61. Germany-Italy 0:2 a.e.t. (0:0)

Match 61
Semifinal
July 4, 2006
Dortmund

Referee: ARCHUNDIA Benito (MEX)
Assisstant Referee 1: RAMIREZ Jose (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: VERGARA Hector (CAN)
Fourth Official: KAMIKAWA Toru (JPN)
Fifth Official: HIROSHIMA Yoshikazu (JPN)

Official match report: html/pdf

THE CAUTIONS

40’: Tim Borowski (GER 18) was cautioned for unsporting behavior for his dangerous challenge from behind on Francesco Totti (ITA 10). We agree with this decision.

56’: Cristoph Metzelder (GER 21) was cautioned for unsporting behavior for his challenge from behind on Luca Toni (ITA 9). This challenge appeared dangerous in live action but the replay showed that there was only minimal contact between Metzelder’s right foot and Toni’s right calf; then as Toni begins to turn he twisted his feet and pulled them up as if Metzelder had kicked him from behind or stepped on his foot -- neither of which occurred. So we feel, upon watching he replays, that Metzelder did not commit a foul here and so did not deserve this caution. If there was any caution to be given, it was to Toni for his simulation with intent to deceive the referee.

89’: Mauro Camoranesi (ITA 16) was cautioned for unsporting behavior when he took down Sebastian Kehl (GER 5) from the side with a dangerous scissors challenge. We agree with this decision.

103’: Vincenzo Iaquinta (ITA 15) was cautioned for unsporting behavior when he pushed Michael Ballack (GER 13) rather than attempt to play the ball. With agree with the decision with regard to the unsporting nature of the challenge, but we must point out that Michael Ballack held his face when there was clearly no contact to his head at all.

OFFSIDE

Every offside call appeared to us to be correct, and we did not notice any missed offside calls.

PHYSICAL PLAY, CAUTIONS NOT ISSUED

Referees in the quarterfinals and this semi-final match allowed a considerably higher level of physical play than in earlier matches. We assume this was by agreement. It was also clear to us by this point that referees had decided not to give yellow cards for some actions that probably would have been cautioned in First-Round or Round-of-Sixteen matches. Four examples from this match:

3’: This failure to retreat from the ball by a German defender after a call against him would probably have earned him a caution for delay of restart in the First Round. It is clear that the referees have altered their standards for the later stages of the tournament.

5’: Andrea Pirlo’s (ITA 21) tactical challenge on Michael Ballack would probably have earned him a caution for unsporting behavior during the First Round, but Archundia decided that a direct kick was sufficient punishment at this stage.

28’: Schneider (GER 19) was only called for a foul and not cautioned when he made a late challenge on Materazzi (ITA 23) of a type that probably would have earned a yellow card in earlier stages of the competition.

63’: This was an excellent decision to play the advantage when an Italian defender slid into Michael Ballack (GER 13) from the front, just after he had passed the ball to his right on a fast attack; however, in earlier matches the Italian would probably have been cautioned at the next stoppage of play, whereas Archundia chose not to go back and do so.

OTHER DECISIONS OF NOTE

16’: We feel that a penalty kick should have been awarded to Germany when Andrea Pirlo (ITA 21) handled the ball in the penalty area. Michael Ballack (GER 13) attempted to head the ball past Pirlo to a teammate. As Pirlo turned, he raised his right arm and took speed off the ball with his upper arm and elbow. We find that Ballack’s appeals were justified. While the second assistant’s view was blocked by both Ballack’s and Pirlo’s bodies, Archundia was about ten yards away and had a clear view.

29’: We felt that the foul called against Lahm (GER 16) for his trip of Camoranesi (ITA 16) just outside the German area should have gone the other way for Camoranesi’s blatant push a moment earlier.

38’: Archundia seemed to miss a blatant and dangerous slide tackle from behind by an Italian in the middle of the field allowing play to continue with no advantage for Germany.

44’: The touch line foul call against Perrotta (ITA 20) for his supposed trip of Ballack (GER 13) was actually a dive by Ballack. Perrotta went to ground in front of Ballack while making a fair play for the ball; Ballack began to jump over him but then deliberately extended a leg back down to catch Perrotta’s body and make it look as if he had been tripped. This is comparable to situation involving Neill (AUS) and Grosso (ITA) in the Round of Sixteen (where Grosso engaged in a much more subtle form of the same action), except here there is no question whatsoever that Ballack could have cleared Perrotta’s body easily.

56’ and 60’: Materazzi (ITA 23) should have been booked for a dive when he pretended to have been hit in the face here, since there was no significant contact between the players at all, but Klose (GER 11) was called for a foul. A few minutes later, Totti (ITA 10) pulled a similar stunt and also won an undeserved foul call for an interaction involving Kehl (GER 5).

81’: Fabio Cannavaro (ITA 5) was called for a foul when he held Lukas Podolski (GER 20) just outside the penalty area. The holding began just outside the area and then continued into the area and another German was just about to take an low-probability outside shot when Archundia blew the whistle. This was an excellent decision in every respect.

86’: The decision to make no call when Lehman (GER 1) and Perrotta (ITA 20) collided in the area was excellent. On the one hand, Lehman had made a beautiful punch clearance and then followed through -- probably deliberately -- into Perrotta’s chest. On the other hand, Perrotta put his hands to his neck as if he had been hit there when replays show that he clearly had not.