus giving none of his teammates an opportunity to score.

In the 10th minute Brazil won a foul about thirty-five yards from goal. For some reason, Makelele was allowed to stand only about six yards away as Ronaldinho prepared to send it goal-ward. He was able to find Ronaldo’s head, but then he wasn’t able to find his intended target, once again sending the ball out of play.

Perhaps getting somewhat frustrated, Ronaldo yanked down Makelele in the 13th. France would then win a corner kick as the ball went out off of Cafu. Dida would knock the ball away, Ribery would find it, but his effort was well over the crossbar.

In the 15th minute I’d learn that Lucio was only about eight minutes away from setting an all-time World Cup record for not committing a foul – 383 consecutive minutes. As he challenged Henry for the ball, he managed to keep his streak intact.

Juan crushed Vieira in the 17th and France would control the ball for quite a while, eventually returning it to Brazil when Henry was flagged for offside.

France won a corner in the 22nd, but Lucio, now less than two minutes away from the record, would clear it from danger. France won a free kick in the following minute and then after losing possession, the clock would enter the 24th minute and the record was all Lucio’s – four straight games without a foul plus this game as well. It’s a pretty incredible feat when you really think about it.

In the next minute, Lucio’s wing defender and team captain, Cafu, was rightly shown the first yellow card of the match when he had a fistful of Abidal’s shirt as the young Frenchman sped past the aging Brazilian. In the very next minute, with the French controlling much of play throughout this opening third of the match, Lucio actually committed a foul, only two minutes after setting the record. It’s almost as if he knew it and was now ready to play a more physical brand of football.

On the ensuing free kick, Medina-Cantalejo told the players that he would not allow them to hold one another. The French would soon win a corner, but then going back the other way, Ronaldinho seemed a little fortunate to be awarded a free kick when he was off-balance and very little contact was made. But maybe he’s sort of like the Michael Jordan of the footballing world, winning calls other players might not.

Roberto Carlos fouled Ribery in the 30th and shortly thereafter the referee was unwilling to respond to the pleas of a fallen Brazilian player who thought he’d been unfairly treated. France would soon win a corner that Dida punched away from his area and then Henry would once again bring an end to things with another offside decision by the Assistant Referee.

In the 33rd, Gilberto Silva was guilty of a pick that sent Ribery crashing to the turf, but then a minute later I thought Roberto Carlos might’ve gotten away with an obstruction on a French attack. Two minutes after that I thought that Cafu may also have been fortunate not to hear a whistle when he appeared to push an opponent off the ball after the Brazilian had lost control of it.

Cafu fouled Malouda in the 38th and then Zidane’s kick found the original foulee, but the ball was not on target. Back on offense again a couple minutes later, Zidane was called for a foul on Cafu in the penalty area.

And as the halftime whistle approached, I noted that ‘it’s all France!!’. They really had seemed to have more offensive opportunities than the Brazilians despite a goalless first half.

But wait there’s more…Zidane was pure magic in his movement near midfield, beating at least three Brazilians before finding Patrick Vieira surging up the middle. The lanky midfielder lumbered towards goal with a defender on either side of him, but it was Juan who came in from Vieira’s left to scythe him down and prevent him from continuing onward.

Had it not been for the fact that there was another Brazilian defender in the vicinity, Juan surely would’ve been shown the red. But in the end, I think justice was properly served to only award Juan the yellow. Ironically, it was a play not altogether different from this one in which Medina-Cantalejo sent off Materazzi against Australia. Perhaps he learned from that experience and realized the harshness of that decision.

The ensuing free kick was taken about twenty-seven yards from goal, which meant that the wall was set up just inside the Brazilian penalty area. The ball was kicked directly into the wall, but the referee surprisingly awarded another free kick to France just outside the box. It had been a call against Ronaldo for handling. I never did see exactly where the ball was when it made contact with Ronaldo’s hand, but I suppose maybe the placement outside the penalty area was correct given the assumption that the Brazilians jumped toward the kicker when the ball was played forward.

And for those of you who think that Ronaldo did not deliberately playing the ball with his hand here, there is some merit to your argument. However, the replay clearly showed that Ronaldo’s arm was away from his body in a very unnatural position – a position that for all intents and purposes is deemed deliberate even if the defender tries to argue that it was not. His arm shouldn’t have been extended away from his body like that if, as he was arguing, he was trying to protect his face. And for his lengthy protest, Ronaldo would earn a caution from the referee.

