Seattle 1-0 Colorado Referee: Ricardo Salazar (United States)
Salazar has drawn the ire of Sounders fans in the past, but he was spot on today. Nice work by him and his crew.
LA Galaxy 1-0 Real Salt Lake Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
Toledo had two key calls to make and I agree with his decisions on both.
5th Minute: LA are bringing the ball forward when Jamison Olave makes a sliding challenge on an LA player in the box. He executes the challenge cleanly, but the ball takes an unfortunate deflection onto his hand. Toledo calls a penalty and he is right even though the contact was unintentional, because it still stopped LA from getting a chance on goal.
91st Minute: Olave loses out on a challenge to Robbie Keane and shows his frustration with an elbow to Keane's head. Toledo correctly sends Olave off for violent conduct.
Portland 1-0 DC United Referee: Chris Penso (United States)
Penso had a good match with no controversy. Nice work by the up-and-coming young referee.
Sporting Kansas City 4-0 Dallas Referee: David Gantar (Canada)
Gantar had just one tough call in this match, but I think he did get it right.
43rd Minute: SKC's Krisztian Németh breaks away from already booked defender Zach Lloyd, forcing Lloyd to grab onto his leg to halt the attack. Gantar correctly shows Lloyd a second yellow for stopping a promising attack. Good call by Gantar, who was announced as a Gold Cup Referee just before the game. Congratulations to him on that assignment!
Toronto 3-1 San Jose Referee: Fotis Bazakos (United States)
Bazakos made one penalty call, which I think he absolutely got right.
23rd Minute: TFC's Ashtone Morgan blocks a Chris Wondolowski shot with his hand. Bazakos calls a penalty, and I agree since Morgan made a clear attempt to block the shot.
Vancouver 2-1 Real Salt Lake Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
Marrufo, another MLS referee who was recently announced as a Gold Cup referee, didn't see much controversy in this match. Nothing to go in depth on here.
NYCFC 1-1 Houston Referee: Sorin Stoica (Canada)
Stoica had one big decision to make in this match, but I unfortunately disagree with his decision.
45th Minute: An NYCFC player heads the ball onto Houston Defender Raul Rodriguez's hand. To me this isn't a handball because Rodriguez's hand was less than a foot away from the NYCFC player's head. Since there was no reaction time, I would call it incidental contact and not award a penalty.
DC United 2-1 Philadelphia Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
Unkel had one important PK decision late in the game and the team worked together to get it right.
84th Minute: Zach Pfeffer of Philadelphia tries to defend a high cross in his box, but is forced to control the ball with his hand. It was near impossible for Unkel to see from the angle he was at, but AR James Conlee signals for the handball. Great job cooperating from the two referees on that play.
Orlando 2-2 Columbus Referee: Silviu Petrescu (Canada)
Petrescu made the week's most contentious call when he awarded Orlando a questionable penalty.
18th Minute: Orlando superstar Kaká takes a shot that deflects off Michael Parkhurst on the goal line. Petrescu calls a penalty and sends Parkhurst off for what he deemed was a handball. However when I look at the replay, though the ball did hit Parkhurst's arm, I don't think there was anything he could have done about it since his arm was tucked at his chest. It's a tight call, but for me it's a play on.
Chicago 3-0 Montreal Referee: Allen Chapman (United States)
Chapman had two important decisions to make tonight but I'm only fully sold on one.
37th Minute: Montreal's Marco Donadel, already booked, slides in late on Matt Polster's ankles. Chapman shows a second yellow, which is absolutely correct, though I wouldn't have minded a straight red due to the severity of the challenge. Regardless, good work by Chapman to make sure Donadel's night was done.
45+1st Minute: Montreal's Bakary Soumare makes a last ditch effort on David Accam near the goal. Chapman judges that Soumare didn't get the ball and calls a penalty, and I don't really have the replay to prove whether he was correct. My best guess, though, is that there was enough contact to warrant contact.
Colorado 1-2 Portland Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
Elfath, coming off of a very difficult assignment last week, had a stellar performance today with little controversy and nothing to go in depth on.
Seattle 2-1 New York Red Bulls Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero (United States)
Rivero had a very good match with no controversy. Nothing to look at here.
New England 2-2 Los Angeles Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly was stellar in a match where he didn't have to make any calls. Again, nothing to look at.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, May 29, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
UEL Final: Atkinson with strong performance.
Sevilla vs. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Referee: Martin Atkinson (England)
Assistant Referee: Mike Mullarkey (England)
Assistant Referee: Stephen Child (England)
Additional Assistant Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Additional Assistant Referee: Andre Marriner (England)
Fourth Official: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Jake Collin (England)
Referee: Martin Atkinson (England)
Assistant Referee: Mike Mullarkey (England)
Assistant Referee: Stephen Child (England)
Additional Assistant Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Additional Assistant Referee: Andre Marriner (England)
Fourth Official: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Jake Collin (England)
The team warms up prior to the match (source: UEFA.com)
MATCH REVIEW
31st Minute: Carlos Bacca scores to make it 2-1 Sevilla after AR Stephen Child correctly keeps his flag down on a tight call. Nice work by Child on that play, making a correct call on the game's most difficult decision.
Overview: Overall, the match was very quiet for Atkinson, though he had two minor penalty appeals to deal with from Sevilla (in minutes 6 and 69). I do agree with his no penalty calls, as both plays seemed like good plays by the defense more than penalties. One more note on Atkinson: I really admire the way he moved past the criticism he received from two tough outings this EPL season (Chelsea-Burnley and Liverpool-Man Utd). Most importantly, Congratulations to all the officials on a great match!
Saturday, May 23, 2015
MLS Week 12 Reports
Sporting Kansas City 4-2 New England Referee: Allen Chapman
Chapman had one penalty call, which I unfortunately think he got wrong.
42nd Minute: Revs defender Jose Goncalves slightly pulls the arm of Dom Dwyer in the box, prompting a penalty call from Chapman. However, I disagree with the call on the grounds that the contact was so minimal that I don't see how it really affected the way Dwyer was making his run. Still, the one positive thing I have to say is that Chapman has at least been consistent in calling things tight in the area.
Columbus 2-2 Chicago Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Good game for Bazakos with little controversy. Nothing to go in depth on.
LA Galaxy 1-0 Houston Referee: Ismail Elfath
Elfath had one of the toughest calls of the season so far, but he may have gotten it wrong.
95th Minute: Oscar Sorto of LA slides in from behind on David Horst as Horst exits the area. Elfath calls a foul just outside the box and sends off Sorto for the absurdly dangerous challenge. My only question is whether Houston should have had a PK or a Free Kick. Horst is out of the area when he hits the ground but the contact on his lower leg appears just inside the box. Looked like a near impossible call to me, but I think Elfath did get it wrong.
Toronto 1-0 Portland Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Gonzalez, who has seen very few matches this year, had no controversy in this match. Nice work from the veteran referee.
New England 1-1 DC United Referee: Mark Geiger
Geiger had to show two reds in this match, and I have no problems with either of them.
52nd Minute: New England Defender Chris Tierney wins the ball, but sends his studs into the knee of Chris Pontius before doing so. Geiger shows him a straight red card, and since it was a violent challenge that certainly endangered Pontius, I have no problems at all with the decision. Good call by Geiger.
58th Minute: New England's US International Lee Nguyen is already booked when he pulls back the shoulder of Davy Arnaud and holds on for several seconds. Geiger sends him off and I agree, though I think that if Nguyen had let go earlier it could've been a final warning instead of a second yellow. Regardless, a good call by Geiger.
Montreal 2-1 FC Dallas Referee: Chris Penso
Penso had one PK decision to make and I think he was spot on with it,
24th Minute: Montreal's Andres Romero tries to seal off a ball at the end of the Dallas box when he is bowled over by Moises Hernandez. Penso awards Montreal what was a clear penalty, but what I found most interesting about this play is that AR Jeff Muschik was the one who actually called the foul. Penso just had to decide whether it was in the box or not. Good teamwork by the crew to get the call right.
Colorado 1-0 Vancouver Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Rivero had a very good first ninety minutes, but his disallowing of a Pedro Morales goal in stoppage time was strange to say the least. He appears to have whistled for a foul against a Vancouver player in the box, but I just don't see any contact. In my opinion, the goal should have stood.
Seattle 0-0 Kansas City Referee: Jair Marrufo
What was billed as a top game failed to produce, including for Marrufo, who didn't see any controversy.
