The last set of referee appointments for group stage has been published. Facundo Tello gets his second appointment, being in charge of South Korea - Portugal in group H. Elfath returns in Cameroon - Brazil, Siebert with the deciding tie Ghana - Uruguay and Rapallini to officiate the hot game involving Serbia and Switzerland.
Game 45 - Al Wakrah (16:00 CET)
GHANA - URUGUAY
GHANA - URUGUAY
Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn (GER)
Fourth Official: Yoshimi Yamashita (JPN)
Reserve Assistant Referee:Vasile Marinescu (ROU)
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel (NED)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Ciro Carbone (ITA)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
Game 46 - Al-Rayyan (16:00 CET)
SOUTH KOREA - PORTUGAL
SOUTH KOREA - PORTUGAL
Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Ezequiel Braislovsky (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Fourth Official: Maguette N'Diaye (SEN)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Djibril Camara (SEN)
Video Assistant Referee: Nicolas Gallo (COL)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Juan Soto (VEN)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Bruno Boschilia (BRA)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Armando Villarreal (USA)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Game 47 - Doha (20:00 CET)
SERBIA - SWITZERLAND
SERBIA - SWITZERLAND
Referee: Fernando Rapallini (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Pablo Belatti (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Bonfa (ARG)
Fourth Official: Kevin Ortega (PER)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Jesus Sanchez (PER)
Video Assistant Referee: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Nicolas Taran (URU)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Martin Soppi (URU)
Game 48 - Lusail (20:00 CET)
CAMEROON - BRAZIL
CAMEROON - BRAZIL
Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Kyle Atkins (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Corey Parker (USA)
Fourth Official: Ma Ning (CHI)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Shi Xiang (CHI)
Video Assistant Referee: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Juan Martinez Munuera (ESP)
Offside Video Assistant Referee: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP)
Support Video Assistant Referee: Ricardo de Burgos (ESP)
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Roberto Diaz Perez Del Palomar (ESP)
Ghana - Uruguay : Siebert
ReplyDeleteCameroon - Brazil : Elfath
Serbia - Switzerland : Rapallini
Siebert Ghana-Uruguay
ReplyDeleteElfath Cameroon-Brazil
Rapallini Serbia-Switzerland
Tello South Korea-Portugal
Big matches for Siebert and Rappalini. I excpected Marciniak here
ReplyDeleteMarciniak ? For sure we'll see him in KO stage ... but only 1 GS game?
ReplyDeleteWhere is Marciniak? Is it the end for him?
ReplyDeleteI don't think so
DeleteNo 2nd appointment for Marciniak, Al-Jassim or Escobar.
ReplyDeleteI expect at least the first two to be appointed in KO stage though.
Marciniak has secured a round of 16 game
ReplyDeleteI expect Marciniak for Argentina-Australia.
DeleteElfath again. Lets say this is an award for the next hosting nation.
ReplyDelete+1
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DeleteGiven errors by Makkelie and Faghani Marciniak could emerge as a final candidate particularly if spain advance far
ReplyDeleteRemarkable, that no AFC referee is used on MD3.
ReplyDeleteElfath appointment is the first one of group stage simply impossible to explain...
ReplyDeleteCoca Cola is the main Fifa WC sponsor.
DeleteJust goes to show how influential the "North Americans" are within the Referee Committee.
DeleteYou just forgot Vincic, who should be home by now.
DeleteBut of course he's Ceferin's protégé.
No Mario Escobar :(
ReplyDeleteGiven that the committee was in a position to have to assign a CONCACAF crew. I would have preferred to see Escobar. I think he has a higher ceiling regarding capability. If Collina just could bring out that Club World Cup version of Escobar. He would have a quality referee capable of handling big matches well.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Marciniak was possible. Only 1 match for him?
DeleteIt could have been him, any AFC referee, or another referee. But I am focused solely on the Committee using a CONCACAF crew. With that in mind, I'd prefer Escobar over Elfath.
DeleteI have to say, that I like Elfat's management in potentially hot situations. I disagree wit the penalty call on Ronaldo, but if FIFA thinks it was supportable call, I have no problem to see this referee again.
DeleteYou want to see how to properly handle hot situations/player conflicts. Look at how Matonte did it in Croatia-Canada. That's the way. Quick and efficient without trying to be a center of attention Drama Queen Actor.
DeleteCannot help but laugh at those who still try to make sense of the appointments. Vincic got a second match, folks! :P
ReplyDeleteFrom here everything is possible.
Don't embarrass yourselves trying to find a rationale for match officials' designations.
Pure, sheer politics, as ever.
Reading your comments over the past years, you must be very popular among your friends. Have you written anything positive on this blog ever?
DeleteVincic was not at his best at first game, I agree, but the performance of Elfath had been something extremely poor. There is a clear difference, I repeat, you can at least understand all choices by Collina so far in 47 games out of 48, but not this one.
DeleteFlorian, "Coca Cola is the main Fifa WC sponsor." You just wrote this to justify Elfath's second appointment. What a joke.
DeleteYes, I've written lots of positive things on this blog. In this case, I just can't. It is what it is.
Cheferen, you might understand Vincic's second appointment, I don't.
DeleteCrucial match also for Siebert with two teams fighting for the second place. Of course, not a match with the "big countries" but still, considering what we could expect knowing the background (very weak season), I would speak of a remarkable appointment. Not unjustified in respect to his first match at WC IMO. Maybe he is a "tournament referee"…
ReplyDeleteYes I agree, he has been rewarded for first game and he gets a bit more. To be checked whether he can go further ahead but at moment a good tournament, contrary to the background before starting it.
