18. Ecuador-Costa Rica 3:0 (1:0)

Match 18
Group A
June 15, 2006
Hamburg

Referee: Coffi Codjia (BEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Celestin Ntagungira (RWA)
Assistant Referee 2: Aboudou Aderodjou (BEN)
Fourth Official: Mohamed Guezzaz (MAR)
Fifth Official: Brahim Djezzar (ALG)

Official Match Report: html/pdf

Codjia and company did very good work in this game. For a period of time around 39' and following, Codjia called a number of what one might call "small fouls", something a referee will sometimes do for a period when s/he feels the players are becoming a little out of control. We didn't agree that things were particularly out of control during that period, so it struck us as a little strange. On the other hand, we weren't down there on the field. The feeling that you have to "tighten things up a little" often comes from what the players are saying to you or to one another.

He did a great job of getting to possible points of confrontation along the touchline more quickly than some of the referees and anticipated requests for foul calls by signaling the direction of the throw-in, when there was no foul to call. When the referee is too far removed from touchline action it can contribute to the perception, by the players, that s/he is oblivious to contact occurring there.

The game involved many excellent offside/onside decisions by the assistants, with single exception of 20', where the Costa Rican attacker appeared to us, from the replay, to be onside when the ball was played.

Codjia was never taken by any dives or "enhanced falls" (our term for a dive when there was actually some contact). He made an excellent decision to let play go on in 32'. Centeno (CRC 10) endangered himself by throwing his body around Mendez (ECU 8) in trying to stop his kick. Mendez made his play on the ball and, in the follow-through, caught Centeno's leg. No foul, good decision.

63': Centeno (CRC 10) was very lucky that Codjia apparently missed what appeared to us to be a deliberate step on the leg of Kaviedes (ECU 10). If the action had been spotted by the referee, Centeno would almost certainly have been shown a red card for serious foul play. The foul was clear in the replays, and Codjia was in the vicinity, but he must have looked away at the critical moment. This happens pretty frequently, because you can't be looking everywhere at once. Unfortunately, in the middle of the field -- where this potential foul occurred -- you are on your own. Your assistant can't very well raise a flag for a foul right next to you.

The foul Codjia called against Soborio (CRC 19) in 81' is an excellent example of how a player can "get ball" in a tackle and still commit a foul in the process, due to what he does to the player's body after he makes contact with the ball.

94': We felt Kaviedes (ECU 10) was fortunate that Codjia did not caution him for diving. There was minimal contact from the outstretched leg of Umana (CRC 4), a little delay, and then he flopped to the ground, looking up at Codjia in appeal.

CAUTIONS

10': Marin (CRC 3) was cautioned for unsporting behavior when he took down Nunez (ECU 21). The challenge was not particularly late but clearly Nunez was going to reach the ball first, so Marin stepped on his foot and then took out Nunez's body, rather than make a legitimate play for the ball himself. Note also that Nunez had been involved in Ecuador's first goal, making him a likely target for retaliation.

28': Solis (CRC 8) was cautioned for unsporting behavior for his tactical foul on Mendez (ECU 8).

44': Castillo (ECU 14) was cautioned for "lunging", we would say, since he launched himself at the opponent in a reckless manner. We would call this an example of the enforcement of the Laws under FIFA's new "areas of interest" for the World Cup. Lunging was already specifically mentioned in the Instructions to Referees in the back, but referees have been encouraged to sanction it as unsporting behavior more consistenly than we are used to seeing during, say, the last two seasons of the English Premier League. Notice the rare situation here. No direct kick was given for the lunge, because Codjia had applied advantage and the ball had subsequently gone out for a throw.

54 ': De La Cruz (ECU 4) was cautioned for delay of restart, when he deliberately wasted time in taking the throw.

60': Mora (ECU 21), the Ecuadorian keeper, was cautioned for delay of restart; when a card is issued, as here, in a period between a call for a restart (here a direct kick for a foul), that restart takes precedence over the issuance of the card, since play has not yet started again. Hence Mora continuing with the kick after receiving the caution.

-Orion & Zazu