Monday, 21 June 2021

UEFA EURO 2020 Match 29: North Macedonia - Netherlands (discussion)

István Kovács is the last referee to make his debut at EURO 2020, let's  comment his performance here. 


Group C
Amsterdam, 21 June 2021 18:00 CET
NORTH MACEDONIA - NETHERLANDS
Referee: István Kovács (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Florin Marinescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Mihai Ovidiu Artene (ROU)
Fourth Official: Georgi Kabakov (BUL)
Fifth Official: Martin Margaritov (BUL)
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Lee Betts (ENG)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 3: Pawel Gil (POL)
UEFA Referee Observer: Francesco Bianchi (SUI)
UEFA Delegate: Milovan Đukanović (MNE)

44 comments:

  1. Kovacs is good. He will do good decisions.

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  2. OT

    Gillett, Salisbury, Harrington and Brooks are new Premier League referees. AR Wade Smith will join them.

    https://www.premierleague.com/news/2175938

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    1. That's surprising just how many promotions were having, but I guess we'll have some nice new refs joining the prem

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  3. Very quick VAR review process in 9'. Looked like a close offside call, but check was done within 20 seconds.

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    1. Indeed I wanted to underline that as well. It wasn't a very clear offside, but thank to video frame now posted by VAR the foot looked in offside. This was enough for Di Bello to take a so short time. However, I can imagine how much pressure they have.
      Just a wrong read of a situation or a distraction and they can make a very crucial mistake... I would be always very careful, taking some seconds more wouldn't have been wrong.

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  4. Now a YC for dissent in 18'. Kind of out of nowhere to be honest, but Kovacs seemed very irritated after protests a minute earlier. I think this card could have been avoided.

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    1. To be honest it’s the players and officials of the North Macedonian acting very irritated and frustrated in my view. I get that Kovacs wanted to stop the complaining behavior.

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    2. Agreed! I felt at that point that a strong warning could have been enough, but seeing how frustrations are rising even more now, the YC seems more appropriate indeed.

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    3. Apart from that at first Kovacs just wanted to have a talk with Ristovski. The latter continued to argue and made a dissenting gesture while he had every chance to just walk away.

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  5. Two correct decisions of Kovacs to play on. Two times ball was played. And YC correctly given after protest.

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  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  7. IMO correct play-on decision before the goal by Kovacs. Supportable decision, so no VAR intervention is also right.

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  8. Another good spot, again no foul. Players of Macedonia are trying to deceive the referee every time, but with this referee no chance. Well done Kovacs.

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  9. Well spotted tackle on the ball before the 0-1. VAR checked but decision was okay

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  10. Now a very long check for confirming the goal scored by Netherlands, this was very difficult for VAR. The long time before allowing the resume of the play indicates a tricky decision by Di Bello.
    Waiting for rewatching it again.

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    1. That was also my impression. Maybe Di Bello did not want to intervene because it would have been a free-kick for MKD near the Dutch penalty area. Just a single replay was shown but I could not evaluate the incident with only one replay. My impression is that foul had to be whistled.

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    2. The clearest replay shown:

      https://streamable.com/brijqy

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    3. Thanks a lot, DutchRef. I stick to my opinion. Cannot be evaluated from the only replay. Impression is that Dutch player plays little ball and much opponent.

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  11. Just a quick question. With an 'offside VAR' (AVAR2) in place. Is he the one drawing the lines or is that still the job of the main VAR?

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    1. drawing the lines is usually not he job neither var nor avar, but from the technical operator. however, the var/avar instruct the technical operator when to freeze the frame for point of contact and then furthermore instruct him where to draw the lines (like furthest point of attacker, etc.)

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    2. Thanks! Yeah I know that it is the job of the operator but my question was if it's the AVAR2 or VAR who will instruct the operator where to draw the lines.

