Second appearance for the Emirati referee, in charge of Cameroon - Serbia. Let's comment his performance.
Game 29 - Al-Wakrah (11:00 CET)
CAMEROON - SERBIA
CAMEROON - SERBIA
Referee: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (UAE)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Al-Hammadi (UAE)Assistant Referee 2: Hasan Al-Mahri (UAE)
Fourth Official: Ma Ning (CHN)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Shi Xiang (CHN)
Video Assistant Referee: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Juan Soto (VEN)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Don't understand the kit color of the referee team here... Red/yellow would've been more suitable. Black even better, but I understand with keeper SER.
ReplyDeleteAnd where is problem? It is different from both teams, so I see no problem here.
DeleteIf we only look at main kit colours, I would agree with you, RefSF.
DeleteHowever the complete Cameroon outfit contains a lot of Yellow and Red, which probably was the argument against using these colours for the referee.
No foul for me 22', wrong call
ReplyDelete24', reckless use of arm called by AR1 right in front of him, I think harsh, it could have been easily only careless. Serbian player made it by far bigger than it really was.
ReplyDeleteAR1 actually signalled goalkick. I could live with play on and goalkick actually...it was a bit of theatre.
DeleteReferee is struggling a lot with acceptance from both teams. Can be a very challenging game for him...
I really HATE these tries to make fouls bigger than they were pretending to be dangerously hit in the face, when there was not more than a little touch, or going down on the floor pretending to be knocked out by a headbutt, which in reality was just nearly nothing than a rubbing forehead to forehead. I will praise the ref who directly answers such a behavior, if connected with demanding for a RC with a direct RC to the actor!!!
DeleteThe lack of enforcement of Delaying the Restart this tournament has been infuriating for someone like me who watches MLS. 23rd minute Cameroon #15 booted the yards 50 yards away well after the whistle, no misconduct somehow...
ReplyDeleteNow good yellow card for reckless arm to face 24th minute
Are you sure that it was good YC?
DeleteFor me yes, because it was more than just a stray arm. The Cameroon #3's arm was moving outward and pushed the opponent squarely in the face.
DeleteDirty play by both teams, many fouls.
ReplyDeleteI do not get why "dirty play", more like a "playing style" for me. I view this as a strategic defense in football.
DeleteA player from Cameroon's bench booked for excessive celebration, according to what has been reported.
ReplyDeleteLuka Jovic also booked for excessive celebration / entering FOP
DeleteNow Cameroon leads,it will be challenging for him.
ReplyDeleteBest advertising for the offside delay strategy:
ReplyDeleteThe commentator, whom I listen to, was complaining that the AR didn't raise his flag for such a clear offside...
Twice now...
DeleteThe same here! They are so uneducated and when educated they prefer to be ignorant...
DeleteNow turning in an incredible game. About the offside called by AR1 for disallowing 2-3, indeed attacker looked to be offside with upper body. VAR corrected the call. 3-3 very good NO FLAG by the same AR.
ReplyDeleteSuper challenging call on the second Cameroon goal, very understandable miss by the AR. Then on the third goal it's quite a similar offside scenario, with the right back stepping up late and keeping the attacker onside, and Al-Hammadi nails that one spectacularly.
DeleteVery close onside, corrected by VAR. Almost impossible to see for AR1. One minute later very good onsode decision by the same AR.
ReplyDeleteyes, good decision, at 3-3 goal. but, he was very bad position, he was far from the defenders.
DeleteSorry but YC was needed to be shown to CMR #10,you just cant kick the ball like that.
ReplyDeleteSame thing was permitted earlier in the game, and frankly has been permitted all tournament. It's clear that at World Cup 2022 there has been a secret amendment to Law 12 that permits players to delay the restart of play by kicking the ball away.
DeleteVery good display by the asian referees
ReplyDeleteAlright performance, but weird tactic to not give YC's for kicking the ball away.
ReplyDeleteIf not in 23' then in 73',two very blatant sings of frustration not being punished.
Mohamed showed enough for a KO stage game, I think but rarely challenged in both games, this one played today was more difficult, nevertheless he ended it without major troubles. I think a Round of 16 will be possible for him.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI agree. Probably a YC missed for UB, but still an absolutely OK performance, and somewhat stronger in terms of personality than in the last one and especially if compared to the last WC (just my feeling/impression, maybe I'm wrong). No blame on AR1 for the VAR intervention IMO, very tight offside.
DeleteIf I were to decide if a R16 game would be possible for him, the answer would be "yes". Let's see what the future brings.
Analysis
ReplyDeleteKey match incidents:
63’ - Disallowed Cameroon’s goal for (nicely delayed by AR1) offside is allowed after a VAR intervention - no offside. A scene that answers the question of many football people: why do assistant referees wait so long to flag for offside?! All ignorant football commentators should watch it.
66’ - Good onside call by AR1 leading to Cameroon’s goal.
Overview:
To me it’s clear that Muhammad watches Premier League and try to implement English style to his games. His central, quite passive positioning, phlegmatic attitude and good use of advantage indicate it clearly. His style is much different to what we have seen from athletic CONCACAF or CONMEBOL referees (proactively) running everywhere on the field of play or approaching almost every incident. But it’s not worse! By the way, it’s Lee Probert (and before it was Stephen Bennett) who manages Emirati referees at the moment, so they should be really familiar with British style. :)
The Emirati handled the game efficiently, radiating calmness and ‘normalcy’. His technical choices were good in general with some exceptions: missed ‘undercutting’ an opponent in the fifteen second, dangerous play in 17’, two blatant handballs by Cameroon players in 45’ and 74’ - AR1 should be much more responsible for the three latter, though, very late FK call only after an allegedly fouled player deliberately handled the ball in 85’).
As for disciplinary control, he issued two correct cautions for reckless use of arm (24’) and SPA / reckless step on heel (90+4’). Apart from this, he booked two substitute players for initiating excessive goal celebrations that saw almost whole benches joining players. Most likely an instruction was given by the committee as I remember similar incidents already occurred at this WC but were not sanctioned.
He also joined other referees in being overly lenient by not issuing three otherwise mandatory cautions:
12’ - LoR holding and step on ankle/heel by 17SRB
23’, 73’ - blatantly kicking the ball away after whistle by 15CMR and 10CMR respectively.
Although Muhammad Abdullah Hassan Muhammad’s style bases on typical laidback British approach, he was able to connect with players and issue some excellent warnings: after dissent by 9SRB (19’), preventative at set pieces (22’, 45+6’), after blatant DtR / dissent by action by 10CMR (73’). Another positive aspect were excellent advantages in 31’ and 36’.
Quite challenging game for AR1 Muhammad al-Hammadi. Minimal mistake but at the end wrongly disallowed Cameroon’s goal for offside (63’), good onside at Cameroon’s goal (66’), didn’t help the referee in detecting dangerous play (18’) and blatant handball offences (45, 74’). AR2 Hassan al-Mahri had two difficult on/offside decisions to make (both in 49’) - at first scene, after a well-delayed offside call, the referee could have played an advantage and at the second one it looks like there was no offside. He and the referee had some problems in determining the optimal moment for calling an offside in 90+1’, too.
In a nutshell, a decent level performance by the Emirati crew. Wrongly disallowed goal was not a big mistake as there is VAR and SAOT ready to help. His British style - management, advantages - worked very well in this game. Some deficiencies were visible - positioning, teamwork with ARs - but nothing too significant.
Marks:
Muhammad Muhammad - 7
Muhammad al-Hammadi - 6
Hassan al-Mahri - 7
Nicolás Gallo - III