After that, Medina-Cantalejo eventually moved the Brazilian wall back the required minimum distance. And after doing so, the kick slammed into the wall and rebounded to a French player who was also denied by the defense.

It would end up being a scoreless first half after all.

France continued their attacking ways to start the second half and Juan immediately fouled Zidane. His free kick found Vieira near the top of the goal area, but his header was just wide of the mark.

Going back the other way, Vieira was rightly whistled for a foul at midfield. Brazil would soon win a corner and they’d retain possession until Barthez eventually collected the ball about a minute later.

Brazil would win a foul in the 49th, but a swift French counter-attack saw Henry off to the races down the left side. However, his centering pass was useless as nobody was there to receive it.

In the 51st, Kaka fouled Zidane then helped the old master back up to his feet; a bit of sportsmanship everyone’s always happy to see. Soon thereafter Henry was hoping for a high kick call against Lucio, but the replay clearly showed that his foot was only marginally above his waist and that Henry had lowered his head to play the ball off of Lucio’s foot.

The French would win another corner and then the AR in the area would soon call a foul against Ronaldo. The French would retain possession and cross into the middle where three players were onside at the time of the pass, but beyond the Brazilian back-line as the ball came their way. One of the Frenchmen then flicked it on to Henry who headed it into the goal. But the flag had correctly been raised on Henry because he was in an offside position when the last flick of the head sent the ball his way.

Cafu committed another foul a couple minutes later in the 56th out near the touchline and it would be Zidane’s job to send the ball goalward. As he did so, it was as though the Brazilian defense, including Dida rooted to the goal line, were all watching in amazement as the ball floated in a beautiful arc to the far post where Thierry Henry was awaiting its arrival in a world of his own. No goalie in his face, no defender tugging at his shoulder, nothing. It was too good to be true.

And to top it all off, he was in an onside position for perhaps the first time the entire night. The soccer Gods had conspired to make this moment last forever for Les Bleus.

With all the simplicity one could imagine, Henry merely raised his right foot to meet the earthbound ball and struck it easily, using gravity for his power, and watched it fly up past the flapping arms of Nelson de Jesus Silva and into the roof of the net.

From outside our apartment window near the Alexanderplatz on the east side of Berlin you could hear cheers all around. None of us were quite sure if these were supporters of France or German fans who were now more hopeful than ever that perhaps they would not have to face the mighty Brazilians en route to seeing their country win its fourth World Cup title. And to us, it didn’t really matter. All we knew was that Brazil would be desperate to score for the next thirty-three or so minutes and that we were in for a real humdinger of a football match.

But France were not content to sit back and allow the Brazilians to come at them with guns blazing. They were on a mission to score a second and put this game away.

The AR called a foul on Henry in the 60th and soon thereafter he was flagged for another offside. They’d soon win the ball back and Ribery would beat his marker in the corner to the left of the goal then fire one from a very difficult angle. Brazil were mighty lucky not to give up their second as the ball deflected off the foot of Juan before bounding across the end line just a few feet beyond the far post.

Henry fouled Kaka in the 63rd and before the kick could be taken, Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira brought in Adriano to replace Juninho in an attempt to bring more firepower to his team’s front line.

In the following minute Ribery fouled Roberto Carlos and the two landed on top of one another. (And please remind me here, did the referee call the foul here? Somehow I’m thinking he didn’t.) The Brazilian was clearly angry and threw a fist at Ribery’s side as the Frenchman landed on top of him. And not wanting to receive such abuse without returning some of his own, Ribery gave a little kick back at Carlos.

I don’t know if the referee saw any of this, but if he had, I think this might have been a good opportunity to give them each a caution and have them shake hands and move on. But since I’m thinking he didn’t call a foul here, he might not have seen any of these after-the-play shenanigans since the ball was by this point somewhere else on the pitch.

In the 67th, Zidane was called for a hold, but France would quickly regain possession and Sagnol would win a corner.

Then back on defense again, Vieira would win a goal kick. Gilberto Silva would soon commit a foul.

