Group D ends with the last two games. Let's follow the officiating crews in this discussion.
AUSTRALIA - DENMARK
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG)
Assistant Referee 1: Mokrane Gourari (ALG)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdelhak Etchiali (ALG)
Fourth Official: Maguette N'Diaye (SEN)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Djibril Camara (SEN)
Video Assistant Referee: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Adil Zourak (MAR)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
Game 38 - Al-Rayyan (16:00 CET)
TUNISIA - FRANCE
Referee: Matthew Conger (NZL)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Rule (NZL)
Assistant Referee 2: Tevita Makasini (TGA)
Fourth Official: Salima Mukansanga (RWA)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Neuza Back (BRA)
Video Assistant Referee: Abdullah Al Marri (QAT)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Muhammad Bin Jahari (SIN)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Taleb Al Marri (QAT)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Fernando Guerrero (MEX)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Saoud Almaqaleh (QAT)
What a surprise to keep Al Marri appointed.
ReplyDeleteFirst YC by Ghorbal after 3 minutes... I think Collina said something to him.
ReplyDeleteThe Tunisian player injured was off the pitch by at least 1 metre. Don't know why the Tunisians wanted play stopped, why Conger obliged, and why the medical staff took so long to get there. Deschamps looked equally bemused
ReplyDeleteIt was the captain. Give him that to keep the peace
DeleteCan someone who watches FRA TUN inform us why goal was disallowed
ReplyDeleteOffside.
DeleteShoulder was forward. Graphic was tight but correct decision
DeleteAR spotted it or VAR intervention?
DeleteAR spotted.
DeleteThanks
DeleteTunisia vs France is a poor game. No one is watching this on replay
ReplyDeleteNot poor anymore after the 1:0
ReplyDeleteAustralia a goal up. Game over unless Denmark score.
DeletePossible foul at the start of the APP for Tunisia's 1-0. Probably not clear and obvious enough for VAR though.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I felt that it was an excellent non-call at the time, and subsequent replays haven't shown me enough for a foul.
DeleteNot a foul
DeleteVery poor game in terms of qualify by both teams for Ghorbal as well, I really don't understand how it is possible that Denmark, having to score for qualifying, is playing like a friendly from the beginning. Almost no challenge so far... I must say that in some games the level of national teams is very weak. This allowed easy refereeings.
ReplyDeleteNow in 71' first interesting situation with a penalty whistled by Ghorbal but then offside call by AR1. Penalty annulled, VAR confirmed decision. No clear replays about the challenge.
DeleteGhorbal made a gesture to AR like he wanted him to be quicker with the offside flag, but I can be wrong.
IMO the AR couldn’t be quicker as he had to delay the flag (it was a tight offside). Then only after the referee whistled the penalty the AR could raise the flag, and I think he immediately did.
DeleteThe penalty seemed to be an illegal use of the arm.
@Unknown
DeleteFully agree
Ghorbal awarded penalty for DEN but AR1 raised flag for offside (correctly) After that no good replays to determine was penalty decision correct
ReplyDeleteGreat offside call from AR1. If not offside, penalty was already whistled.
ReplyDeleteConger not doing badly
ReplyDeleteSurprisingy good
ReplyDeleteHow Tunisia gained ball possession before scoring: https://streamable.com/qkcgwf
ReplyDeleteIndeed I think only to be whistled by Conger, but never clear and obvious mistake. Nevertheless, looking at referee in the video during incident, I'm not sure he was fully aware of that challenge, I expected any gesture.
I think Conger could have had at least a chance for a second game, being experienced at FIFA level, but committee with different ideas.
ReplyDeleteStill an option for third place game.
Agreed. He hasn't been given a fair opportunity imo.
DeleteAbout Ghorbal, I think expected level, apart from the revoked penalty for offside almost nothing happened in a rather boring game, for sure he did better than his first appearance with a few correct yellow cards and that's all. KO stage for him? Let's wait for Gomes second game and we will see.
ReplyDeleteTUN-FRA ends dramatically. Offside. Defender played/headed ball, but was moving back and off balance. Great decision based on new interpretations.
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
DeleteGood awareness by Al Marri (one of them or both) in this situation.
Italian commentators didn't understand anything about that. They couldn't believe offside had been called and of course they didn't know that after final whistle it was still possible to do that!
DeleteGerman commentator had a referee expert (Manuel Gräfe) to help and explain, so this went fine here...
DeleteOnly issue: If there was already the final whistle (and I also think, there was), why did they play on for some time after the offside decision?
What about the kick off after the goal? The VAR check was after the kick off which seems to be a wrong decision.
DeleteThere was no kick-off after the goal. The final whistle came before the kick-off
DeleteIncredible ending, imagine the pressure Conger would’ve been under if Australia had not won yet (any OFR in stoppage time at a World Cup will have pressure, of course, but even more so when it determines a team’s qualification). I have to imagine conger knew about the result; if not explicitly than implicitly through the behavior of the Tunisian team.
