Match #61
Saint Petersburg, 10 July 2018 20:00 CET
France - Belgium
Referee: Andrés Cunha (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mauricio Espinosa (URU)
Fourth Official: César Ramos (MEX)
Fifth Official: Marvin Torrentera (MEX)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
AVAR1: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR 2: Roberto Díaz Pérez Del Palomar (ESP)
AVAR 3: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
Saint Petersburg, 10 July 2018 20:00 CET
France - Belgium
Referee: Andrés Cunha (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mauricio Espinosa (URU)
Fourth Official: César Ramos (MEX)
Fifth Official: Marvin Torrentera (MEX)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
AVAR1: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
AVAR 2: Roberto Díaz Pérez Del Palomar (ESP)
AVAR 3: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
A surprising appointment, let's hope Cunha rises to the occasion!
ReplyDeleteLets see, good luck.
ReplyDeleteI just thought... people are saying this was the "hard" semifinal but given the number of teammates and friends between the teams, perhaps Cunha will have an easier game than Cakir.
ReplyDeleteThen if Belgium and England reach the final,, final game will be easier than semifinals for referee
DeletePoor César Ramos forced to wear half sleeve shirt today! 😪
ReplyDeleteI didn’t recognize him
DeleteAt first I thought you were referring to the weather which was surprising because it's 61F, which isn't so bad... then I realized it's Ramos, and he loves his long sleeves. :)
DeleteMaybe to be consistent with Cunha's kit... Cunha doesn't like long sleeves at all :D
DeleteHe had to sacrifice his customary Long Sleeves to ensure a uniform look amongst the crew.
DeleteThe Belgium commentator said that AR2 Espinosa is The Godfather of Goal Line Technology.
ReplyDeleteThat he is!
DeleteI hope we have a GLT incident on Espinosa's side this game. It would be a nice closure to his story to come full circle like that :)
Delete14 minutes played without a single foul whistled by Cunha... Wow!
ReplyDelete*whistled* is the key to this stat, there's been at least one advantage given
DeleteCunha got caught dodging Pogba's dribble on that play where Pogba passed the ball through to Mbappe; if Mbappe got onto the end of that and the defender challenged him, Cunha would have been in a very difficult position to view the play.
ReplyDeleteNot blaming him outright though, as he had to get out of Pogba's way and that left him with nowhere to go. Very challenging situation to develop good positioning from.
First foul whistled at 17' mark... Is that some kind of a record??
ReplyDeleteAs I remember Spain-Germany 2010 semifinal Kassai whistled the first freekick after 27 mins :)
DeleteThe match ended without a YC as well if I remember correctly... Isn't it??
DeleteExactly, the disciplinary control was absolutely built up. :)
DeleteFrom there to the lows of 2017... Unbelievable!
DeleteDamn what is wrong on this wc,,we can't watch replays correctly,,
ReplyDeleteReplay is no issue. I want to see tempo and passion. Too many boring matches that look like friendly games.
DeleteWithout southAmerican countries its impossible
DeleteHis positioning requires improvement he is getting in the way of players and passing lanes
ReplyDeleteAgreed. He looks a little unagile. But let's be clear, these picky criticisms we are finding for these referees are not really serious issues in the grand scheme of things.
DeleteI just wanted to say that I don't like the want he runs and position himself.
DeleteMr.soham ,is it the best way of warning a player?
ReplyDeleteIt evidently worked well for Cunha in the Spain - Iran game.
DeleteCunha changes his approach based on games so I'm sure he devises the style based what is most likely to work in a particular game!
DeleteAnother missed tight offside?
ReplyDeleteNo, it was the correct call, Belgium's right back kept him on! The camera angle had me fooled too until the commentator mentioned the right back. Excellent decision.
DeleteExcellent onside call by AR1 Taran, Belgium's right back kept Mbappe onside.
ReplyDeleteHe gave Hazard an "advantage" on that play. But there was no better advantage for Hazard and Belgium than actually whistling for a foul.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteNice advantage in 39‘ almost leading to a goal.
ReplyDeleteThe fouled player was complaining about the advantage as though he wanted a free kick.... and then his team goes and nearly scores and wins a corner. I wish Cunha just looked back at the player and gave him a little wink ;)
DeleteGood advantage
ReplyDelete43': promising attack? YC?
ReplyDeleteRather yes, but there were some Belgian defenders who obstructed the way to the goal. So, no YC is okay in the overall context.
Delete44' maybe yc?
ReplyDeleteNot a yellow card?