Ronaldo would take a dive in the 70th and was VERY fortunate not to receive his second booking. Perhaps if he wasn’t Ronaldo playing for the great Brazil, the referee might not have been so forgiving.

In any event, France would race back up the pitch and Ribery would come very close to scoring back at the other end. Two minutes later the referee made a good no-call as Henry went down in the box.

Zidane performed one of his brilliant patented spin moves that allowed him to find some space in the 73rd minute, but France would lose the ball and Sagnol would illegally stop Kaka’s counter-attack, earning a caution for himself in the process.

Two minutes later it was that guy who never commits fouls, Lucio, who took Henry down with a late foul, earning himself a booking as well.

Cicinho then came in for Cafu – playing in his fourth and final World Cup for his country. And then it was the impressive twenty-three year old Ribery who made way for Govou. Two minutes later and with little more than ten minutes to go, it was Robinho to add more firepower for an impotent Brazilian attack as Kaka left the pitch.

In the 80th, Malouda committed a foul against Brazil after he himself thought he’d been fouled. Brazil would mount an attack, but Robinho should’ve done much better from only fourteen yards out.

Moments later, the French would bring on Sylvain Wiltord who came in to replace the hard-working Florent Malouda. On the very next play Ze Roberto really deserved a caution for coming into Zidane from behind. And then Henry was soon called for a shove.

Two successive fouls by the Brazilians in the 83rd would eventually lead to a French turnover and an effort that went wide by Ronaldo. With only a few minutes left to play, Brazil had still not produced even one shot on goal. But it might only take one to tie things up and France were not about to let that happen.

Finally, in the 85th minute Manchester United striker Louis Saha would come in to replace the tiring Thierry Henry. Brazil would win a corner, but Barthez would save it as he or one of his defenders was fouled anyway.

Saha was called for offside in the 87th, and not happy with this decision, he’d kick the ball way and be shown the yellow card by the referee, just two minutes after entering the game.

A minute later, Ronaldo appeared to have taken a Louganis-style dive on the replay, but the referee was fooled and even booked Lilian Thuram who was protesting his innocence just twenty-two yards from goal.

I had a bad feeling as Ronaldinho addressed the ball, thinking that this was perhaps the once chance Brazil needed. And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I was rooting for France, the underdog, and it’s leader Zidane.

The reigning two-time World Football Player of Year wasn’t earning his keep in this game or, for that matter, throughout the tournament. On this point, I’ll agree with a statement made by Marcelo Balboa days earlier when Brazil were unimpressive in their victory over Ghana. As such, Ronaldinho didn’t hit the target, but he didn’t miss by much either.

In the 90th minute it appeared that France should’ve won a corner, but it was Brazil who were awarded a goal kick. France would quickly win the ball back, Zidane would pass it to Saha, and Saha would shoot it at Dida to give Brazil another opportunity.

Finally, in stoppage time, Brazil would force Barthez to make his first save of the game with their first shot at the French goal. The goalie came up big after not having to do much for the past ninety minutes.

And then in the following minute Cicinho’s cross found Ze Roberto in the middle of the penalty area, but his effort was wide of the goal. With their backs up against the wall Brazil were finally showing some signs of life.

But France would win the ball back and Zidane should’ve taken the ball down to the corner rather than challenge the keeper. Maybe he just wanted one more opportunity to be a hero, but he’d already been there. Now was the time to kill the clock and I was surprised by what I thought was poor judgment by the master.

His impetuousness gave Brazil one final attack deep into stoppage time, but that, like all of their previous attacks in this match, would come up empty when Adriano was called for a push down in the French penalty area. Moments later, the referee blew his final whistle.

There was a collective cheer from out in the street as we surmised that the German supporters were relieved that they would not have to face Brazil in order to win the Cup.

As for me, I was cheering because I knew that we’d have at least one more opportunity to see Zizou’s poetry in motion. Hopefully he has two more encore performances left in him before he’s through.

Until Germany/Italy…

peace,
ac

Sean seems to know all the girls who work there, having now spent more than a month living just a few blocks from this popular gathering place with its abundance of eateries. Most of the waitresses seem to have boyfriends, but Sean was able to identify one young beauty – Ulli – who does not. She says she has five different jobs, though, and her English wasn’t the best.