Salt Lake 2-0 NYCFC Referee: Juan Guzman
Guzman hardly saw any match in this Saturday night showdown. Nice work by him and his crew.
New York Red Bulls 0-2 Philadelphia Referee: Baldomero Toledo
No controversy for the veteran ref Toledo. Nice work by the whole crew at this match.
San Jose 1-1 Orlando Referee: Allen Chapman
Chapman had 3 tough calls to make, and I agree with 2 of his decisions.
54th Minute: Orlando's Brek Shea makes a lunging slide with studs showing on Samar Nyassi's shins. Chapman gives him a straight red, and I agree. Absolutely no place for challenges like that in any league.
63rd Minute: Cyle Larin of Orlando and San Jose keeper David Bingham both go up for a bouncing ball, with Bingham getting both the ball and Larin. Chapman calls a penalty but I'm not so convinced. Looked like two defenders going up for a ball to me.
67th Minute: Orlando's Darwin Ceren hacks down Jordan Stewart in the area and Chapman correctly points to the spot. Nice call by Chapman on that play.
NOTE: All referees are American, hence the lack of national indication. Thanks for reading!
Chapman had one penalty call, which I unfortunately think he got wrong.
42nd Minute: Revs defender Jose Goncalves slightly pulls the arm of Dom Dwyer in the box, prompting a penalty call from Chapman. However, I disagree with the call on the grounds that the contact was so minimal that I don't see how it really affected the way Dwyer was making his run. Still, the one positive thing I have to say is that Chapman has at least been consistent in calling things tight in the area.
Columbus 2-2 Chicago Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Good game for Bazakos with little controversy. Nothing to go in depth on.
LA Galaxy 1-0 Houston Referee: Ismail Elfath
Elfath had one of the toughest calls of the season so far, but he may have gotten it wrong.
95th Minute: Oscar Sorto of LA slides in from behind on David Horst as Horst exits the area. Elfath calls a foul just outside the box and sends off Sorto for the absurdly dangerous challenge. My only question is whether Houston should have had a PK or a Free Kick. Horst is out of the area when he hits the ground but the contact on his lower leg appears just inside the box. Looked like a near impossible call to me, but I think Elfath did get it wrong.
Toronto 1-0 Portland Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Gonzalez, who has seen very few matches this year, had no controversy in this match. Nice work from the veteran referee.
New England 1-1 DC United Referee: Mark Geiger
Geiger had to show two reds in this match, and I have no problems with either of them.
52nd Minute: New England Defender Chris Tierney wins the ball, but sends his studs into the knee of Chris Pontius before doing so. Geiger shows him a straight red card, and since it was a violent challenge that certainly endangered Pontius, I have no problems at all with the decision. Good call by Geiger.
58th Minute: New England's US International Lee Nguyen is already booked when he pulls back the shoulder of Davy Arnaud and holds on for several seconds. Geiger sends him off and I agree, though I think that if Nguyen had let go earlier it could've been a final warning instead of a second yellow. Regardless, a good call by Geiger.
Montreal 2-1 FC Dallas Referee: Chris Penso
Penso had one PK decision to make and I think he was spot on with it,
24th Minute: Montreal's Andres Romero tries to seal off a ball at the end of the Dallas box when he is bowled over by Moises Hernandez. Penso awards Montreal what was a clear penalty, but what I found most interesting about this play is that AR Jeff Muschik was the one who actually called the foul. Penso just had to decide whether it was in the box or not. Good teamwork by the crew to get the call right.
Colorado 1-0 Vancouver Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Rivero had a very good first ninety minutes, but his disallowing of a Pedro Morales goal in stoppage time was strange to say the least. He appears to have whistled for a foul against a Vancouver player in the box, but I just don't see any contact. In my opinion, the goal should have stood.
Seattle 0-0 Kansas City Referee: Jair Marrufo
What was billed as a top game failed to produce, including for Marrufo, who didn't see any controversy.
Salt Lake 2-0 NYCFC Referee: Juan Guzman
Guzman hardly saw any match in this Saturday night showdown. Nice work by him and his crew.
New York Red Bulls 0-2 Philadelphia Referee: Baldomero Toledo
No controversy for the veteran ref Toledo. Nice work by the whole crew at this match.
San Jose 1-1 Orlando Referee: Allen Chapman
Chapman had 3 tough calls to make, and I agree with 2 of his decisions.
54th Minute: Orlando's Brek Shea makes a lunging slide with studs showing on Samar Nyassi's shins. Chapman gives him a straight red, and I agree. Absolutely no place for challenges like that in any league.
63rd Minute: Cyle Larin of Orlando and San Jose keeper David Bingham both go up for a bouncing ball, with Bingham getting both the ball and Larin. Chapman calls a penalty but I'm not so convinced. Looked like two defenders going up for a ball to me.
67th Minute: Orlando's Darwin Ceren hacks down Jordan Stewart in the area and Chapman correctly points to the spot. Nice call by Chapman on that play.
NOTE: All referees are American, hence the lack of national indication. Thanks for reading!
Friday, May 22, 2015
Key Appointments May 23-25
May 23
Juventus vs. Napoli (Serie A)
Referee: Luca Banti
Assistant Referee: Fillipo Meli
Assistant Referee: Gianluca Vuoto
Additional Assistant Referee: Andrea Gervasoni
Additional Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello
Fourth Official: Andrea Edoardo Stefani
Olympiakos vs. Skoda Xhanti (Greek Cup Final)
Referee: Michael Koukoulakis
Assistant Referee: Christos Akrivos
Assistant Referee: Ilias Alexeas
Additional Assistant Referee: Ilias Spathas
Additional Assistant Referee: Andreas Pappas
Fourth Official: Lazaros Dimitriadis
Paderborn vs. Stuttgart (Bundesliga)
Referee: Deniz Aytekin
Assistant Referee: Benjamin Brand
Assistant Referee: Christian Dietz
Fourth Official: Mark Borsch
New England vs. DC United (MLS)
Referee: Mark Geiger
Assistant Referee: CJ Morgante
Assistant Referee: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho
Fourth Official: Silviu Petrescu
May 24
Hull City vs. Manchester United (BPL)
Referee: Lee Probert
Assistant Referee: Harry Lennard
Assistant Referee: Darren Cann
Fourth Official: Andre Marriner
Newcastle vs. West Ham (BPL)
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant Referee: Mike Mullarkey
Assistant Referee: Stephen Child
Fourth Official: Kevin Friend
May 25
Middlesborough vs. Norwich City (Football League Championship Playoff Final)
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant Referee: Stuart Burt
Assistant Referee: Simon Long
Fourth Official: Roger East
Lazio vs. Roma (Serie A)
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli
Assistant Referee: Elenito Giovanni Di Liberatore
Assistant Referee: Nicola Andrea Nicoletti
Additional Assistant Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Additional Assistant Referee: Massimiliano Irrati
Fourth Official: Renato Faverani
Feel free to drop any appointments you want added in the comments and I will be sure to put them in.
Juventus vs. Napoli (Serie A)
Referee: Luca Banti
Assistant Referee: Fillipo Meli
Assistant Referee: Gianluca Vuoto
Additional Assistant Referee: Andrea Gervasoni
Additional Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello
Fourth Official: Andrea Edoardo Stefani
Olympiakos vs. Skoda Xhanti (Greek Cup Final)
Referee: Michael Koukoulakis
Assistant Referee: Christos Akrivos
Assistant Referee: Ilias Alexeas
Additional Assistant Referee: Ilias Spathas
Additional Assistant Referee: Andreas Pappas
Fourth Official: Lazaros Dimitriadis
Paderborn vs. Stuttgart (Bundesliga)
Referee: Deniz Aytekin
Assistant Referee: Benjamin Brand
Assistant Referee: Christian Dietz
Fourth Official: Mark Borsch
New England vs. DC United (MLS)
Referee: Mark Geiger
Assistant Referee: CJ Morgante
Assistant Referee: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho
Fourth Official: Silviu Petrescu
May 24
Hull City vs. Manchester United (BPL)
Referee: Lee Probert
Assistant Referee: Harry Lennard
Assistant Referee: Darren Cann
Fourth Official: Andre Marriner
Newcastle vs. West Ham (BPL)
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant Referee: Mike Mullarkey
Assistant Referee: Stephen Child
Fourth Official: Kevin Friend
May 25
Middlesborough vs. Norwich City (Football League Championship Playoff Final)
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant Referee: Stuart Burt
Assistant Referee: Simon Long
Fourth Official: Roger East
Lazio vs. Roma (Serie A)
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli
Assistant Referee: Elenito Giovanni Di Liberatore
Assistant Referee: Nicola Andrea Nicoletti
Additional Assistant Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Additional Assistant Referee: Massimiliano Irrati
Fourth Official: Renato Faverani
Feel free to drop any appointments you want added in the comments and I will be sure to put them in.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Premier League Review Week 37
Liverpool 1-3 Crystal Palace Referee: Jonathan Moss
Moss and his crew struggled in this match, making two contentious calls that led to Palace goals.