ReplyDeleteNo yellow there for Dembele? Meh, I guess it's consistent with how the rest of the tournament has been called as far as stopping promising attacks go...
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right
DeleteI agree with no YC
ReplyDeleteIs this semifinal really? Another boring game
ReplyDeleteThis is far from boring. Excellent pace, 1 great chance on each side and few more attempts, and on the other great defensive covering by both sides
DeleteYeah I don't think this game's been boring. From a referee standpoint year a bit boring, and there haven't been many clear-cut chances, but both teams are playing really well and having good build-up play
DeleteWell now we can see hot game
DeleteYes very boring
DeleteOk.so far so good.
ReplyDeleteNot the highest requirements for Cunha in the first half. He did well and without major mistakes.
ReplyDeletePositive: advantage play, fast movement
Improvable: positioning near penalty area
Well not so hard game for Cunha. Maybe missed YC but Ok. Can anybody answer me who will be the favourite to be main referee in final if that is France England.
ReplyDeleteI think Alireza Faghani has good chances. Also Sandro Ricci and maybe even Nestor Pitana in my opinion could be possible
DeleteNestor for final ;)
Delete54’ : Dembele had to be booked. That’s enough ! Bad card management by Cunha, too easy way of refereeing...
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion for a BAD card management you should miss at least 3 cards. Not just one. Anyway, yes it seems a missed YC
DeleteWell I think at this toornament we saw so many possible YC for SPA not given...So I would not call this a bad management and as long as the game stays calm everything is fine
DeleteBad management on this action guys. Please note this is the same player than from 43’ mn so clear card here...
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DeleteGood yellow for Hazard to take, France could've had a 2-on-1 counterattack. Easy yellow for Cunha, and with Belgium pressing forward in need of another goal you might see a few more similar plays like that. France is so dangerous on the counter.
ReplyDeleteAaaaaaaannnnd there it is.
DeleteI see Ramos has donned the FIFA jacket, hiding his forearms from the vicious light again.
ReplyDeleteWrong YC?
ReplyDeleteLooked to be a promising attack to me (though admittedly it was tough to tell because the television operator decided to go for a close-up at the worst possible time...)
DeleteThat was no YC!
ReplyDeleteStill not demanding for Cunha, but I must say that he does very well. Collina and Busacca will be happy if nothing happens in the last minutes of the game.
ReplyDeleteAnd where is yellow for witsel???
ReplyDeleteMissed YC in '74 for Witsel
ReplyDeleteFor me clear YC for Witsel missed after hard foul on griezmann
ReplyDeleteAnd now for Fellaini..m.Stop with the leniency.
ReplyDeleteWoW WoW WoW, this osn’t YC for pulling ?! Come on...
ReplyDeleteI cant understand that.
Delete79' wasn't that a foul?
ReplyDeleteClear foul,how he missed it
Deleteclear foul
DeleteI think it was a foul but Giroud touched the ball so slightly, I can understand Cunha‘s decision to play on
DeleteI guess anybody can force themselves to see something, even when there is nothing ("slight touch of the ball") to see.
DeleteHe got the ball IMO
DeleteWhat a mistake in very promising position not to give foul for Belgium.
ReplyDeletehow it cannot be a foul???
ReplyDeleteFirst mistake, no Free Kick for Belgium after foul on Hazard “79
ReplyDeleteWas it a card fo conte?
DeleteFoul or no for you guys on Giroud on Hazard? Giroud gets a VERY tiny touch of the ball and a big chunk of Hazard's leg... acceptable decision but it could go either way, what do you guys think? Cunha was in excellent position.
ReplyDeleteHe was and because of that his mistake is even bigger. How could he miss that?
DeleteTouch? I've seen multiple teplrep from multiple angles and haven't been able to to see the slight touch that some of you claim.
DeleteLook closely again Sheriff, he just very slightly nicks the ball.
DeleteWhat a miss by Cunha. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteOn that level , in a sf of WC....
Foul detection beyond all expectations in a easy match.
What's so crucial here to be unbelievable?
DeleteAre you expecting to see crucial mistakes in all WC matches? And be happy if game ended without crucial mistake?
DeleteI think that we must expecting top class referring.
Unbelievable is that ref can't detect clear foul from 3 meters.
DeleteShocking...
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ReplyDeleteAre we watching the same match?
DeleteWe we have GLT so no worried about missed goals with the Uruguay crew 😉😉
DeleteAnd penalties for handling...
DeleteYes sorry I exaggeraded a bit because of Mbappé things. Overall a solid performance.