But Sean was undeterred, hopeful that our server Vicky, whose boyfriend works back in the kitchen, would be a willing accomplice in his efforts to connect with Ulli. At one point he joked to Vicky that Ulli was going to be his girlfriend. “But, does she even know your name?”, she replied with a laugh.

A short while later, after we’d decided to stick around and have a post-meal cocktail, I decided to get up and hit the head. Along the way, I stopped for a brief chat with Vicky and Ulli to let ‘em know that we were gonna stick around…and that oh, by the way, “his name is Sean”, I informed them. “He’s a really nice guy”, I added.

Well, I don’t know how much of a role I played, but later when Vicky brought the check, she also had a little something for Sean – a piece of paper with Ulli’s phone number on it. So if anything ever comes of this nascent blossoming affair, I’ll know that I had a hand in things from the very beginning back in Berlin on July 1st, 2006.

But on to more important things – a compelling quarterfinal tilt in Gelsenkirchen between England and Portugal with Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo in the middle. And of note to those of you who are fans of Coffi Codija – the very capable referee from the tiny African nation of Benin – he was working as the match’s fourth official, something that brought great delight to several of my cohorts down at HQ.

It was also good to see that Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo had recovered from his injury at the hands (or studs actually) of Dutch defender Boulahrouz. I always like match-ups that pit a player against the country in which he makes a living.

And as I had noted the day before at the Olympiastadion, the team captains – David Beckham and Luis Figo (also former teammates at Real Madrid) – gave brief pre-match speeches against racism.

As the match was about to commence, I noted on my pad that Elizondo was the referee in charge of the controversial Switzerland – Korea match; the one in which his assistant threw up a flag for offside against the Swiss and then brought it back down once he realized the ball had been inadvertently played backwards by a Korean defender. I defended Elizondo and his assistant for ultimately making the right decision to allow Frei’s goal in that instance, and I’m sorry if any of you still don’t agree.

But anyway, on to this match, which I predicted on a whim would end up in a 3 – 1 victory for the Portuguese. Little did I know at the time how accurate this portent would be despite losing faith with the game scoreless at the half.

How’d we get there though?

In the opening minute Rooney had an early opportunity blocked by a defender. Two minutes later Ronaldo was fouled by Neville…and then Cole seemed to get away with one on Figo.

Only five minutes into the match, Elizondo said “NO!” to Portuguese gamesmanship when they held onto the ball even though it was a throw-in for England. A minute later I thought Cole was fortunate to win a foul by Petit. Before the ensuing free kick the referee warned the players about holding.

In the 9th and 10th mintues Rooney and Ronaldo would each fire twenty-five yard efforts directly at the opposing keepers. And then Canadian-born Owen Hargreaves was called for a tight foul at midfield. A minute later I thought he was fortunate to escape a yellow card when he whacked Ronaldo in the leg from behind.

Lampard was whistled for a foul on Miguel in the 12th and Robinson misplayed the free kick, almost allowing Tiago to beat him to the ball. On the next play, Beckham committed a little foul on Nuno Valente. And then Hargreaves committed his third foul in the past ten minutes when he knocked down Figo. “Big Phil” didn’t like what he saw and helet the referee know it, but Elizondo told the Portuguese coach to have a seat and shut his yap.

England would have possession for most of the next five minutes, but that would eventually end when Joe Cole was called for climbing on Miguel’s back. They would soon regain the momentum, working the ball well on offense and defending confidently in back.

Rooney felt aggrieved that he didn’t win a call for a high boot in the 25th, but it was he who came out of nowhere and put his head where it probably didn’t belong.

A short while later Elizondo made a good decision when Ronaldo went to ground too easily when he was challenged for the ball. Perhaps it was even a dive, and if so, the crafty midfielder might’ve been fortunate to escape without a card.

The first card of the match came in the 29th and was a bit of a surprise, although on replay it seemed like Elizondo made the right decision. Both John Terry and Tiago ended up on the ground after challenging for an aerial ball and clanging heads. Once Terry was back on his feet, he was shown the yellow, much to his consternation. But the ball really was Tiago’s all the way as the only way for Terry to get to it was to go through the Portuguese player, which is what he had tried to do.

