Matchday 3 starts with the games in group A and B on Tuesday 29 November. FIFA has assigned Antonio Mateu Lahoz to the very particular clash involving Iran and USA, crucial for qualification. Slavko Vincic from Slovenia will handle the "UK derby" between Waless and England, French UEFA Elite Clément Turpin will be in charge of Ecuador - Senegal, a play off for qualification. To conclude the set of appointments, WC debut for Bakary Gassama in the rather unimportant game with Netherlands and Qatar. The home team has been alreaduy eliminated from the tournament.
Game 35 - Al-Rayyan (16:00 CET)
ECUADOR - SENEGAL
ECUADOR - SENEGAL
Referee: Clément Turpin (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Cyril Gringore (FRA)
Fourth Official: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Mihai Artene (ROU)
Video Assistant Referee: Jerome Brisard (FRA)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Benoit Millot (FRA)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Ciro Carbone (ITA)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Drew Fischer (CAN)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
Game 36 - Al-Khor (16:00 CET)
NETHERLANDS - QATAR
NETHERLANDS - QATAR
Referee: Bakary Gassama (GAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue (CMR)
Assistant Referee 2: Mahmoud Abouelregal (EGY)
Fourth Official: Ma Ning (CHN)
Fourth Official: Ma Ning (CHN)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Cao Yi (CHN)
Video Assistant Referee: Redouane Jiye (MOR)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Adil Zourak (MOR)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Mokrane Gourari (ALG)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Zakhele Thusi Siwela (RSA)
Game 33 - Al-Rayyan (20:00 CET)
WALES - ENGLAND
WALES - ENGLAND
Referee: Slavko Vincic (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaz Klancnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Andraz Kovacic (SVN)
Fourth Official: Yoshimi Yamashita (JPN)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Karen Diaz Medina (MEX)
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Fritz (GER)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Vasile Marinescu (ROU)
Game 34 - Doha (20:00 CET)
IRAN - USA
IRAN - USA
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Diaz Perez del Palomar (ESP)
Fourth Official: Kevin Ortega (PER)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Jesus Sanchez (PER)
Video Assistant Referee: Juan Martinez (ESP)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ricardo de Burgos (ESP)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Neuza Back (BRA)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Gassama getting the Hauata or "OFC" treatment.
ReplyDeleteLahoz with one of the biggest match in his career.
ReplyDeleteAlso Turpin gets decider as well as Vincic,but I dont expect match to be that tough for Vincic.
Gassama gets match that is by far the easiest in the day.
I did not expect Gassama for NED-QAT because I thought Camara (SEN) would accompany him. But now Abouelregal will join the trio.
ReplyDeleteMateu Lahoz selected for this game exactly for his empathy, but this of course says also that for Collina no penalty against Qatar was at least supportable. In a more general context, I think we should be happy about that, because in past WC editions, there were particular treatments for referees who wook some decisions against home team (of course, not on purpose). It seems as in this WC there is freedom for committee and that's a good thing. I concur that it wasn't a clear penalty, with attacker a bit looking for it.
ReplyDeleteGassama: very difficult to say more about him... just as remark, he was considered even as possible candidate for something big, I don't want to say the final, but let's say a quarterfinal at least... and now we see that Collina is absolutely uninterested, with the least important game so far, if I'm not wrong the first game with an eliminated team and the other that is almost qualified. Also, first and maybe only game with CAF VARs? This says definitely many things...
Vincic in UK derby: as I said, quite clear that second appointment was expected, but he must do better than first appearance, I think he will do that. With a very good performance, he can get KO stage.
Turpin: I guessed exactly him at the predictions game but I had an argument against this choice, the Senegal and the French language, especially of some players, but I think it is fair to ignore this matter... hopefully Ecuador will have nothing to say.
Updated predictions for MD3 Groups C and D:
ReplyDeletePoland - Argentina: Victor Gomes
Saudi Arabia - Mexico: Daniel Siebert
Australia - Denmark: Facundo Tello
Tunisia - France: Fernando Rapallini
For the Group C games I don't really see any other options other than the ones I presented above, assuming confederation neutrality is maintained. Group D could be any of the 4 remaining CONMEBOL officials (Valenzuela, Tello, Rapallini, Claus).
Group D can probably not be Tello or Rapallini because those matches could determine who plays against Argentina.
DeleteI agree on group C. And yes, AUS-DEN should be between Valenzuela and Claus, while TUN-FRA could go to the other of the two or to Conger.
Delete@smala017 We won't know where Aregntina will finish until after this so I doubt this is a big consideration, but if that's the case, Claus for AUS-DEN and Valenzuela for TUN-FRA.
DeleteI would save Gomes for KOR-POR
DeleteMy predictions:
POL-ARG: Conger (I think it is a very tense and difficult match, suitable for him)
KSA-MEX: I am among the English, but I choose Oliver over Taylor, I feel that Taylor will be designated in the SRB-SUI and Oliver in this great game.