59th Minute: Wilfred Zaha scores to put Crystal Palace up 2-1, but replays show that he was offside. However, the AR kept the flag down, allowing the goal to stand.
90th Minute: Zaha is tripped up by Lucas Leiva on what looks like edge of the area. Moss calls a penalty in favor of Palace, but replays show that the foul was committed just outside the box. It was a razor thin call but still a huge mistake by Moss.
West Ham United 1-2 Everton Referee: Kevin Friend
Friend didn't have many calls to make, but I think he should have called a penalty early in the match.
13th Minute: A West Ham shot strikes the outstretched arm of Seamus Coleman in the area. It seems like a clear penalty to me, but Friend disagrees and simply awards West Ham a corner. Not the easiest play in the world to spot, but still one Friend should have made.
West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Chelsea Referee: Mike Jones
Jones had a very good match, getting two important decisions right.
29th Minute: As Jones deals with a yellow card foul by Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas kicks the ball at a West Brom player's head in a moment of madness. Jones correctly sends Fabregas off for violent conduct.
46th Minute: John Terry trips up Saido Berahino in the box with a sliding challenge from Berahino's right. Jones awards West Brom the clear penalty, but fails to show Terry the yellow that would have been appropriate in the situation.
Sunderland 0-0 Leicester City Referee: Martin Atkinson
Tottenham Spurs 2-0 Hull City Referee: Anthony Taylor
Burnley 0-0 Stoke City Referee: Michael Oliver
QPR 2-1 Newcastle Referee: Lee Probert
Southampton 6-1 Aston Villa Referee: Robert Madley
Swansea City 2-4 Manchester City Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal Referee: Mike Dean
No controversy for these seven and their crews. Nothing to look at here.
Moss and his crew struggled in this match, making two contentious calls that led to Palace goals.
59th Minute: Wilfred Zaha scores to put Crystal Palace up 2-1, but replays show that he was offside. However, the AR kept the flag down, allowing the goal to stand.
90th Minute: Zaha is tripped up by Lucas Leiva on what looks like edge of the area. Moss calls a penalty in favor of Palace, but replays show that the foul was committed just outside the box. It was a razor thin call but still a huge mistake by Moss.
West Ham United 1-2 Everton Referee: Kevin Friend
Friend didn't have many calls to make, but I think he should have called a penalty early in the match.
13th Minute: A West Ham shot strikes the outstretched arm of Seamus Coleman in the area. It seems like a clear penalty to me, but Friend disagrees and simply awards West Ham a corner. Not the easiest play in the world to spot, but still one Friend should have made.
West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Chelsea Referee: Mike Jones
Jones had a very good match, getting two important decisions right.
29th Minute: As Jones deals with a yellow card foul by Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas kicks the ball at a West Brom player's head in a moment of madness. Jones correctly sends Fabregas off for violent conduct.
46th Minute: John Terry trips up Saido Berahino in the box with a sliding challenge from Berahino's right. Jones awards West Brom the clear penalty, but fails to show Terry the yellow that would have been appropriate in the situation.
Sunderland 0-0 Leicester City Referee: Martin Atkinson
Tottenham Spurs 2-0 Hull City Referee: Anthony Taylor
Burnley 0-0 Stoke City Referee: Michael Oliver
QPR 2-1 Newcastle Referee: Lee Probert
Southampton 6-1 Aston Villa Referee: Robert Madley
Swansea City 2-4 Manchester City Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal Referee: Mike Dean
No controversy for these seven and their crews. Nothing to look at here.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
MLS Week 11 Reports
DC United 2-1 Orlando City SC Referee: Jorge Gonzalez (United States)
Good match for Gonzalez. No controversy to look at.
NYCFC 2-2 Chicago Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
Unkel has seen many big game appointments so far, and that continued with this match in New York.
26th Minute: Chicago's David Accam breaks forward towards the goal, and RJ Allen has no choice but to trip him from behind in the box. Unkel calls a penalty and then issues a red card to Allen for Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (also known as a tactical foul).
FC Dallas 0-0 New York Red Bulls Referee: Ricardo Salazar (United States)
Salazar had a good match, continuing a good start to the season. Nothing to go in depth on.
Montreal 4-1 Real Salt Lake Referee: Silviu Petrescu (Canada)
Petrescu has certainly had his struggles this year, but he righted his ship in Salt Lake today.
42nd Minute: Petrescu points to the spot after Dominic Oduro of Montreal is tugged by Elias Vazquez in the box. I had a tough time seeing the contact at first, but a second look proved that there was a clear jersey tug by Vazquez. Good decision by Petrescu.
Vancouver 0-2 Seattle Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Geiger was up to his usual high standards in a match that required just one yellow card. No controversy at the BC Place.
New England 1-1 Toronto Referee: Sorin Stoica (Canada)
Stoica has seen some tough matches this year, but this was not one of them. Very little controversy from this match.
Houston 3-1 Portland Referee: Edvin Jurisevic (United States)
Jurisevic continued our trend of clean matches free of controversy with his performance in this match. Nothing to look at here either.
San Jose 2-0 Columbus Referee: Kevin Stott (United States)
Stott had a very good match, shaking off recent tough outings.
33rd Minute: Columbus Midfielder Mohammed Saeid was already on a yellow when he recklessly took out Shea Salinas at midfield. Stott gives him a second yellow and replays show that he was absolutely correct since the challenge certainly was reckless enough to earn a yellow. Good call by the veteran referee.
Orlando 4-0 Los Angeles Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
Marrufo had one very difficult call in the match, but I think he was just off.
56th Minute: Galaxy Goalkeeper Jaime Penedo stops Orlando's star Kaka for making an effort on goal. Marrufo, however, believes that Penedo got the man and not the ball, calling a penalty for Orlando. I can't find a conclusive angle, but it looks to me like Penedo got the ball in a clean save. No penalty for me on that play.
Philadelphia 1-0 DC United Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly had a very good match, which included correctly disallowing two goals for clear violations (1 hand, 1 push). Nice work by the veteran Irishman.
Good match for Gonzalez. No controversy to look at.
NYCFC 2-2 Chicago Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
Unkel has seen many big game appointments so far, and that continued with this match in New York.
26th Minute: Chicago's David Accam breaks forward towards the goal, and RJ Allen has no choice but to trip him from behind in the box. Unkel calls a penalty and then issues a red card to Allen for Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (also known as a tactical foul).
FC Dallas 0-0 New York Red Bulls Referee: Ricardo Salazar (United States)
Salazar had a good match, continuing a good start to the season. Nothing to go in depth on.
Montreal 4-1 Real Salt Lake Referee: Silviu Petrescu (Canada)
Petrescu has certainly had his struggles this year, but he righted his ship in Salt Lake today.
42nd Minute: Petrescu points to the spot after Dominic Oduro of Montreal is tugged by Elias Vazquez in the box. I had a tough time seeing the contact at first, but a second look proved that there was a clear jersey tug by Vazquez. Good decision by Petrescu.
Vancouver 0-2 Seattle Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Geiger was up to his usual high standards in a match that required just one yellow card. No controversy at the BC Place.
New England 1-1 Toronto Referee: Sorin Stoica (Canada)
Stoica has seen some tough matches this year, but this was not one of them. Very little controversy from this match.
Houston 3-1 Portland Referee: Edvin Jurisevic (United States)
Jurisevic continued our trend of clean matches free of controversy with his performance in this match. Nothing to look at here either.
San Jose 2-0 Columbus Referee: Kevin Stott (United States)
Stott had a very good match, shaking off recent tough outings.
33rd Minute: Columbus Midfielder Mohammed Saeid was already on a yellow when he recklessly took out Shea Salinas at midfield. Stott gives him a second yellow and replays show that he was absolutely correct since the challenge certainly was reckless enough to earn a yellow. Good call by the veteran referee.
