27. Brazil-Australia 2:0 (0:0)
Match 27
Group F
June 18, 2006
Referee: Markus Merk (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Schraer (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan-Hendrik Salver (GER)
Fourth official: Marco Rodriguez (MEX)
Fifth official: Leonel Leal (CRC)
Official match report: html/pdf
Merk and the referee team did very good work officiating this match. There were some excellent decisions: the two onside decisions preceding Brazil's second goal (Fred, 90') and the no-call for Viduka's (AUS 9) interaction with the Brazilian keeper Dida in 56'. Viduka was always within playing distance of the ball and in no way fouled Dida, since he did not back into him. We have seen a number of forwards penalized unfairly thus far, so it was refreshing to see play continue when there was clearly -- to us and Merk, at least -- no foul.
The only decisions we found questionable:
66': An offside call against Ronaldo (BRA 9). Ronaldo seemed on the replay to have been onside when the ball was played; however, the decision most likely had little effect on the game, since he was very unlikely to have been able to reach the pass anyway.
76': Merk did not penalize a Brazilian player (we forgot to note which) for holding in a very similar manner, as we saw it, to two holding calls he had just penalized Bresciano (AUS 23) in 72' and 74'. Incidentally, the first of those against Bresciano we felt was undeserved.
One minor technical note, this is the first game in which the referees have changed the color of their shirts at half time. They are sporting new Adidas uniforms in this World Cup, and there are four colors to choose from: dark gray, light gray, red and yellow-green. They started the game in the light gray, but must have determined at the half-time that their shirts were too close to the Austrlian dark -- there were a couple times it was hard to pick Merk out of the crowd, at least on the television coverage. The red matched Schwarzer's uniform (the reason they had ruled it out initially, no doubt, because optimally the referees choose a color that matches none of the those being worn by either team or their keepers), but it worked fine. If you are going to conflict with someone, it should be a keeper, since the referee and the keeper rarely occupy the same region of the field.
A second minor technical note: The referees seem to be having a difficult time getting the front pockets open to remove cards from these new shirts.
THE CAUTIONS:
13': Adriano (BRA 7) was cautioned either for an unsporting challenge (he climbed on the Australian's back) or for his display of dissent afterward. Either would have been warranted.
29': Cafu (BRA 2) was cautioned for his unsporting challenge on Cahill (AUS 4).
31': Ronaldo (BRA 9) was cautioned when he continued to play the ball long after being called offside, a form of dissent/time wasting the referees have been instructed to crack down on in this World Cup as a special "area of interest". There are at least three examples from previous games.
39': Culina (AUS 5) was cautioned for an unsporting challenge when he cleated the inside of Juan's thigh (BRA 4). A good decision, as the replays made clear.
84': Our best guess is that Robinho (BRA 23) was cautioned for delaying the resart by failing to retreat before the kick, which would have been warranted as an "area of interest" in this World Cup (there have been many examples so far in previous games); however it may have been for dissent. As with Adriano's card in 13', it is difficult to tell since we cannot hear what the players and referee are saying to one another in television coverage.
-Orion & Zazu
Group F
June 18, 2006
Referee: Markus Merk (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Schraer (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan-Hendrik Salver (GER)
Fourth official: Marco Rodriguez (MEX)
Fifth official: Leonel Leal (CRC)
Official match report: html/pdf
Merk and the referee team did very good work officiating this match. There were some excellent decisions: the two onside decisions preceding Brazil's second goal (Fred, 90') and the no-call for Viduka's (AUS 9) interaction with the Brazilian keeper Dida in 56'. Viduka was always within playing distance of the ball and in no way fouled Dida, since he did not back into him. We have seen a number of forwards penalized unfairly thus far, so it was refreshing to see play continue when there was clearly -- to us and Merk, at least -- no foul.
The only decisions we found questionable:
66': An offside call against Ronaldo (BRA 9). Ronaldo seemed on the replay to have been onside when the ball was played; however, the decision most likely had little effect on the game, since he was very unlikely to have been able to reach the pass anyway.
76': Merk did not penalize a Brazilian player (we forgot to note which) for holding in a very similar manner, as we saw it, to two holding calls he had just penalized Bresciano (AUS 23) in 72' and 74'. Incidentally, the first of those against Bresciano we felt was undeserved.
One minor technical note, this is the first game in which the referees have changed the color of their shirts at half time. They are sporting new Adidas uniforms in this World Cup, and there are four colors to choose from: dark gray, light gray, red and yellow-green. They started the game in the light gray, but must have determined at the half-time that their shirts were too close to the Austrlian dark -- there were a couple times it was hard to pick Merk out of the crowd, at least on the television coverage. The red matched Schwarzer's uniform (the reason they had ruled it out initially, no doubt, because optimally the referees choose a color that matches none of the those being worn by either team or their keepers), but it worked fine. If you are going to conflict with someone, it should be a keeper, since the referee and the keeper rarely occupy the same region of the field.
A second minor technical note: The referees seem to be having a difficult time getting the front pockets open to remove cards from these new shirts.
THE CAUTIONS:
13': Adriano (BRA 7) was cautioned either for an unsporting challenge (he climbed on the Australian's back) or for his display of dissent afterward. Either would have been warranted.
29': Cafu (BRA 2) was cautioned for his unsporting challenge on Cahill (AUS 4).
31': Ronaldo (BRA 9) was cautioned when he continued to play the ball long after being called offside, a form of dissent/time wasting the referees have been instructed to crack down on in this World Cup as a special "area of interest". There are at least three examples from previous games.
39': Culina (AUS 5) was cautioned for an unsporting challenge when he cleated the inside of Juan's thigh (BRA 4). A good decision, as the replays made clear.
84': Our best guess is that Robinho (BRA 23) was cautioned for delaying the resart by failing to retreat before the kick, which would have been warranted as an "area of interest" in this World Cup (there have been many examples so far in previous games); however it may have been for dissent. As with Adriano's card in 13', it is difficult to tell since we cannot hear what the players and referee are saying to one another in television coverage.
-Orion & Zazu
posted by Orion and Zazu at 6:32 PM
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