TUN-FRA: As you say, this and the other group game (it seems) are for CONMEBOL referees, I personally see Claus here
AUS-DEN: Around here I think it will be Valenzuela, but we'll see
4 logical appointments, I think.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Gassama, a more important game was hardly sensible without previous match in the tournament. And I would say that for any referee in this situation. Why he wasn't appointed before, is an interesting question. In case of a quite good performance, he still should have the opportunity for a KO stage. I am afraid though, that will only be realistic, if Gomes and Ghorbal (if he gets one) fail in their next games.
For Vincic, IMO a good appointment (British derby with influence on the group result), so probably FIFA wasn't as critical about his first game as the majority (?) of commenters here. If things go well, he could get a KO match, I think.
For IRN-USA, it was probably between Mateu and Rapallini. I would have chosen the Argentinian, simply because he had more rest. But there are surely enough other interesting options for him on MD 3.
Regarding the issue of African referees, I consider this:
DeleteGassama: very experienced referee but NOBODY knows why he was treated like this, with only 1 game.
I don't think they will consider him for the round of 16, unfortunately as I read in a comment, it seems the end of this great Gambian referee.
Ghorbal: I didn't designate him for any game in MD#3, but I don't doubt that if among the round of 16 matches there is one between a CONMEBOL or AFC team, it could be Ghorbal's lucky day.
Gomes: I do see him in the next round, in a round of 16 matchup, as long as he gets a second game (which I think he will) and does it in a good way.
Very happy with the South African.
Sikazwe: I hope you do well.
N'Diaye: See you next time.
Mukansanga: Let's not write her off as 4th referee in any game...But I see her trailing behind Frappart and Yamashita in terms of opportunities in the next round.
Continuing with my comment, the issue in CONCACAF is the same
DeleteRAMOS: Great things for him, a "black cat" who can go very, very far.
BARTON: Wow, I didn't expect that much from him.
Let's hope he does a good job in BRA-SUI and, if so, it's not uncommon to see him in future rounds.
Congratulations to the Salvadoran, he deserves it.
ELFATH: Uncertainty... If he gets a game on MD3 and gets it right, we'll see him in the next round.
But, I highly doubt it and I don't think it's possible.
ESCOBAR: He missed the opportunity, I feel sorry for him.
Good trip to Guatemala.
MARTINEZ: I honestly thought that he would be in Barton's position and Barton in his position.
I didn't expect it as a 4th officer, I expected to see it and try it, but he didn't give it a go.
Before the World Cup (as I belong to CONCACAF) he saw him as far above Barton in terms of performance. The Honduran's greatest achievement?
Final Gold Cup 2021, where he did very well.
But that's the way things are, I expect Said in 2026 just like Barton.
Regarding Gassama, I have a feeling that he is never trusted by the committee in the WC. In 2014, he was appointed in MD3 with a low-profile match. Maybe his age and experience at that time could explain this. In 2018, he was ok in MD1 Peru-Denmark, so I have not idea why he was not selected in MD3 to see if he is suitable for the KO stage. And again, we know what happen on him this year, no match until MD3 with another low-profile match. I feel sorry for him. Regarding Ghorbal, unlike most of you, I will be very surprised to see him again. Other names you mentioned above completely made sense
DeleteAs to the political backdrop surrounding the Iran-USA match. The US Soccer took it upon itself to throw gasoline on an already possible volatile situation. Some genius within the Federation decided to post a "scrubbed" version of the Iranian flag on various official US Soccer social media outlets. Not only is this offensive politically but also religiously. The Iranian FA has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA and asked that US Soccer be sanctioned.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to Lahoz and his crew in a match that due to a knuckleheaded individual has become more than a game.
The way referees from CAF zone are handled leaves great concern
ReplyDeletei think that Marciniak will be at Belgium with Croatia. I'm interesting who will get the game between Morroco vs Canada, Siebert is impossible. For him the only option is Saudi Arabia vs Mexico. So, the game Morroco with Canada could go to Kovacs? And Makkelie should have Uruguay vs Ghana, and the english refs the games in Brasil group. The appointments for Thursday we will know tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI still believe Kovacs will not get any game as he is used as a supporting referee
DeleteMy guess for Morroco-Canada is either AI-Jassim or Beath
DeleteI don't think, that we will be an arab referee with an arab team. Morroco are from Africa, but they are maghrebs, so they speak arab language. So, it will not be Al Jassim for that game. I found another game for Al Jassim, and is Germany vs Costa Rica, but this is another problem, because the germans have some problems with the locals. So, it's difficult to find a second game for him, and he couldn'be appointed also for France vs Tunis because from the same reasons.
DeleteYou are right, maybe AI-Jassim will go straight into KO stage
DeleteIn last tournament Bahrain referee nawaf shukrallah refereed Tunisia vs Panama Bahrain and Tunisia are arabs
ReplyDeleteIn 1998 in France uae referee ali bujsaim refereed Morocco vs scotland very important match uae and Morocco are arabs too
ReplyDeleteGomes is of Portuguese (Madeiran) descent, appointing him to a PORKOR would be like appointing Elfath to a Morocco game or Kovács to a Hungary game.
ReplyDeleteС этим матчем нужно было справляться судье Василию Казарцеву из России. И тогда бы точно все закончилось дракой. Русские судьи тяжелые очень
ReplyDeleteХорошо, что их нет на турнире