Orlando 4-0 Los Angeles Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
Marrufo had one very difficult call in the match, but I think he was just off.
56th Minute: Galaxy Goalkeeper Jaime Penedo stops Orlando's star Kaka for making an effort on goal. Marrufo, however, believes that Penedo got the man and not the ball, calling a penalty for Orlando. I can't find a conclusive angle, but it looks to me like Penedo got the ball in a clean save. No penalty for me on that play.
Philadelphia 1-0 DC United Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly had a very good match, which included correctly disallowing two goals for clear violations (1 hand, 1 push). Nice work by the veteran Irishman.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Key Appointments May 16-17
May 16
Sunderland vs. Leicester (BPL)
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant Referee: Mike Mullarkey
Assistant Referee: Stephen Child
Fourth Official: Chris Foy
Norwich City vs. Ipswich Town (Football League Championship Playoff Semifinal)
Referee: Roger East
Assistant Referee: Mark Scholes
Assistant Referee: Michael Salisbury
Fourth Official: James Linington
Wolfsburg vs. Dortmund (Bundesliga)
Referee: Marco Fritz
Assistant Referee: Christian Dietz
Assistant Referee: Dominik Schaal
Fourth Official: Mike Pickel
VfB Stuttgart vs. Hamburger SV (Bundesliga)
Referee: Manuel Gräfe
Assistant Referee: Guido Kleve
Assistant Referee: Jan Seidel
Fourth Official: Guido Winkmann
May 17
Manchester United vs. Arsenal (BPL)
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant Referee: Lee Betts
Assistant Referee: Simon Long
Fourth Official: Michael Oliver
Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona (La Liga)
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco
Assistant Referee: Roberto Diaz Perez Del Palomar
Assistant Referee: Jesus Zancada Lobato
Fourth Official: Carlos Lopez
Feel free to comment with any appointments you want added.
Sunderland vs. Leicester (BPL)
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant Referee: Mike Mullarkey
Assistant Referee: Stephen Child
Fourth Official: Chris Foy
Norwich City vs. Ipswich Town (Football League Championship Playoff Semifinal)
Referee: Roger East
Assistant Referee: Mark Scholes
Assistant Referee: Michael Salisbury
Fourth Official: James Linington
Referee: Marco Fritz
Assistant Referee: Christian Dietz
Assistant Referee: Dominik Schaal
Fourth Official: Mike Pickel
VfB Stuttgart vs. Hamburger SV (Bundesliga)
Referee: Manuel Gräfe
Assistant Referee: Guido Kleve
Assistant Referee: Jan Seidel
Fourth Official: Guido Winkmann
May 17
Manchester United vs. Arsenal (BPL)
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant Referee: Lee Betts
Assistant Referee: Simon Long
Fourth Official: Michael Oliver
Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona (La Liga)
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco
Assistant Referee: Roberto Diaz Perez Del Palomar
Assistant Referee: Jesus Zancada Lobato
Fourth Official: Carlos Lopez
Feel free to comment with any appointments you want added.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
UEFA Europa League Semifinals Leg 2: Mazic and Skomina head crews
Fiorentina 0-2 Sevilla (0-5 aggregate) Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)
Nothing to go in depth on.
Overview: Skomina was refereeing the biggest match of his career so far in Italy, but a solid performance proved that he was certainly up to the challenge. There weren't many situations for him to deal with, although there was one close no penalty call that he made that I just don't have a good enough angle to make a verdict on. Overall, a good match for Skomina, who at 39 has many years to continue to work towards a Final.
Dnipro 1-0 Napoli (2-1 aggregate) Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)
Nothing to go in depth on.
Overview: Mazic was nearly flawless in this match, a good end to a season which had a rough beginning in the World Cup with two controversial matches. Mazic seemed to be a good CL Quarterfinal performance away from getting the EL Final, and probably will be a top candidate again next year. Nice work by the Serbian referee and his crew.
Nothing to go in depth on.
Overview: Skomina was refereeing the biggest match of his career so far in Italy, but a solid performance proved that he was certainly up to the challenge. There weren't many situations for him to deal with, although there was one close no penalty call that he made that I just don't have a good enough angle to make a verdict on. Overall, a good match for Skomina, who at 39 has many years to continue to work towards a Final.
Dnipro 1-0 Napoli (2-1 aggregate) Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)
Nothing to go in depth on.
Overview: Mazic was nearly flawless in this match, a good end to a season which had a rough beginning in the World Cup with two controversial matches. Mazic seemed to be a good CL Quarterfinal performance away from getting the EL Final, and probably will be a top candidate again next year. Nice work by the Serbian referee and his crew.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Leg 2 Reports: Clattenburg and Eriksson referee crucial matches
Bayern Munich 3-2 FC Barcelona (3-5 aggregate) Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England)
No specific plays to go in depth on from this match.
Overview: Clattenburg quite surprisingly didn't have much to deal with in a high profile match. In fact, I only have two real criticisms from this match: 1) When Clattenburg issued Rafinha and Jordi Alba warnings, Alba appeared to touch Clattenburg's face. I know it might have been meant in jest, but Clattenburg can't tolerate that. A yellow would have been appropriate. 2) Jérôme Boateng should have seen yellow early in the 2nd half for a rough challenge. Despite these two issues, I think a good performance in this match under the eye of UEFA Referees Chief Pierluigi Collina, coupled with Milorad Mazic's EL Semi appointment really boost Clattenburg's chances of refereeing the EL Final. Regardless of the future, good refereeing from Clattenburg.
Juventus 1-1 Real Madrid (3-2 aggregate) Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Eriksson had a much harder match than Clattenburg, but I think his success was about equal.
22nd Minute: James Rodriguez is clipped in the calf by Giorgio Chiellini. Eriksson calls a penalty, which many criticized as soft, but I disagree with them. There was clear contact on the Rodriguez's calf by Chiellini. Very good call by Erikkson, since it easily could have looked like a dive from Rodriguez.
Overview: Good match by Eriksson overall. My main criticism would be that Rodriguez shouldn't have seen a yellow for diving in the 44th minute. It looks to me that the play was caught in between a penalty and a dive, and therefore play on would have been the right call. I also think that Eriksson might have missed two pushes on Paul Pogba. Tough to tell the amount of contact, but I think they could have been penalties very easily. Looking forward for Eriksson, I have a feeling we see him again this season. My best guess is he could be either the EL Final referee or the CL Final 4th Official this year, as this match did nothing to not justify an appointment in either match.
No specific plays to go in depth on from this match.
Overview: Clattenburg quite surprisingly didn't have much to deal with in a high profile match. In fact, I only have two real criticisms from this match: 1) When Clattenburg issued Rafinha and Jordi Alba warnings, Alba appeared to touch Clattenburg's face. I know it might have been meant in jest, but Clattenburg can't tolerate that. A yellow would have been appropriate. 2) Jérôme Boateng should have seen yellow early in the 2nd half for a rough challenge. Despite these two issues, I think a good performance in this match under the eye of UEFA Referees Chief Pierluigi Collina, coupled with Milorad Mazic's EL Semi appointment really boost Clattenburg's chances of refereeing the EL Final. Regardless of the future, good refereeing from Clattenburg.
Juventus 1-1 Real Madrid (3-2 aggregate) Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Eriksson had a much harder match than Clattenburg, but I think his success was about equal.
22nd Minute: James Rodriguez is clipped in the calf by Giorgio Chiellini. Eriksson calls a penalty, which many criticized as soft, but I disagree with them. There was clear contact on the Rodriguez's calf by Chiellini. Very good call by Erikkson, since it easily could have looked like a dive from Rodriguez.
Overview: Good match by Eriksson overall. My main criticism would be that Rodriguez shouldn't have seen a yellow for diving in the 44th minute. It looks to me that the play was caught in between a penalty and a dive, and therefore play on would have been the right call. I also think that Eriksson might have missed two pushes on Paul Pogba. Tough to tell the amount of contact, but I think they could have been penalties very easily. Looking forward for Eriksson, I have a feeling we see him again this season. My best guess is he could be either the EL Final referee or the CL Final 4th Official this year, as this match did nothing to not justify an appointment in either match.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Premier League Review Week 36
Stoke City 3-0 Tottenham Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Clattenburg, a growing Europa League Final candidate, had a very good match in what was an easy fixture to deal with
51st Minute: Vlad Chiriches of Tottenham, already booked, bowls over Mame Biram Diouf. Clattenburg correctly calls a foul and gives Chiriches a second yellow. Good work by England's top ref.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United Referee: Michael Oliver
Oliver struggled in this match, continuing his recent slide.