Deleteeasy game but the only challenging scene, he missed. he is lucky that the game was so easy. He was also awful in SPAIN-IRAN.
ReplyDeleteClearly FIFA is of a different opinion than you
DeleteAs a referee you look rediculous trying to "sell" a call that you clearly missed. Cunha with a great and clear sightlines, missed Girouds clear foul. And as such deprived Belgium of a promising free kick from a great position on the pitch.
ReplyDeleteFoul on Hazard 100%. First serious mistake.
ReplyDeleteYes, 7.9 for sure.
DeleteAnd now this yc for Kante was little foul compared to Witsel,Dembele or Fellaini fouls
ReplyDeleteBalancing with cards, I agree.
DeleteBut it's clever decision IMO
Agree with M...clear disharmony card management...
DeleteSo we can eliminate Cunha for final :)
ReplyDeleteDon't use the count the fouls tactic when the player yourey cautioning isn't guilty of persistent infringement.
ReplyDeletefoul on Pogba he missed
ReplyDeleteWhy 6 mins??
ReplyDeleteMatuidi injury
DeleteCome on guys, are you serious? Are you watching a different game? Cunha is far away from losing control and being biased. He‘s doing a pretty decent job with some minor mistakes like everyone does in a football match. Sometimes I have the impression that every small mistake like a wrong corner or a missed foul is treated like a crucial mistake.
ReplyDelete6 minutes of additional time is adequate.
He is not biased. That missed foul in promising position was his only big mistake. No one will talk about him after the game (as cause for Belgium's loss).
DeleteIn a match where every single set play matters. And you deprive a team of a free kick in a promising position. On a play where you miss a clear cut foul. It does matter and it does make a difference.
DeleteA big decision which could have changed a World Cup semi final. You can’t miss a call like that when you’re standing right in front of it, 2 yards away. Sorry.
DeleteSome people have absolutely no common sense on here, it really scares me!. A solid display in Semi final, overall totally in control and he should be very proud! Aye he missed a free kick, so be it, sometimes you can be too close to an incident. saying it is a major error nonsense. If it was in the centre of the park we don't care. No one is talking about Chuna at the end of this match. Well done to him and his team.
Deletethe ball was in
ReplyDeleteYC to Mbappe OK, but IMHO at least a word to Witsel for his reaction...
ReplyDeleteAgreed, I would have gone with yellow to both of them.
DeleteHow it’s possible to let Witsel push violently Mbappé as he wanted...No charisma here.
DeletePerhaps a soft yellow for Vertonghen but I believe in the first half, Cunha had warned Vertonghen for another foul against Mbappe so he can't really complain.
ReplyDeleteGood game from Cunha, I'm sure he'll be very happy with how he did! A night to remember for him, in the biggest game of his life.
ReplyDeleteExactly my opinion:) Not a perfect game but he will always have great feelings when he thinks back to this night because overall a good performance.
DeleteCongratulations, Andrés.
ReplyDeleteSo many harsh comments...Cunha on expected level...nobody will talk about the refs. Well done Cunha! Minor mistakes in the game, 8,2-8,3 level.
ReplyDeleteAgree about expected level. But clear mess with cards and positioning. Big mistake on Hazard’s foul forgotten. So-so performance.
DeleteAgreed, not sure what everyone here is on about. Not a perfectly polished game, some small areas for improvement, but full control, excellent card management, and no serious mistakes. A very happy night for Cunha! 8.2 IMO.
DeleteCome Soccer Guy...Excellent card management ? What a joke! YC for Kanté instead of clear and obvious cautions forgotten in Witsel and Fellaini. Dembele had to be booked twice...So not an excellent one...please...
DeleteAgree with soccer guy, without that sentance about card managment
DeleteMinor mistakes are missed free kicks on halfway....not missing clear fouls just outside the box in key areas with 10 mins to go in a World Cup semi final when you’re right in front of the foul.
DeleteHmm you're right Benoit, I was wrong to say card management was "excellent." It wasn't bad though, just average.
DeleteAgree with average. Average performance by Cunha at all :)
DeleteIf he didn't lose control he must be thankful Belgium players,,they didn't make any pressure to him ,, especially after hazard position,,,I can't imagine there would be Ramos or mascherano
ReplyDeleteExpected level, some mistakes, the biggest the blatant missed free kick for the foul on Hazard. Otherwise fine.
ReplyDeleteBiggest miss was the foul hazard made on matuidi
DeleteI share every single word.
DeleteSkill to improve (a lot): positioning
Agreed, positioning was not great. Management of players I thought was very good.