DeleteSiebert is a great referee, hope he will do a good job and continue to the play-off.
DeleteAfter what we see from appointing poor referees again, It's not impossible to see Faghani again.
ReplyDeleteGood observation, after Elfath appointment, Faghani could be directly in final.
DeleteSarcasm?
DeleteInteresting also to underline, Makkelie has been the only referee (if we rule out Frappart case) for which confederations rule has been broken in all grouo stage games. That's very particular if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteWe will see how this will continue in KO stage.
Bye Mexico
ReplyDeleteBye Makkelie
Elfath ? Oh no. For me the worst performance among all games in this WC. The only relief is that BRA-CAM is not a crucial game. But let's hope that he will surprise us.....
ReplyDeleteConfirmed mistake in the VAR protocol at the end of Tunisia-France ! Conger whistled the kick-off, and then whistled the end of the match, and then went to the monitor.
ReplyDeleteFrench media published a video : https://streamable.com/gxsg01
France engaged a appeal. Fortunately for FIFA this OFR has no incidence on the final ranking on the group, but imagine the same mistake in a decisive match... I have no words.
You can distinctly hear on the video 4 whistles : 1 for kick-off and 3 for the final whistle.
DeleteUnbelievable! Level of officiating in this WC is very low
DeleteWow!
DeleteAnything can be read into that. I've never once blown whistle to end game a split second after kick-off given.
DeleteThe key is not the whistling. The key is what the referee decided. Since we can't be in the referee's head, there's no sense speculating.
However, since we're speculating, it's very clear that the players know something's up and are (like the referee) seem to be waiting - for VAR to do its thing.
The assistant referee running onto the field then beginning to shake hands with players sure seems to indicate that he thought it was the full-time whistle.
DeleteAn official complaint has just been filed by FFF. Actually the video is very clear : kick-off, then end of the game. I am the first to back up referees but no one whisltes the end of the game with 4 whistles.
DeleteAnd just like that Ref Al's "justification" is sunk.
DeleteI don't know how you all do in your countries. But as an AR I never run onto the pitch to join my ref team until either the half-time or full-time whistle blows. The images clearly show Conger's AR's on the pitch.
DeleteAdios Conger.
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.
DeleteReally strange to see no Marciniak.
ReplyDeleteI think that path for him is R16 and SF.
Imo his chances to final is smaller, because a final referee should have min 3 matches before final..
I agree: probably R16 and SF, second possibility is R16, QF and Final.
DeleteI really didn't like the management of referees in the GS. I think that every referee (appart from support referees) should have first appointment in MDs 1 and 2, that 20 best referees should have 2 GS matches and that there shouldn't be any referee that goes to KO stage with only one GS match
ReplyDeleteTrue: It is unfair for some referees (Gassama and Conger) that they have to wait until MD 3 and probably won't get the second chance even if they would perform well. The same situation had Kovacs last EURO.
DeleteI didn't watch France - Denmark. Yes I'm from Poland... and I've been reading this blog for two years.. but give me at least one reason why the referee is not appointed in MD3 to the crucial match?Especially if after the first match it's defined as a masterclass?
ReplyDeleteOnly 2 reasons:
Delete1)They are saving him for knockout phase
2)Mistake when issuing YC for foul on Mbappe,maybe FIFA there wanted RC.
Those are the 2 reasons why Marciniak is without the match on MD3.
Thanks. I still don't understand it, but I have a feeling that this is the end of Marciniak.
DeleteFinally, Kovacs is free tomorrow. Maybe, Kovacs from now wil be in Orsato team. And Orsato is a strong candidate for the final, because Italy is not here. I hope FIFA don't push some AFC referee to the final, and that could be Mohammed after Faghani mistakes or not.
ReplyDeleteczyżby koniec mundialu dla Szymona Marciniaka?
ReplyDeleteAs a German, I am astounded by Siebert's appointment to GHA-URU.
ReplyDeleteNot because it's an important match. That is ok, he can handle it, but I would have given him Belgium - Croatia instead.
No - Ghana vs. Uruguay is the ultimate grudge match.
Think Iran - USA was politically important? Sure, but the players didn't care.
In Ghana, the players DO CARE about Uruguay. They care about Suarez. They case about the opportunity to be the first African nation to qualify for a World Cup Semifinal being ripped away from them in 2010 by the satanic hand of Suarez. Any other human on the planet is more popular in Ghana than Luis Suarez. Emotions will be ultra high on the Ghanaian side from the 1st minute. And we all know how temperamental this Uruguayan squad can be as well.
So in summary, this is hotter than Athletico vs. Real in the Champions League final would be. It's not a match for Siebert's usually rather neutral and hands-off approach. This is a match that may well require 3 RCs in the first half - or total control by someone with personality like Lahoz or Marciniak.
I like Siebert, but I am scared he might not be able to handle this.
This is surely a high risk match that has the potential to explode at any moment. Uruguay played very dirty against Portugal. Ghana players are exuberant as well. In my opinion, the game demands a special, very focused and rather law-enforcer approach. We know that Siebert can prevent a storm by slowing down the things when needed. He did that to some extent in TUNAUS. I hope it works for him in this game, too!
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