18th Minute: Oliver points to the spot after an alleged handball by Scott Dann of Crystal Palace. However, replays show that Dann clearly blocked the shot with his chest/shoulder area. Big mistake here by Oliver.
54th Minute: Juan Mata appears to step on Jason Puncheon while going for the ball in the box. It seems like a clear penalty, but Oliver is unmoved.
Manchester City 6-0 Queens Park Rangers Referee: Mike Dean
Dean had an easy match with just one penalty decision to make.
64th Minute: Matty Phillips of QPR pushes David Silva down as he tries to stop a set piece being played into the box. Tough to tell from the angle, but I think it was a penalty. Likely a good cal by Dean.
Newcastle 1-1 West Bromwich Albion Referee: Chris Foy
Aston Villa 1-0 West Ham Referee: Lee Mason
Leicester 2-0 Southampton Referee: Roger East
Everton 0-2 Sunderland Referee: Lee Probert
Hull City 0-1 Burnley Referee: Martin Atkinson
Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool Referee: Andre Marriner
Arsenal 0-1 Swansea Referee: Kevin Friend
No controversy for these 7 referees and their crews. Nothing to look at from these games.
Clattenburg, a growing Europa League Final candidate, had a very good match in what was an easy fixture to deal with
51st Minute: Vlad Chiriches of Tottenham, already booked, bowls over Mame Biram Diouf. Clattenburg correctly calls a foul and gives Chiriches a second yellow. Good work by England's top ref.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United Referee: Michael Oliver
Oliver struggled in this match, continuing his recent slide.
18th Minute: Oliver points to the spot after an alleged handball by Scott Dann of Crystal Palace. However, replays show that Dann clearly blocked the shot with his chest/shoulder area. Big mistake here by Oliver.
54th Minute: Juan Mata appears to step on Jason Puncheon while going for the ball in the box. It seems like a clear penalty, but Oliver is unmoved.
Manchester City 6-0 Queens Park Rangers Referee: Mike Dean
Dean had an easy match with just one penalty decision to make.
64th Minute: Matty Phillips of QPR pushes David Silva down as he tries to stop a set piece being played into the box. Tough to tell from the angle, but I think it was a penalty. Likely a good cal by Dean.
Newcastle 1-1 West Bromwich Albion Referee: Chris Foy
Aston Villa 1-0 West Ham Referee: Lee Mason
Leicester 2-0 Southampton Referee: Roger East
Everton 0-2 Sunderland Referee: Lee Probert
Hull City 0-1 Burnley Referee: Martin Atkinson
Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool Referee: Andre Marriner
Arsenal 0-1 Swansea Referee: Kevin Friend
No controversy for these 7 referees and their crews. Nothing to look at from these games.
Friday, May 8, 2015
MLS Week 10 Reports: Great week by MLS referees
Houston 0-1 San Jose Referee: Ricardo Salazar (United States)
Salazar continued his strong early-season form with a good match today.
57th Minute: Houston's Oscar Garcia brings the ball through two defenders right in front of the goal. San Jose Goalie David Bingham lucks out when Garcia takes a poor touch, but still has to foul the striker because their momentum was destined for a collision. Salazar correctly points to the spot but doesn't send Bingham off since it wasn't an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity.
Real Salt Lake 0-0 LA Galaxy Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero (United States)
Rivero, another referee who has been strong recently, had a very good effort in this match.
90th Minute: Jamison Olave pulls back LA Defender Omar Gonzalez as he tries to advance on a free kick. Rivero initially signals a dive against Gonzalez, but points to the spot after appearing to take a look at AR Fabio Tovar, who was signaling for a penalty. To me, it looked like there was enough contact to warrant a penalty kick, so I have to give compliments to the referees for working together to get the call right.
Orlando 2-2 New England Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
Unkel had a good match in an exciting competition between these two teams. No controversy here.
Colorado 1-1 San Jose Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
No controversy for the veteran referee Toledo. Nice work by him and his crew.
Chicago 1-2 Real Salt Lake Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
Fischer had another good match and could be a Gold Cup candidate as soon as 2017 in my opinion.
87th Minute: Elías Vázquez tries to make a sliding challenge on Shaun Maloney in the box. Maloney pulls the ball to the side and moves, but Vazquez's momentum still carries him to trip up Maloney. This was a cut and dry penalty for me, and Fischer agrees. Good penalty call by the young Canadian referee.
Montreal 1-2 Portland Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Geiger had a decent match, though I think he could have called a few more fouls against Portland.
78th Minute: Montreal think they have equalized at 2, but Geiger goes over to talk to AR Eric Boria, with the two deciding that Jack McInerney had pushed off of Jack Jewsbury right before scoring. When I look at the replays, it is clear that the two World Cup refs got it absolutely right. Absolutely outstanding spot by Boria.
DC United 1-1 Sporting Kansas City Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
Villarreal had a good match with little controversy. There was also one very good offside call from AR Kyle Longville to deny a KC goal. Nice work by the entire crew.
Vancouver 3-0 Philadelphia Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
Elfath had one very tough call in a match he handled very well in my opinion.
78th Minute: Philly Defender Richie Marquez goes in with his studs up on the airborne ankle of Cristian Techera. It is on the border between red and yellow for me, but Elfath confidently shows a red. Very tough for me, but I think it was a red because of how high the challenge was.
Columbus 3-2 Seattle Referee: Edvin Jurisevic (United States)
Jurisevic was strong in this game, but one AR decision drew questions from me.
75th Minute: Clint Dempsey narrows the score to 3-2 after firing in a rebound from a Obafemi Martins shot. The only problem is that Dempsey was offsides when the ball was played. Even though Dempsey didn't take the original shot, AR Jonathan Johnson still should have flagged him for offsides since by scoring he made himself part of the play. Tough call, but still a missed call by Johnson.
FC Dallas 2-1 LA Galaxy Referee: Kevin Stott (United States)
Only controversy for Stott came on disallowed LA goal because of an offside screen on the goalkeeper. Good call there by Stott, who was decent throughout the rest of the match.
Toronto 1-2 Houston Referee: Chris Penso (United States)
Penso had one penalty call in this match, and he got it right.
43rd Minute: Toronto's Michael Bradley slides in on World Cup teammate Demarcus Beasley in the box, getting all of Beasley and none of the ball. This was a pretty simple penalty call for Penso, who correctly pointed to the spot.
New York Red Bulls 2-1 NYCFC Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly, as well as ARs Brian Dunn and Peter Manikowski, had a very good game in the first New York derby.
36th Minute: New York's Matt Miazga, already booked, pushes over Khiry Shelton on a promising attack. Kelly correctly gives Miazga a second yellow. Good call by the longtime League of Island referee.
Thanks for reading!
Salazar continued his strong early-season form with a good match today.
57th Minute: Houston's Oscar Garcia brings the ball through two defenders right in front of the goal. San Jose Goalie David Bingham lucks out when Garcia takes a poor touch, but still has to foul the striker because their momentum was destined for a collision. Salazar correctly points to the spot but doesn't send Bingham off since it wasn't an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity.
Real Salt Lake 0-0 LA Galaxy Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero (United States)
Rivero, another referee who has been strong recently, had a very good effort in this match.
90th Minute: Jamison Olave pulls back LA Defender Omar Gonzalez as he tries to advance on a free kick. Rivero initially signals a dive against Gonzalez, but points to the spot after appearing to take a look at AR Fabio Tovar, who was signaling for a penalty. To me, it looked like there was enough contact to warrant a penalty kick, so I have to give compliments to the referees for working together to get the call right.
Orlando 2-2 New England Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
Unkel had a good match in an exciting competition between these two teams. No controversy here.
Colorado 1-1 San Jose Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
No controversy for the veteran referee Toledo. Nice work by him and his crew.
Chicago 1-2 Real Salt Lake Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
Fischer had another good match and could be a Gold Cup candidate as soon as 2017 in my opinion.
87th Minute: Elías Vázquez tries to make a sliding challenge on Shaun Maloney in the box. Maloney pulls the ball to the side and moves, but Vazquez's momentum still carries him to trip up Maloney. This was a cut and dry penalty for me, and Fischer agrees. Good penalty call by the young Canadian referee.
Montreal 1-2 Portland Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Geiger had a decent match, though I think he could have called a few more fouls against Portland.