DeleteAgree 100% here also
DeleteExcellent job by Cunha. Excellent job by Collina by assigning him to this game. He definitely knew that Cunha can control this game and he did. He kept his cards in his pocket because he knew he would need them at the end and he did. Another world class officiating
ReplyDeleteYou guys are way too generous and not impartial.
DeleteIMO Cunha absolutely acceptable in a game which got challenging only in the last 20 minutes. Some minor mistakes - nothing crucial at all. Positioning improvable, good and clear communication, foul detection and card management average. Always full control of the match. Good teamwork with AR. No reason for harsh critics - even if some here would have liked to see s.o.else being in charge.
ReplyDelete8.2 for my taste.
DeletePerfect analysis. A good performance with some small areas to improve.
DeleteI keep seeing ‘minor mistakes’ being said. Potential game altering decisions are not minor.
DeleteWhat decision was "potentially game altering?"
DeleteCongratulations to Andrés Cunha, it was an expected level performance in a not so demanding semi final. I'm sure that he, Collina and Busacca will be very happy as there wasn't any controversy and therefore there will be no talk about the referee - that's the most important thing!
ReplyDeleteWe can talk about some minor decisions, but the overall impression (management, match control,...) was very good. Cunha can look back to a great World Cup if it's his last appointment. There are some (minor) chances for him to be fourth official in one of the last two games.
Exactly, agree 100%
DeletePeople can always find mistakes and zoom in on them.
There were no major decisions so we automatically zoom in on smaller things like the foul on Hazard.
DeleteYou mean the foul by Hazard on Matuidi hopefully. That was the biggest mistake.
DeleteGood game by Cunha. Expected level. But we have to say that this game became easier because of the behaviour of the players. I mean, if Argentina was in the place of Belgium, it could get out of hand. But all in all Cunha can be satisfied with his game!
ReplyDeleteBut I would argue that if it was Argentina instead of Belgium, a referee like Cunha would change his strategy. As others have mentioned somewhere earlier on this blog, Cunha at this World Cup has shown the ability to enter a game with different strategies.
DeleteYes that could be the case. Cunha has shown that he is a very good referee!
DeleteGood Cunha overall in a normal difficulty game... Small mistakes here and there but an expected level performance overall... My mark will be 8.3 :)
ReplyDeleteHe was lucky. The player respected him otherwise it could be different
DeleteAs a referee he take calculated risks and sometimes they pay off... So credit where it's due!:)
DeleteAnd who is more dishonest I can't decide Neymar or Mbappe,,they are great players but they must stop this type behaviors
ReplyDeleteThere is no comparecment between them and their beheaviour
DeleteAgreed, Mbappe isn't an angel but I think we're forgetting already just how awful Neymar is.
DeleteWe can’t blame Mbappé here, that’s a normal behavior in a WC SF.
DeleteVAR Final (predictions):
ReplyDeleteTomorrows team or
Irrati as VAR
Gil as AVAR1: an expermeinsed AVAR1
Astroza or Borsch
Zwayer (maybe not after Orsato incident) Orsato or Valeri
Maybe we can see also a full Italien Team and Gil
ReplyDeleteCunha aceptable in one easy match.
But Cunha is not one of best four referees.
Not a huge fan of him previously, but solid match today, only the one missed free kick stood out. Other than that, good performance.
ReplyDeleteHe did well but for me missed foul on Hazard and also missed two YC's for SPA.
ReplyDeleteBiggest miss was the foul Hazard made on Matuidi. Clear yellow card.
DeleteYou mean the confrontation between Hazard and Matuide after the missed foul on Hazard? That means a missed 2nd YC for Hazard.
DeleteFor me it could have been a 2nd YC for Hazard because he hit matuidi with his knee high
DeleteA very poor error at 79' missing the foul by Giroud, which would have given a great free kick opportunity to Belgium.
ReplyDeleteA key error.
Deletefor the third place, will be Diedhiou with Conger, and the final will be awarded for Faghani. Maybe Rocchi or Mazic as FO.
ReplyDeleteCorrect on 3rd place game. That’s the common thought. Faghani is not a referee you want controlling a final. When you bump heads with a player, you can’t control your emotions. Not a man for the final.
Delete
ReplyDeleteFinal for Kuipers.
Why don't you think that?
DeleteI think, Alberto Monty Python should declare his statement as a PREDICTION.
DeleteSorry, I meant to write "What makes you think that?"
DeleteOut of all names why do you think that a referee appointed as 4th official for a SF will get the Final? @Alberto