Tiago was called for a push on Joe Cole in the 34th…a Hargreaves dangerous play a minute later…and Rooney was called for tripping Carvalho, I believe it was, in the 38th.

Figo was only about a yard wide on a far post effort in the 39th and the advantage was played to continue and English attack in the 40th.

Paul Robinson palmed away a header on the next Portuguese move in his end. And then in the 42nd Gary Neville let the ref know how he felt about a call against him. But back the other way it went as Hargreaves did well to win a corner.

Petit was booked in the 44th for coming in late on Joe Cole and Beckham’s effort from twenty-four yards out was miserable as he hit the wall. And the half would end with a decent, but futile effort by Frank Lampard.

In the 47th Beckham was unfortunate not to win a free kick when Nuno Valente made some contact with the English captain. And two minutes later Ronaldo would not win a call either after HE nicked the defender’s foot.

Down in the Portuguese penalty area in the 51st, Beckham kicked the ball into a defender’s hand about two yards away from him. Did he really think it was worthy of a penalty kick or was he just hoping that Elizondo was clueless? In any event, the referee ignored Posh’s husband’s remonstrations. Moments later he’d be subbed out for Aaron Lennon – a wise decision, everyone in the room concurred.

The speedy, crafty midfielder made an immediate impact, helping his team to win a corner. And on this, Frank Lampard really should’ve done better as he was all alone at the far post. Instead of side-volleying it into the back of the net, he hit it straight down into the ground where it bounded high into the air and over the bar. Terry protested that he’d been obstructed, but it was an argument he definitely would not win.

Moments later the screen showed a pathetic image of David Beckham sobbing with his head in his hands. He lifted his head for a moment and looked like a small child whose mommy had just yelled at him.

But back to the action on the pitch. Ronaldo seemed justifiably aggrieved when the ball was only about 80 – 90% out of bounds and the Assistant Ref had signaled otherwise with his flag.

In the 57th, Maniche was completely full of shit when he won a call for a dive. I’d really like FIFA to review these kinds of things and sanction players after the match. It might eliminate this kind of gamesmanship that only serves to hurt our game.

England had their best chance only a couple minutes later when Lennon beat his defender then passed the ball to Rooney – who whiffed, swinging way too hard – and then Cole sent it over the crossbar from ten after the ball bounded his way.

But it was the 62nd minute that will live forever in Wayne Rooney’s mind. He was getting hassled by a couple of Portuguese players near midfield and Elizondo eventually called the foul once it was clear that Rooney wasn’t going to wriggle free.

Rooney was clearly heated after the referee blew his whistle and his Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo came rushing to the scene to have a few words with his temperamental opponent. Elizondo was right there when he saw Rooney shove Ronaldo in the chest. And moments later the red card was shown to the high-strung striker.

The replay showed Rooney stepping on the “groin” of one of the defenders who’d been hassling him – Carvalho perhaps. But Elizondo hadn’t seem too disturbed by that action, or perhaps he had already made up his mind that Rooney had put his boot there intentionally. It was hard to tell.

In the end, I’m not sure why Elizondo sent Rooney off. If it was for the shove, that surely only warranted a caution. And if it was for the boot, that didn’t seem deliberate as he was tangled up with Carvalho and seemed to be trying to break free from him.

But Elizondo WAS right there. So perhaps from his perspective it was much more clear what Rooney’s intent was; which might’ve been to castrate his opponent. So while the sending off might have seemed harsh to the viewing audience and to English supporters in particular, I can only assume that Elizondo was certain that Rooney’s intent was to injure his opponent. Otherwise, I don’t think he would’ve made such a profound decision to impact this match.

So now with England reduced to ten men, the match resumed. Cole was fouled by Meira in the 65th. Simao then came in for an ineffective Pauleta and Crouch came in for Joe Cole – one of the more useful English players on the pitch.

Hargreaves committed his fourth foul of the match, but first in quite a while, then grabbed the ball from his opponents. For this I thought he should’ve been booked.

Portugal had a chance in the 68th and then Ronaldo won a foul, although he did embellish things quite a bit. Shortly thereafter Hargreaves made a nice run around the left side of the defense, but his final touch defied him.