78th Minute: Montreal think they have equalized at 2, but Geiger goes over to talk to AR Eric Boria, with the two deciding that Jack McInerney had pushed off of Jack Jewsbury right before scoring. When I look at the replays, it is clear that the two World Cup refs got it absolutely right. Absolutely outstanding spot by Boria.
DC United 1-1 Sporting Kansas City Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
Villarreal had a good match with little controversy. There was also one very good offside call from AR Kyle Longville to deny a KC goal. Nice work by the entire crew.
Vancouver 3-0 Philadelphia Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
Elfath had one very tough call in a match he handled very well in my opinion.
78th Minute: Philly Defender Richie Marquez goes in with his studs up on the airborne ankle of Cristian Techera. It is on the border between red and yellow for me, but Elfath confidently shows a red. Very tough for me, but I think it was a red because of how high the challenge was.
Columbus 3-2 Seattle Referee: Edvin Jurisevic (United States)
Jurisevic was strong in this game, but one AR decision drew questions from me.
75th Minute: Clint Dempsey narrows the score to 3-2 after firing in a rebound from a Obafemi Martins shot. The only problem is that Dempsey was offsides when the ball was played. Even though Dempsey didn't take the original shot, AR Jonathan Johnson still should have flagged him for offsides since by scoring he made himself part of the play. Tough call, but still a missed call by Johnson.
FC Dallas 2-1 LA Galaxy Referee: Kevin Stott (United States)
Only controversy for Stott came on disallowed LA goal because of an offside screen on the goalkeeper. Good call there by Stott, who was decent throughout the rest of the match.
Toronto 1-2 Houston Referee: Chris Penso (United States)
Penso had one penalty call in this match, and he got it right.
43rd Minute: Toronto's Michael Bradley slides in on World Cup teammate Demarcus Beasley in the box, getting all of Beasley and none of the ball. This was a pretty simple penalty call for Penso, who correctly pointed to the spot.
New York Red Bulls 2-1 NYCFC Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly, as well as ARs Brian Dunn and Peter Manikowski, had a very good game in the first New York derby.
36th Minute: New York's Matt Miazga, already booked, pushes over Khiry Shelton on a promising attack. Kelly correctly gives Miazga a second yellow. Good call by the longtime League of Island referee.
Thanks for reading!
Europa League Semifinals Leg 1 Reports: Brych and Moen are the referees
Sevilla FC 3-0 Fiorentina Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)
Nothing to go in depth on.
Overview: It was a decent effort overall by Brych, but I know he is capable of better. He struggled to get a consistent touch in the match, his only major error being a possible missed Fiorentina penalty in the 30th Minute. Still, all in all, an OK match from Brych.
Napoli 1-1 Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Referee: Sevin Oddvar Moen (Norway)
Moen and his assistants struggled in this match, leaving Rafa Benitez questioning whether the referees were unbiased.
80th Minute: Dnipro get an equalizer, but the Dnipro player who assisted the goal with a back heel was well offsides at the time of the passed. The AR1 doesn't raise the flag, leaving Napoli manager Rafa Benitez fuming to the point of saying that all six referees were supporting Dnipro.
Overview: Let's face it: Moen was a bit out of his depth in this match. However, you have to give him a break, given that this is probably the most important match he has refereed in his career. I think his biggest struggle was his consistency, just like Brych, but Moen didn't have the strong AR play and high scoring game to mask an iffy performance. Hopefully Moen shakes this off and comes back strong next year.
Nothing to go in depth on.
Overview: It was a decent effort overall by Brych, but I know he is capable of better. He struggled to get a consistent touch in the match, his only major error being a possible missed Fiorentina penalty in the 30th Minute. Still, all in all, an OK match from Brych.
Napoli 1-1 Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Referee: Sevin Oddvar Moen (Norway)
Moen and his assistants struggled in this match, leaving Rafa Benitez questioning whether the referees were unbiased.
80th Minute: Dnipro get an equalizer, but the Dnipro player who assisted the goal with a back heel was well offsides at the time of the passed. The AR1 doesn't raise the flag, leaving Napoli manager Rafa Benitez fuming to the point of saying that all six referees were supporting Dnipro.
Overview: Let's face it: Moen was a bit out of his depth in this match. However, you have to give him a break, given that this is probably the most important match he has refereed in his career. I think his biggest struggle was his consistency, just like Brych, but Moen didn't have the strong AR play and high scoring game to mask an iffy performance. Hopefully Moen shakes this off and comes back strong next year.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Leg 1 reports: Atkinson and Rizzoli take center stage
Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid Referee: Martin Atkinson (England)
Only one call in this game to go in depth on and it was a big one.
57th Minute: Daniel Carvajal tries a last ditch effort to stop a break by Carlos Tévez but ends up tripping him up. Atkinson is right on the scene and correctly points to the spot. Good decision by Atkinson, but he probably could have gone with a yellow card to Carvajal as well.
Overview: There were a couple areas Atkinson could have improved on, such as consistency with discipline, but he put in a solid performance without any glaring mistakes. I also have to give his assistants credit too, since both the 1-0 and 1-1 goals were very tight onsides calls.
Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
Nothing to go in depth on.
Overview: Rizzoli was excellent overall in this match. He maybe missed a foul here and there, but most of the things I have to say are in praise of his performance. His best call of the night in my opinion was the advantage right before the 3-0 goal. His assistants also deserve credit for a couple very good onside calls on 2 Barcelona chances. Overall, this game showed why Rizzoli was the World Cup Final Referee.
Only one call in this game to go in depth on and it was a big one.
57th Minute: Daniel Carvajal tries a last ditch effort to stop a break by Carlos Tévez but ends up tripping him up. Atkinson is right on the scene and correctly points to the spot. Good decision by Atkinson, but he probably could have gone with a yellow card to Carvajal as well.
Overview: There were a couple areas Atkinson could have improved on, such as consistency with discipline, but he put in a solid performance without any glaring mistakes. I also have to give his assistants credit too, since both the 1-0 and 1-1 goals were very tight onsides calls.
Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
Nothing to go in depth on.
Overview: Rizzoli was excellent overall in this match. He maybe missed a foul here and there, but most of the things I have to say are in praise of his performance. His best call of the night in my opinion was the advantage right before the 3-0 goal. His assistants also deserve credit for a couple very good onside calls on 2 Barcelona chances. Overall, this game showed why Rizzoli was the World Cup Final Referee.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Premier League Week 35 Review: Who wants a red card?
Leicester City 3-0 Newcastle Referee: Mike Dean
Dean had an outstanding match, despite having to deal with many tough situations.
48th Minute: Leicester's Marcin Wasilewski gets pushed in the box by Emmanuel Riviére off a set piece. Dean correctly points to spot and Leicester convert to take a 3-0 lead.
62nd Minute: Newcastle Defender Michael Williamson, already booked in this game, takes down Jamie Vardy well past the touchline and sends him into a camera. Dean gives Williamson the second yellow he deserved for that challenge, although I think a straight red for violent conduct would also have been appropriate in that situation.
91st Minute: Daryl Janmaat of Newcastle, already booked, trips up Vardy in a promising attack. Dean punishes Janmaat for the daft challenge with a second yellow, bringing Newcastle down to 9 men.
Liverpool 2-1 Queens Park Rangers Referee: Martin Atkinson
Many Liverpool fans were concerned about having Atkinson as the referee for this match after his performance in the derby match vs. Manchester United, but their fears were quashed when he performed quite well in this match.
78th Minute: Liverpool get a penalty after Martin Skrtel is pulled from behind in the box by Nedum Onouha, who got a yellow for his foul. Good call there by Atkinson.
82nd Minute: Onouha, who as we know was booked just minutes earlier, trips up Jordan Ibe recklessly. This was a clear second yellow card situation, and Atkinson gets it right by giving Onouha his marching orders.
Sunderland 2-1 Southampton Referee: Mike Jones
Jones had a pretty good match, though I thought one of his calls was a little bit harsh.
20th Minute: Jones points to the spot after Sunderland's Danny Graham is kicked in the head by Jose Fonte going for a ball in the box. It was a clear penalty but Jones probably could have shown Fonte a yellow for his kick.
53rd Minute: Jermain Defoe gets knocked over from behind by James Ward-Prowse in the box. Jones calls a penalty and sends Ward-Prowse off. I agree with the penalty call, but I unfortunately think a red card was too harsh since Defoe had almost lost the ball anyway and sure wasn't going to score. Tough call but still a mistake from Jones.
