Halil Umut Meler will referee Round of 16 game England - Slovakia, his third appearance in the competition.
Game 40, Round of 16
Gelsenkirchen, 30 June 2024 18:00 CET
Gelsenkirchen, 30 June 2024 18:00 CET
ENGLAND - SLOVAKIA
Referee: Halil Umut Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Mustafa Emre Eyisoy TUR
Assistant Referee 2:Kerem Ersoy TUR
Fourth Official: Rade Obrenović SVN
Reserve Assistant Referee: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2:
Fourth Official: Rade Obrenović SVN
Reserve Assistant Referee: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Fritz GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Björn Kuipers NED
UEFA Delegate: Iveta Bankova BUL
I don't want to be harsh on meler but obviously he is being pushed into elite 1 and given big matches just because the incident that happened with him in turkey
ReplyDeleteIn other hand a lot of best referee in the workd are treated badly by rossati and I'm talking here about danny makkelie and kovacs but specially makkelie in this tournament was near perfect but then you send them home and let referee like meler who didn't call a cleaaaar penalty and was inconsistant and diaz who is not in the same lever as danny or Marciniack and turpin and specially orsato even if they did big mistakes in both euro for the frensh and CL for the poland and italian referee i don't understand i think it's something personnel beetwen him and the president or even with kuipers
The problem is: Kovacs, Orsato and Turpin, Manzano were bad, this is a fact, there is no point in deifying them, every human being, every referee will make mistakes, but everyone must pay for their mistakes, I don't know what you don't like about Meler, but he experienced both here and in his other matches. He made a great progress after the incident, if anyone does not see this, he has completely malicious intentions, and he is also one of the 5 referees who officiated good matches in this tournament.
Deleteim not agree about point if meler rise after tragedy with punch at turkiye, Meler here because capability, not much. In other hand, point if Makkelie has been sacrifice i think your right, im just shock because Makkelie just near perfect at this event. Orsato here because last dance and with rosetti always build clear path.
DeleteIf feel bad for danny he is a great referee with a big personality but i think there is something between him and Rossiti it's impossible to send him and let meler dias turpin and orsato biased on this euro he was for me the second best referee in this tournament alongside letexier
DeleteMeler is a good referee. A talentend man!
ReplyDeleteI hope he has a good game.
His tournament is quite good.
Meler confirms his style, YC after 3 minutes!
ReplyDeleteTBF it's probably the easiest caution of the entire tournament!
DeleteVery easy YC, mandatory for SPA, good start for Meler to showcase himself! :)
DeleteEvery ref have to give a yellow for that block
DeleteNext YC 7’, reckless stamp on foot. Another good decision by Meler.
ReplyDeleteMeler is another Kovacs, let's hope he will have different outcome there!
ReplyDeleteIn general, yes.
DeleteBut both YC were mandatory IMO. In a case he missed disciplinary sanction, we would talk about his mistake...
And I'm sure that Orsato/Marciniak would skip both YCs.
DeleteI don’t think we would say missed YC per say, it’s not mandatory (I imagine a strong referee like Marciniak would take a verbal warning here), but for me correct but perhaps not necessary. We will see how the game develops.
DeleteI was just thinking that I would be flabbergasted if we ended without a red card
DeleteThat card for Mainoo was over the top. Meler should have given a verbal warning, as two yellow cards in a short space of time is, at the very least, a nuisance.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree for some games and some referees, a verbal warning would’ve been optimal, I feel like Meler is not the type of referee to be able to make it work and also this is not the type of game to save your cards imo. We will see how it develops.
DeleteI've never seen such a ridiculous comment. If there was a position that would lead to a red card, at 1 minute, what should be done? Should the yellow card be shown in the first minute? :)
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DeleteBoth YC's technically correct but will make his job more difficult as the game progresses
ReplyDeleteYou want consistency and all 3 yellows are consistent with whats gone before
ReplyDeleteAs for the balance of the yellow cards, this yellow card for Slovakia player came out of pocket.
DeleteThree yellow cards in less than 20 minutes is a sign that something could go wrong and there will be much more expulsions than there were in Turkey x Czech Republic
ReplyDeleteFour yellows now :p
Delete6 Fouls and 4 YCs now...
ReplyDeleteWhen we see some top referees deliberately ignoring cards at the beginning of a game, it's exactly because they don't want to find themselves in such situations, with some players already booked in the early first half and long time still to play... I agree with DrMr above, the referees he mentioned would have managed the game differently.