DeleteChefren, Mikael, or others who would know, do you know if referees at this level are made aware when a goal is scored in the opposite game that has an impact on their own match? I would think it is VERY important to be aware of these moments, for these moments can be an inflection points that change their teams’ attitudes, tactics, and emotions, which are all things that referees should always be aware of. For achieving football understanding, it seems necessary for a referee to know when their own game is effected in such a way, even if it was caused by a goal many miles away.
As a referee, I wouldn't want to know the score in the other game as it potentially could impact my decision-making. I'd want my decision-making to be fully neutral.
DeleteIn this case, Conger may have known things, however, based on body language from the Tunisian players.
In all cases, the correct decision was made.
Referees do not get told the scores in the other games. Standing orders.
DeleteI am surprised there is not more discussion about the penalty in AUS-DEN. There is a very specific caveat in the LoTG about such a situation.
ReplyDelete"a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence." KMI for me and really a bad mistake.
I would like to see this again, but I think this applies to this situation.
My first impression was, that the foul happened after the challenge for the ball started.
DeleteBut yes, interesting point for discussion.
I thought both players were already challenging for the ball, at least they started their run to win position, and I was under the impression the ball came quite close as well.
DeleteThis is the particular situation:
Deletehttps://streamff.com/v/YSDfaA
Maybe not completely clear-cut, as the ball is not within playing distance yet, but the offside decision is the preferable decision as far as I’m concerned.
If the offside player is already moving to challenge for the ball (even if it is still a distance away), then offside comes first
DeleteSeems sensible to me.
DeleteI don't think you can challenge for a ball when it is not within playing distance. The law clearly states that if you are ONLY running towards the ball, then the penalty must come first. What more is he doing other than running?
DeleteWatching it again, I am also tending more towards no offside due to the reasons mentioned by JB. It doesn't look like the attacker was already challenging for the ball.
DeleteWhether there was enough for a penalty, is a different question though, that the shown replays can't really answer.
JB, I haven't yet seen this specific situation. However, FIFA has video examples where an offside attacker is clearly moving toward where the ball is being played is fouled. In such cases, the challenge is considered "pending" and comes first.
DeleteRef Al, that is interesting to me as it clearly flies in the face of Law 11, but if you say so.
DeleteIt does and it doesn't. A player (without being fouled) can be considered offside for playing the ball well before touching it. The key is that no one in an onside position is also moving to play the ball.
DeleteThis should be a penalty? Anyone read law 11 Q&A in the app?
DeleteThat Guy: Reading law and applying it are often two different things...
DeleteTUN-FRA: French sources claim VAR was used after kick-off.
ReplyDeleteThis is incorrect
Deletehttps://streamable.com/gxsg01
DeletePlease, please look at the sources. The French would, of course, want this...
Delete100% was after the kick off. Conger should have got another game huh??? Please! The French have every right to be aggrieved.
DeleteThe French Federation is going to make an official protest in order to have Griezmann's goal counted because the referee blew the kick-off whistle and then blew the final whistle, before going back to check the VAR. According to the French referees who speak on TV right now, this is a mistake of refereeing because after the 3 final whistles the referee can only award red cards.
ReplyDeleteSomeone to clarify the situation?
The video posted above is pretty clear - the referee blows the whistle to kick-off once all players are in position, the ball is in play, and then the referee blows twice to end in the match. So according to the LOTG that should be the final act...
DeleteReviews after play has restarted
If play has stopped and restarted, the referee may only undertake a ‘review’, and take the appropriate disciplinary sanction, for mistaken identity or for a potential sending-off offence relating to violent conduct, spitting, biting or extremely offensive, insulting and/or abusive action(s).
Law 1.10 on VAR from IFAB states that if the game has been restarted, VAR cannot intervene anymore, so according to the rules of the game the referee should not have been allowed to check the goal and then rule it out.
DeleteThe VAR protocol explicitly allows for VAR reviews after the referee has whistled the end of a half. So the referee can no longer intervene on a signal by an AR (except for violent conduct/mistaken identity), but he can still intervene on advice from VAR.
DeleteThat does not apply if he allowed kick-off to be taken (as then play resumed before the end of the half), but I have not yet seen video showing that. And of course, then it'd matter whether he allowed play to resume or if the players acted of their own accord. Misunderstanding whistle signals is possible!
I'm sorry but this should be the biggest refereeing scandal of the World Cup so far. It doesn't matter if it didn't affect the final group standings, VAR was used incorrectly. Initiating a VAR review after the restart of play is WRONG. This is on Conger and on the Qatari VAR, who should not get another game in this world cup!
ReplyDeleteAl-Marri strikes again. He should have been removed and replaced from this match after the Faghani incident. Collina has no one but himself to blame for this.
ReplyDeleteCollina should do the right thing and send all 10 of these referees packing. The fact that not one referee stopped this from happening is unacceptable at this level.
I have heard from someone inside that has heard the end plus VAR audio. 100% on the VAR but the referee gets some blame too for incorrect in law around VAR usage.