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  12. Rewatched the very "intense" tackle before goal by Netherlands, well, if you allow a certain physical play you can play on, but basically this should have been whistled even in case of ball hit before, there was a certain force in this tackle. Very, very borderline.
    A good example for us, to understand VAR intervention: this was very close to happen, if you ask me, but still OK to stay silent.

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  13. I don't think we will see VAR intervention on cancelling the goal if there is no clear evidence (like step on foot) in this tournament.

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  14. I think Kovac was wrong and you still deleted my comment as if I used swear words.
    He should have whistled foul.
    It is also funny that part of the foot is enough to be an offside.

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  15. OT

    According to RFEF on Twitter César Soto Grado is the new Spanish FIFA ref for 2022 replacing Xavier Estrada Fernández.

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    1. What about Alberola Rojas?

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    2. Greek, you anticipated me!! :) :)

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    3. Great news. Once upon a time I asked can he be Fifa. Proud to hear this.

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  16. ANOTHER OT -- SPAIN

    David Medié Jiménez and Xavier Estrada are Out of Primera division whilst Ortiz Arias and Muñiz Ruiz are new promoted.

    NEW FIFA: César Soto Grado and Iker de Francisco Grijalba.
    OUT FIFA: Xavier Estrada and Teodoro Sobrino Magan

    NEW VAR SPECIALISED: Medié Jiménez and Estrada Fernández

    NEWS:
    Del Cerro, Yuste and Diaz Perez will continue also if they broke the limit of 45 yo.

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    1. Del Cerro is pre-selected for WC2022, so he must continue for at least one year.

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    2. I dont uderstand why did they appointed 41 year old referee for FIF list instead of 30 year old referee? On the other hand Del Cerro also started with 41 and now is on EURO and will probably be in World Cup next year.

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  17. We need to remind ourselves over & over again that football is a CONTACT sport.
    Periodt!!!

    It is nearly impossible to make a great sliding tackle without making any form of contact with an opponent.

    And I am very glad that Kovacs also saw it this way and played on. Now, since it was a subjective decision made by the referee, it will have been VERY wrong for VAR to intervene there.

    To be honest, tackles like that happen in training everyday of the week, and twice on Sunday. And players just dust themselves up and continuing playing.

    Once again, in my opinion, it was a great decision by Kovacs to allow play to continue there.

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  18. If the YC of Musliu was a YC then the goal shouldnt have stond.... Kovacs showing why he only got a meaningless game

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    1. Please explain the relation between a holding YC and a goal being awarded?

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    2. For me (as a dutchman) that wasnt a holding worthy of a freekick and I really dislike the call. Especially not if you allow the physical play you do in the first half..... But I must admit. If you whistle this fout YC is almost mandaten...

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    3. Physical play while fighting for the ball, like the tackle before the goal, IMO is not comparable to a holding offence. Holding offences can only be meant to stop an opponent illegally.

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  19. I'm not watching today's matches but just wanted to share a thought about the Italy-Wales RC: I think what was different about it from a traditional RC for studs into ankle was that it had the look of a foot stamp gone too high, whereas the traditional one is a straight leg slide tackle or other straight leg coming in with high force that could hurt someone. Because it looked more like a foot stamp and didn't have overwhelming force, I think that is why there has been discussion about it. Although many might feel the call was supportable, my preference for refereeing is to make a penalty call be so clearly needed that most agree with it, and I think the same can be said for RCs because both calls can be potentially game changing.

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    1. I generally agree with your take on the RC incident.
      Smart comment.

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  20. Correctly disallowed goal in 78'. Quite easy decision for AR2.

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  21. Italy - Austria the first known Round of 16 game: my first thought was Vinčić.

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    1. completely agree with you on that prediction, I also think Del Grande will get the other game.

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    2. Just read this comment. I submitted Vincic a few mins ago in the guessing game. So far: not many points for me though ;-)

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  22. HIGHLIGHTS

    https://we.tl/t-vchzySpUep

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