Philadelphia, PA (Betting Express) - This isn't one of those stories begging the reader to spare some kindness toward the chaotic officiating in the 2006 World Cup.
This isn't one of those stories asking you to forgive the referees for some of the absolutely ridiculous calls that have forced world class players to the bench for an important game.
This also isn't one of those stories that lays blame squarely on the referee either. It's more of a story which aims to blame nearly everyone, from the referees to the players, coaches and even FIFA.
The Portugal-Netherlands nightmare of a soccer game seemed to be the final straw. It was a full 90 plus minutes of uncontrolled tempers, raging emotions and unfortunate outcomes. A single goal game that could have been one of the tournament's most exciting games to date; rather, we're all discussing the red and yellow colors we witnessed instead of soccer.
In the 20th minute, referee Valentin Ivanov issues a caution to Maniche. In the 46th minute, Costinha is issued a red card; the 60th minute: Luis Figo is issued the yellow; the 63rd: Khalid Boulahrouz is issued the red card and so on, and so on, and so on and well... you know the rest.
It was, needless to say, a complete mess, a debacle of a game that nearly came to blows on several different occasions.
This wasn't the beautiful sport, this wasn't World Cup soccer and this definitely isn't what soccer is all about.
However, it is completely naive to think that soccer and any other sport is immune to such events. Unfortunately, these things happen. Emotions will run crazy at times; pushing and shoving, along with flagrant fouls, or perhaps even retaliation fouls, will inevitably take place in any sport. But beyond the 90 minutes, it was the events following this match that helped make it such an ugly one, a 90 minutes that will be covered in red for years to come.
WHERE IS FIFA IN ALL OF THIS
Portugal was angry, while the Netherlands team was understandably upset. Apparently so was FIFA. But instead of lending some much needed support to its battled referee, FIFA instead laid the blame, pointing a bold finger directly at Ivanov.
Reports filed just a day after the game quoted FIFA president Sepp Blatter saying something to the effect that the referee needed to give himself a yellow card.
Is that supposed to be funny?
Because I have trouble believing that anyone is really laughing.
Rather than helping to save the referee from a tremendous amount of scrutiny, FIFA threw him under the bus. It's as plain and simple as that. FIFA washed its hands clean of the game, leaving the referee to fend for himself.
Neither is it fair nor right for a league that hired this referee to turn its back on him in a pool of criticisms.
I understand all of the criticism toward the referees in this tournament; I've had my share of it in earlier columns too. There have been inconsistent offside calls that have costs teams a win or forced a loss. There have been yellow and red cards issued when all that was needed was a conversation, perhaps even a verbal warning. Some of the referees have acted too quickly and too strongly to fouls that inevitably are a part of everyday soccer.
As a result, a game that is supposed to be played with continuity has been anything but.
However, is this really only the referee's fault; are we justified in blaming the 1-0 outcome and numerous cards on just the guy standing alone in the center of the field with a whistle?
A LITTLE HELP PLEASE?
Instead of laying the blame solely on the referee, perhaps it's time to think of the players and coaches from Sunday night, and maybe what role they could have played.
Sure, a lot of the calls were questionable, some of the cards were not warranted -- two big factors that led ultimately to a complete loss of control.
But at the same time, the players didn't make things any easier, nor did the coaches. When things get out of hand like that, the responsibility to regain control cannot and should not fall squarely on the referee alone. Yes, it is their job to make the calls, but when things begin to get violent, as they did on Sunday, the responsibility shifts a bit to both benches.
During Sunday's match, it didn't appear that either coach attempted to provide any assistance that night. ESPN's broadcast of the match flashed angry shots of both coaches after some of the game's most crucial fouls. These coaches were upset, angered at the events taking place in such a crucial game -- and that is understandable. But, perhaps maybe the coaches or the captains could have tried to settle down their players, making some attempt to regain control on the field.
MOVING FORWARD RATHER THAN BACKWARD
Whether you liked it or not, FIFA's reaction to Sunday night's game was a step backward, a way of publicly adding insult to injury. The league, as well as Germany, has done a tremendous job in putting together the world's finest tournament. But Blatter's comments were undeserved.
Instead of singling out either the referee, the players, or the coaches, maybe its time to figure out a way for everyone collectively to take responsibility.
For the referees, perhaps its time to see more conversations with players before immediately issuing a yellow card or red card. The swiping motion from a referee's pocket of that all too familiar neon yellow rectangle and its presentation to a stunned player has become almost sickening.
Pulling out a yellow or red card prematurely is similar to an umpire in baseball issuing a warning immediately after a player has been hit by a pitch. Any baseball fan knows that not all pitches hitting a batter are intended to send a message. At times, the quick warning has proven instead to make a relaxed situation intense.
It's no different in soccer. When a yellow card comes out, at least in this tournament, the situation on the field has automatically escalated. And things aren't getting any better, as athletes who are accustomed to playing a certain way, must now try to readjust to the sporadic and inconsistent refereeing styles in each game.
More communication between referees and players is necessary throughout the game. Referees should remind a player what can and will not be tolerated. It sounds simple, maybe even a bit obvious, but surely it's a better solution than expecting a referee to award a team a make up call for having made a previous bad call, a ridiculous theory by itself.
Communication reportedly took place with England's team, when the BBC reported on Wednesday that two former referees visited with players to explain the new FIFA rules of the game. Perhaps in future World Cup tournaments, this dialogue can become routine, in order to ensure that the Portgual-Netherlands game doesn't happen again.
At the same time, referees need to be able to command respect from both FIFA and the players. In 2006, it appears the rules have been allowed to be set aside.
FIFA announced on Wednesday that Ivanov would not be part of the officiating crews for the quarterfinals. The Russian referee was not included on the 12 crews named by the league who are eligible to be on the field for the remaining matches.
For now, this action is probably for the best, but it's certainly far from the solution.