ReplyDeleteIt was Al-Marri. Many had lobbied for Al-Marri to be removed/replaced from any more VAR duties. Yet here we are with this mess. Collina and the Referee Committee have no one to blame but themselves.
DeleteOh I missed that, I thought Conger had only made final whistle without starting game before! The video is very clear, Conger had resumed the game and then final whistle. VAR call is a technical mistake and it can be demonstrated. Shocking how the VAR from Qatar made a mess in hiss games, and Collina will be furious against home football association.
ReplyDeleteIf France really wants to keep this battle, game could be even re-played. no doubts in front of an evidence.
The only chance to "save the form" for NZL referee is to say he had made four whistles indicating the end of the game, and denying the restart before (extremely short time) but this would be something like "devil's advocate".
DeleteI'm really sorry for this very poor management, I think we can say that VAR from Qatar ruined Collina's refereeing at this WC, by going against a final candidate before and then making a technical mistake.... but in both cases, referee could have refused him! And maybe that's the most interesting point for discussion, also Conger could have higlighted to VAR that he had resumed game before...
If the referee has not heard "check complete" or similar after a goal then surely they should not kick off until they get
Deletethat confirmation?
Yes, Michael, this was just the first step, but since they didn't manage it... Conger had to be sure before resuming game with kick off that goal had been correctly assessed, possible there were communication issues for this reason. Nevertheless, evebn after this step VAR protocol would offer help to referees, in case of final whistle, but only final whistle, not with the resume of game before... a big mess.
DeletePresumably if the VAR sees the referee lining up for kick-off in that situation he should be shouting "HOLD" into his ear. There's four of them in that booth, surely one can keep an eye on the ref.
DeleteThat's exactly the role of AVAR...
DeleteAnalysis
ReplyDeleteKey match incidents:
08' - https://streamable.com/0ttjsd
Correctly disallowed Tunisia's goal. Very good spot by AR1 Tevita Makasini as the visualisation showed.
13' - https://streamable.com/wn9v6d
https://streamable.com/7btdft
Correctly rejected TUN penalty appeals. In the first scene, there is a simulation by 10TUN who tried to use impeding-like behaviour of 24FRA and in the second one the tackle is on the ball and 10TUN's fall is exaggerated as well.
58' - https://streamable.com/0hgcg8
Play-on call initiating APP at Tunisia's goal. While most likely we all agreed with the call in real speed, the slo-mo replay shows that TUN17 created a contact with an opponent's leg before playing the ball. We can all assess if the contact was significant enough to recommend an OFR. IMO, it was but somehow I support the non-intervention as well.
90+8' - https://streamable.com/xallpc
https://streamable.com/gxsg01
A widely discussed incident. Goal allowed as a result of suboptimal cooperation between the referee and AR1 which should look like:
- AR1 detecting a clear Griezmann's offside position
- AR1 informing the referee about it
- the referee assessing the (in the old meaning: deliberate) play by Tunisian player as undeliberate
- the referee awarding an IDFK for offside offence.
While we can guess the AR1 spotted the offside position of the French, another element(s) of teamwork were missing. That would not be a big problem though as there is VAR ready to help but what happened later is really weird!
Conger restarted the game with a kick-off (one whistle) and immediately blew for the end (three whistles) only to get the information from VAR crew that an OFR should be done. The referee violated the LotG and followed this suggestion by reviewing the incident. The goal was disallowed, an IDFK awarded and the game allowed to continue for thirty seconds before finally ending it.
Huge technical mistake to make an OFR after a restart by kick-off had been allowed. We can guess the teamwork was really bad there.
If France choose to be despiteful - although they shouldn't as they finished first in Group D - the game can be even replayed due to technical breach of LotG.
Overview:
In general, Matthew Conger delivered a solid performance. He allowed physical play and adopted a quite lenient disciplinary line (7', 16', 61', 70'). Two mandatory yellow cards were missed though (to 3FRA for reckless/SFP tackle at TUN goal in 58' and to 9TUN for
https://streamable.com/u2rlb5
close-to-VC studs challenge in 90+4'). In 62', he allowed a player to re-enter the field of play in a too close distance from play.
In a nutshell, two rightly rejected penalty appeals, supportable play-on call in APP at TUN goal and a decent performance in general were completely destroyed by the last-minute incident due to inept cooperation between the referee and VAR crew.
Marks:
Matthew Conger - 2
Tevita Makasini - 8
Mark Rule - 7
Abdullah al-Marri - I
Unfortunately, I missed the whole day at the WC due to unexpected work commitments, but after reading your analysis and watching the replays, I have to say this was nothing but a shocking mistake at this level. It's unbelievable that no one on the referee team realised such an error, but the responsibility should, of course, be on Conger and Al-Marri. Of course, this is the prime event and pressure is high, but for two rather experienced officials to show such low understanding of the VAR protocol is really bad. But then again, what on earth were Bin Jahari and Guerrero doing, for God's sake? Incredible.
DeleteOne more thing: that incident in 90+4' that you highlighted is VC for me, but to manage it without a card is another pretty shocking choice by Conger for my taste.