06-26-2006, 10:44 AM
Quote:the referee led his last match on this tournamentHi,
I'm not so convinced that the referee's to blame for this. The match was a real battle. I agree that he was a bit nitpicking at times, but most major decisions (that he saw with his own eyes), I do understand.
Examples:
yellow/red card for Boulahrouz: First his foul against Ronaldo - Ronaldo even had to give up under tears after that hit with the cleats. Afterwards his elbow in Figo's face - just has nothing to do up there. I'm tempted to claim that Figo would have fallen no matter what Boulahrouz had done, but that's another story.
yellow/red card for Costinha: Dumb dumb monkey. Why would you play a ball with the hand so obviously when you had seen the yellow card before? Not very team-beneficial. This player had it coming.
yellow/red card for Deco: Dumb. He just didn't behave in a phase when the game already was a disrupted battle. Why would he steal the ball and refuse to give it back immediately, thus playing out, and risking the second yellow card? Such a high-decorated player. Bleh.
yellow/red card for van Bronckhorst: Can't really blame him for that. It was already so late that the Dutch had to struggle with all they had to preserve their last chance. But it was justified nevertheless: A clear yellow card.
Some things, the referee just didn't see, for example the kung-fu kick of Nuno Valente against Robben. Also the header of Figo should have been an immediate red card for a clear assault, but the referee didn't see it and rather got told by one of his assistants. Therefore he wasn't so sure about the situation, and chose to give only the yellow card.
All in all, I'm not surprised that it was a tight match, but I'm surprised how violent the players were. Several fouls were hard enough to say that the player commiting the foul accepted a major injury of the player who was fouled. It really resembled a battle more than a soccer match, and it reminded me a bit of the match U.S. vs. Italy.
Greetings, Fragbait
Quote:You cannot pass... I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. The Dark Flame will not avail you, Flame of Udun. Go back to the shadow. You shall not pass.- Gandalf, speaking to the Balrog
Quote:Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or it can crash! Be water, my friend...- Bruce Lee
Quote: There's an old Internet adage which simply states that the first person to resort to personal attacks in an online argument is the loser. Don't be one.- excerpt from the forum rules
Post content property of Fragbait (member of the lurkerlounge). Do not (hesitate to) quote without permission.