Aston Villa 3-2 Everton Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Clattenburg had a decent outing, with his most important call being spot on.
58th Minute: Steven Naismith finds himself in the middle of a penalty box clump of Villa defenders and is pulled back while exiting by Ron Vlaar. Clattenburg does well to spot the infringement and points to the spot. Good call by the BPL's top referee.
West Ham United 1-0 Burnley Referee: Jonathan Moss
Moss had a pretty good outing, though he did make one important error.
23rd Minute: Cheikou Kouyate of West Ham gets tripped up by Matt Duff in the box. Moss correctly calls a penalty, but then follows by shockingly sending Duff off. This challenge was borderline yellow and certainly not a red in my opinion. Moss must have thought that Duff's challenge was denying a goal scoring opportunity, but he was wrong if so.
UPDATE: Duff's red card was rescinded by the FA on Thursday May 7.
Swansea City 2-0 Stoke City Referee: Craig Pawson
Pawson, who I think is very underrated as a referee, put in a fine performance in a mid table match.
84th Minute: Marc Wilson, already booked, is forced to trip up Jefferson Montero to stop his attack. It was a tough call because of how borderline it was, but I think Pawson correctly saw that Wilson had stopped a promising attack on the play and therefore was guilty of a yellow. Good decision by Pawson.
Manchester United 0-1 West Bromwich Referee: Anthony Taylor
Taylor recovered well from a tough match last time out to put in a strong performance in this fixture.
72nd Minute: Taylor points to the spot after Saido Berahino handballs a United shot on the edge of the area. It was tough to see whether Berahino's body and feet were in the area or not, but the only his hand matters and it certainly was in the area when it hit the ball. Good eyes by Taylor.
Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace Referee: Kevin Friend
Friend had one tough call in the match, and I think he got it right.
44th Minute: Eden Hazard goes down in the box after a James McArthur challenge. McArthur appears to have nicked the ball, but he went through Hazard to do so. Friend correctly signals a penalty kick for Chelsea, leading to an Eden Hazard goal on a rebound.
Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester City Referee: Andre Marriner
Hull City 1-3 Arsenal Referee: Lee Mason
No controversy for Marriner and Mason. Good work by those two and their crews.
Dean had an outstanding match, despite having to deal with many tough situations.
48th Minute: Leicester's Marcin Wasilewski gets pushed in the box by Emmanuel Riviére off a set piece. Dean correctly points to spot and Leicester convert to take a 3-0 lead.
62nd Minute: Newcastle Defender Michael Williamson, already booked in this game, takes down Jamie Vardy well past the touchline and sends him into a camera. Dean gives Williamson the second yellow he deserved for that challenge, although I think a straight red for violent conduct would also have been appropriate in that situation.
91st Minute: Daryl Janmaat of Newcastle, already booked, trips up Vardy in a promising attack. Dean punishes Janmaat for the daft challenge with a second yellow, bringing Newcastle down to 9 men.
Liverpool 2-1 Queens Park Rangers Referee: Martin Atkinson
Many Liverpool fans were concerned about having Atkinson as the referee for this match after his performance in the derby match vs. Manchester United, but their fears were quashed when he performed quite well in this match.
78th Minute: Liverpool get a penalty after Martin Skrtel is pulled from behind in the box by Nedum Onouha, who got a yellow for his foul. Good call there by Atkinson.
82nd Minute: Onouha, who as we know was booked just minutes earlier, trips up Jordan Ibe recklessly. This was a clear second yellow card situation, and Atkinson gets it right by giving Onouha his marching orders.
Sunderland 2-1 Southampton Referee: Mike Jones
Jones had a pretty good match, though I thought one of his calls was a little bit harsh.
20th Minute: Jones points to the spot after Sunderland's Danny Graham is kicked in the head by Jose Fonte going for a ball in the box. It was a clear penalty but Jones probably could have shown Fonte a yellow for his kick.
53rd Minute: Jermain Defoe gets knocked over from behind by James Ward-Prowse in the box. Jones calls a penalty and sends Ward-Prowse off. I agree with the penalty call, but I unfortunately think a red card was too harsh since Defoe had almost lost the ball anyway and sure wasn't going to score. Tough call but still a mistake from Jones.
Aston Villa 3-2 Everton Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Clattenburg had a decent outing, with his most important call being spot on.
58th Minute: Steven Naismith finds himself in the middle of a penalty box clump of Villa defenders and is pulled back while exiting by Ron Vlaar. Clattenburg does well to spot the infringement and points to the spot. Good call by the BPL's top referee.
West Ham United 1-0 Burnley Referee: Jonathan Moss
Moss had a pretty good outing, though he did make one important error.
23rd Minute: Cheikou Kouyate of West Ham gets tripped up by Matt Duff in the box. Moss correctly calls a penalty, but then follows by shockingly sending Duff off. This challenge was borderline yellow and certainly not a red in my opinion. Moss must have thought that Duff's challenge was denying a goal scoring opportunity, but he was wrong if so.
UPDATE: Duff's red card was rescinded by the FA on Thursday May 7.
Swansea City 2-0 Stoke City Referee: Craig Pawson
Pawson, who I think is very underrated as a referee, put in a fine performance in a mid table match.
84th Minute: Marc Wilson, already booked, is forced to trip up Jefferson Montero to stop his attack. It was a tough call because of how borderline it was, but I think Pawson correctly saw that Wilson had stopped a promising attack on the play and therefore was guilty of a yellow. Good decision by Pawson.
Manchester United 0-1 West Bromwich Referee: Anthony Taylor
Taylor recovered well from a tough match last time out to put in a strong performance in this fixture.
72nd Minute: Taylor points to the spot after Saido Berahino handballs a United shot on the edge of the area. It was tough to see whether Berahino's body and feet were in the area or not, but the only his hand matters and it certainly was in the area when it hit the ball. Good eyes by Taylor.
Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace Referee: Kevin Friend
Friend had one tough call in the match, and I think he got it right.
44th Minute: Eden Hazard goes down in the box after a James McArthur challenge. McArthur appears to have nicked the ball, but he went through Hazard to do so. Friend correctly signals a penalty kick for Chelsea, leading to an Eden Hazard goal on a rebound.
Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester City Referee: Andre Marriner
Hull City 1-3 Arsenal Referee: Lee Mason
No controversy for Marriner and Mason. Good work by those two and their crews.
Henry Bejarano is our April Referee of the Month
Saturday, May 2, 2015
MLS Week 9 Reports: Lots of close AR calls
New York Red Bulls 1-1 Colorado Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Geiger had a good match, once again showing why he is America's top referee.
30th Minute: Geiger calls a penalty after New York's Sacha Kljestan goes down in the box. I didn't see anything on the first glance, but after watching a couple replays it was clear that Ben Newman had pulled back Kljestan as he was trying to slide into a cross. Outstanding spot from Geiger.
Houston 1-4 FC Dallas Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
2 days after Geiger's strong Wednesday match, Marrufo, America's number two referee, also had a very good game. Good work by him and his crew. Nothing to look at here.
Real Salt Lake 1-1 San Jose Referee: Sorin Stoica (Canada)
Stoica himself didn't face much controversy, but his assistant drew the ire of RSL fans for a missed offside call.
19th Minute: Chris Wondolowski puts home a through ball to give San Jose a 1-0 lead. The only problem was that he was clearly offside. Somehow, though, Assistant Referee Anthony Vasoli fails to see this and allow the goal. Huge mistake there from the AR.
Philadelphia 0-1 Toronto Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
Villarreal faced little controversy, but a call by the AR again caught my eye.
79th Minute: Philly's Fernando Aristeguieta thinks he has headed in a tying goal off a set piece, but AR Corey Parker signals for offsides. This was a very tight call, but I think Collum Warner played Aristeguieta on. I can't blame Parker too much, though, since it was such as tight call.
DC United 2-0 Columbus Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
Toledo had a very good match. Nothing to look at from the longtime referee.
New England 2-1 New York Referee: Marcos de Oliveira (United States)
de Oliveira, listed as a fourth official, had an overall average performance, but made one huge mistake.
42nd Minute: New York's Felipe gets pushed from behind by Teal Bunburg inside the penalty area. It looks like a clear cut penalty to me, but de Oliveira doesn't call it. Big mistake from the young referee.