In the 73rd, Gerrard really should’ve done better with a cross to Crouch. Two minutes later Hugo Viana came in for Tiago. And then I noted that in the 77th minute that there had only been a total of about seventeen fouls – an astonishingly low, one foul for every four-and-a-half minutes of play.

Robinson came up big on a chipped shot in the 78th and then Viana was slightly injured (eye) when he ran into one of Crouch’s pointy elbows. He recovered quickly though, driving a real smoker right at Robinson.

England had a good opportunity from thirty yards out on a free kick in the 82nd…Lampard’s shot was saved, but Lennon couldn’t knock in the rebound.

Near the end of the match Helder Postiga came in for Luis Figo. Portugal had a positive attack thwarted. Then in the 90th Ashley Cole gave up the ball to Maniche who should’ve done better, but apparently he doesn’t like to use his left foot.

An English corner in stoppage time amounted to nothing. Hargreaves had a nice run to win another corner…it was punched out…Ronaldo went the other way…but he too was unable to beat Robinson.

So without a goal and England down a man since the 62nd minute, the game would labor on for another thirty minutes.

For the first couple minutes it was all Portugal as they showed some patience, but Petit would eventually send it over under some heavy pressure. Crouch would then win a free kick after walking into Carvalho and crumpling over. That would result in a corner that was quickly cleared.

In the 95th, Simao was wide at the far post. Neville would then commit a foul at midfield. Two minutes later Crouch collapsed in a heap after being fairly challenged for the ball, but the Portugal attack failed.

Gerrard won a good decision in the 97th and it was Crouch over the back in the box in the 99th. There was only the slightest of contact, but the Portuguese player did well to make it look worse than it was.

The English had a chance in the 101st. Robinson would make a save following an advantage played for Portugal the following minute. And then Crouch won a foul soon thereafter.

Ronaldo sent a blistering shot over the goal from thrity yards. The restart was a goal kick although Robinson appeared to barely touch it on its way past him; but it was very difficult to tell in real time I’m sure.

And incredibly, THE VERY FIRST OFFSIDE CALL OF THE MATCH WAS MADE IN THE 106TH MINUTE; a testament to the virtually complete lack of attacking play by the teams involved.

A minute later, the ref made a good decision not to award a penalty to England when Lennon was well-defended, but ended up going down in the box. Hargreaves was mightily aggrieved and was finally booked…for dissent.

Another call for offside in the 108th as Postiga scored a goal with his head. But there was no mistaking, he mistimed his run.

Viana was called for a foul throw in the 110th and then a minute later Carvalho was booked for sticking out his ass to knock over Gary Neville as he ran behind the Portuguese defender.

Lennon made a nice run to the end line, but he went too far and let the ball go out of play. Crouchy got all tangled up in his own legs in the 112th. And then Lennon was called for handling in the 113th. Petit was on target a minute later, but right at Robinson as usual.

Crouch was then called for an arm to the back of Carvalho’s head. And in the 118th, a move obviously designed to prepare for the upcoming penalty shootout, Carragher came in for Lennon.

Portugal would have a couple more opportunities, but despite being up a man for nearly sixty minutes of action, were unable to come up with anything positive. To penalty kicks it would go, just like two years earlier when Portugal knocked England out of the European Championships.

First, Simao was perfect as he went left.
Then, Lampard was blocked by Ricardo, who appeared to have been off his line a yard or two at the time of the kick.
Viana clattered the post as Robinson took a cue from Ricardo and came off his line as well.
Hargreaves then went left and off Ricardo’s fingertips to tie things up at one apiece.
Petit was wide left as Robinson was again off his line.
Gerrard was stoned by Ricardo as England were hapless.
Postiga was perfect to the left post.
Carragher turned and shot before the referee’s whistle, so despite knocking his in he’d have to go again. And like everyone but Hargreaves before him, it too was saved.
Up came Ronaldo – the Manchester United midfielder – whose little stutter-step was cute but not against the rules. He found the top netting to make it 3 – 1 with only one left for England.

It was all over, England were out and Big Phil was now undefeated in twelve straight matches. And my earlier prediction of 3 – 1 had come to fruition, but not quite the way I’d expected. Elizondo did a good job keeping control of this one, but the question will always remain as to why he sent off Wayne Rooney. Perhaps only he and the hotheaded young English bloke will ever really know.

Until next time…

peace,
ac