LA Galaxy 1-1 Colorado Referee: Fotis Bazakos (United States)
Not much controversy for Bazakos and his crew, including AR Brian Poeschel, who had 1 outstanding offside decision to deny Colorado a goal.
Portland 0-0 Vancouver Referee: Allen Chapman (United States)
Chapman had a good game. Just one piece to look at from this fixture.
29th Minute: A Portland shot strikes the elbow of Pa Moudou Kah in the box. Chapman waits awhile and may have been helped by AR George Ganser before calling a penalty kick. Since Kah's arm, including his elbow, was outstretched, I agree with the penalty call from Chapman. Good work!
Kansas City 1-0 Chicago Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero (United States)
Rivero had a decent game and communicated well with his fourth official to get a late call right.
89th Minute: Chicago's David Accam throws a forearm to the face of Jalil Anibaba as he goes for a ball. Fourth Official Nima Saghafi detects the foul and appears to tell Rivero to give Accam his marching orders. When I watch the replays, it looks like there was enough intent by Accam to justify a sending off. Nice work by both Rivero and Saghafi.
New York City FC 1-3 Seattle Referee: Silviu Petrescu (Canada)
Petrescu struggled in this match with a questionable sending off seen by some as a glaring error.
88th Minute: NYCFC's Kwame Watson-Siriobe, already on a yellow, appears to bump Obafemi Martins with a little push. It's definitely a foul, but Petrescu gives him a second yellow, which seems harsh. I think Petrescu might have been fooled by the way Martins sold the foul. Whatever the reason, I still believe that Petrescu got it wrong on the call.
Thanks for reading!
Geiger had a good match, once again showing why he is America's top referee.
30th Minute: Geiger calls a penalty after New York's Sacha Kljestan goes down in the box. I didn't see anything on the first glance, but after watching a couple replays it was clear that Ben Newman had pulled back Kljestan as he was trying to slide into a cross. Outstanding spot from Geiger.
Houston 1-4 FC Dallas Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
2 days after Geiger's strong Wednesday match, Marrufo, America's number two referee, also had a very good game. Good work by him and his crew. Nothing to look at here.
Real Salt Lake 1-1 San Jose Referee: Sorin Stoica (Canada)
Stoica himself didn't face much controversy, but his assistant drew the ire of RSL fans for a missed offside call.
19th Minute: Chris Wondolowski puts home a through ball to give San Jose a 1-0 lead. The only problem was that he was clearly offside. Somehow, though, Assistant Referee Anthony Vasoli fails to see this and allow the goal. Huge mistake there from the AR.
Philadelphia 0-1 Toronto Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
Villarreal faced little controversy, but a call by the AR again caught my eye.
79th Minute: Philly's Fernando Aristeguieta thinks he has headed in a tying goal off a set piece, but AR Corey Parker signals for offsides. This was a very tight call, but I think Collum Warner played Aristeguieta on. I can't blame Parker too much, though, since it was such as tight call.
DC United 2-0 Columbus Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
Toledo had a very good match. Nothing to look at from the longtime referee.
New England 2-1 New York Referee: Marcos de Oliveira (United States)
de Oliveira, listed as a fourth official, had an overall average performance, but made one huge mistake.
42nd Minute: New York's Felipe gets pushed from behind by Teal Bunburg inside the penalty area. It looks like a clear cut penalty to me, but de Oliveira doesn't call it. Big mistake from the young referee.
LA Galaxy 1-1 Colorado Referee: Fotis Bazakos (United States)
Not much controversy for Bazakos and his crew, including AR Brian Poeschel, who had 1 outstanding offside decision to deny Colorado a goal.
Portland 0-0 Vancouver Referee: Allen Chapman (United States)
Chapman had a good game. Just one piece to look at from this fixture.
29th Minute: A Portland shot strikes the elbow of Pa Moudou Kah in the box. Chapman waits awhile and may have been helped by AR George Ganser before calling a penalty kick. Since Kah's arm, including his elbow, was outstretched, I agree with the penalty call from Chapman. Good work!
Kansas City 1-0 Chicago Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero (United States)
Rivero had a decent game and communicated well with his fourth official to get a late call right.
89th Minute: Chicago's David Accam throws a forearm to the face of Jalil Anibaba as he goes for a ball. Fourth Official Nima Saghafi detects the foul and appears to tell Rivero to give Accam his marching orders. When I watch the replays, it looks like there was enough intent by Accam to justify a sending off. Nice work by both Rivero and Saghafi.
New York City FC 1-3 Seattle Referee: Silviu Petrescu (Canada)
Petrescu struggled in this match with a questionable sending off seen by some as a glaring error.
88th Minute: NYCFC's Kwame Watson-Siriobe, already on a yellow, appears to bump Obafemi Martins with a little push. It's definitely a foul, but Petrescu gives him a second yellow, which seems harsh. I think Petrescu might have been fooled by the way Martins sold the foul. Whatever the reason, I still believe that Petrescu got it wrong on the call.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, May 1, 2015
Appointments May 2-3 Key Matches
May 2
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
Referee: Christian Dingert
Assistant Referee: Tobias Christ
Assistant Referee: Arne Aarnink
Fourth Official: Christoph Bornhost
Sevilla vs. Real Madrid (La Liga)
Referee: José Luis Gonzalez
Assistant Referee: José María Sánchez Santos
Assistant Referee: Jon Núñez Fernández
Fourth Official: Fernando Román
New England vs. New York (MLS)
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
Assistant Referee: Jeff Muschik
Assistant Referee: Mark Cahen
Fourth Official: Alan Kelly
May 3
Tottenham vs. Manchester City (BPL)
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistant Referee: Scott Ledger
Assistant Referee: Marc Perry
Fourth Official: Neil Swarbrick
Feel free to leave any appointments you want added in the comment section and I will be sure to put them in. Also, don't forget to vote in the referee of the month poll.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
Referee: Christian Dingert
Assistant Referee: Tobias Christ
Assistant Referee: Arne Aarnink
Fourth Official: Christoph Bornhost
Sevilla vs. Real Madrid (La Liga)
Referee: José Luis Gonzalez
Assistant Referee: José María Sánchez Santos
Assistant Referee: Jon Núñez Fernández
Fourth Official: Fernando Román
New England vs. New York (MLS)
Referee: Marcos de Oliveira
Assistant Referee: Jeff Muschik
Assistant Referee: Mark Cahen
Fourth Official: Alan Kelly
May 3
Tottenham vs. Manchester City (BPL)
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistant Referee: Scott Ledger
Assistant Referee: Marc Perry
Fourth Official: Neil Swarbrick
Feel free to leave any appointments you want added in the comment section and I will be sure to put them in. Also, don't forget to vote in the referee of the month poll.
Bits and Pieces: Some news and the three finalists for the referee of the month
Refereeing News
Greek referees could face trouble due to potential FIFA sanctions on country-by Neil Tyler
Athens, Greece- FIFA and UEFA sent a letter to the Hellenic Football Federation of Greece demanding that if amendments were not made to a bill on sports violence, they would suspend the federation. This could directly effect referees Tasos Sidiropolous, who was appointed for the UEFA U-21 Tournament this year, and Thalia Mitsi, who is scheduled to referee at the Women's World Cup in Canada, as neither would be eligible to referee internationally anymore. The Greek government is reportedly trying to work out changes, but if they don't it would not be good for referees like Sidiropolous and Mitsi who want a chance to prove themselves at a high level.
April Referee of the Month Nominees
The following three referees were selected by our writers as the Referee of the Month Nominees. Now our readers can vote in a poll on the side of this article.
Henry Bejarano (Costa Rica)- by Manuel Martinez
Why he should be referee of the month: The CONCACAF Champions League Final was not an easy assignment, and it was clear that the two teams couldn't stand each other. However, Bejarano kept cool and refereed a solid match, while keeping the game pretty much under control.
Norbert Hauata (Tahiti)-by Mark Bradford
Why he should be referee of the month: The OFC Champions League isn't as difficult as some other tournaments, but keep in mind that Hauata refereed six matches in the tournament, including a semi final and the final, with hardly any controversy. By volume of effort, he deserves the award.
Felix Brych (Germany)-by Harrison Johnson
Why he should be referee of the month: The UEFA Champions League is one of the hardest cups in the world to referee, and Brych had a great game in one of its most difficult possible fixtures: The Madrid Derby (known for confrontations between players). Also, he has done well in the German league, one of the toughest leagues in the world to referee in.
NOTE: Refereeing News by Neil Tyler.
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