DeleteMeler is not afraid, he doesn't think that he must keep himself safe, very brave.
4 YC's in 16 minutes, Kovacs record might only last for 4 days lol
ReplyDeleteEngland 3 Slovakia 1 16 mins
ReplyDeleteAnd to be fair, all deserved
Of the 4 yellows so far id say 2 were mandatory while 2 probably were boarderline I just wonder will this end up like last week
ReplyDeleteAgreed @Neil. For me the first and fourth YC are mandatory (SPA & Reckless) while the second and third were borderline (for me leaning towards good decisions but in some games it’s better to solve with game management, perhaps this is one of those games, we shall see).
DeleteThree YCs by Meler within the first 15 minutes. First and third mandatory ones for SPA. The second YC, awarded for a reckless tackle after Mainoo steps on his opponent's foot, is not mandatory for me - definitely supportable, but could also have been managed with a strong verbal warning given the lack of intensity. Meler has certainly chosen a strong disciplinary line; whether this will help his match control or lead to a Kovacs situation, we shall see.
ReplyDelete4 yellow cards in 20 minutes and all correct, hope it continues well
ReplyDeleteWhich 2 would you have "managed"?
ReplyDeleteWhat a shocking referee. Lost control of the game after less than 20 mins! There's going to be no-one left to play in this game by the end of the match at this rate. No top class referee should ever have to use the YC as a weapon to control a match. It should be the tool of last resort rather than the first line of defence against his own inability.
ReplyDeleteYou showcase ZERO refereeing knowledge with this comment. SHOCKING statement. ”Lost control” lol…
DeleteFootball is about entertaining the paying public to a game of skill and excitement. It is not a theatre for referees to show off their inabilities.
DeleteAnd this forum is not a theatre for you to showcase your inability for refereeing. You can have whatever opinion you want but the way you express yourself using words like ”shocking” ”lost control” is really sad and does not reflect the excellent performance by Meler we’ve seen so far.
Delete@MX
DeleteBravo!
@V Outre
Sorry, but you are great example of what is wrong in the comments on this blog.
Roll on the day when they introduce red cards for referees - so that another official can step in when the players have had enough of him. Then we might see some improved consistency in the application of the LOTG.
DeleteSend mail to IFAB.
DeleteBy the LOTG only Bellingham's YC is debatable. Rest is correct. However it might make difficult for him rest of the game.
ReplyDeleteWhy difficult if he gives correct yellow cards, we have to stop the players decide what is right or wrong!
DeleteExcellent start by Halil Umut Meler! Two mandatory cautions to English players (stonewall SPA and step on foot) followed by YC for SPAlike foul of SVK player - used the chance to balance cards superb. Now YC for reckless tackle of Bellingham, again correct and, what is even more important, phenomenal body language when refusing any physical contact. Calm, unobtrusive, decisions based on LotG, sure about his actions. Wow!
ReplyDelete+1
Delete+1
DeleteMainoo potential stern warning and the one for the Slovakian player
ReplyDeleteEngland with a penalty appeal. Not enough to give it, agree with Meler.
ReplyDelete22’ - Another good decision by Meler. Never a penalty.
DeleteGood advantage before SVK goal.
ReplyDeleteGood Advantage Halil. Excelent performance up to now.
ReplyDeleteIn the penalty area, there is no advantage, only delayed whistle :)
DeleteIts a DOGSO situation in which advantage is only possible when a clear another goal scoring opportunity is available. He applied the law correctly and showed with arms the advantage after the goal was already scored. So this is a perfect example of an advantage in a DOGSO situation. Since the dogso is not successfull and the opportunity is restored no card is required after that.
DeleteThank you for the detailed explanation but my comment is refered only to terminology.
DeleteYou are welcome.
DeleteIf no goal, will he whistle a penalty?
ReplyDeleteIf he wouldn't it would be a huge mistake. Clear trip on the leg. He gave an advantage on it so he would probably absolutely do it.
DeleteIt is absolutely normal that this blog brings together different schools of refereeing, different understandings of refereeing. This blog is visited and commented by professional referees, veteran referees, referees who have just picked up the whistle... of course everyone has the right to their opinion, but it is incomprehensible to me that day after day the same names, the same people leave ONLY negative comments or comment only on what they consider a referee's mistake.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I can attribute it to ignorance, bigotry or a misunderstanding of the referee's role on the pitch... But I would just like to ask you:
Is this how you analyze and comment on your own matches that you officiate and would you like to be commented on by the observers?
Agree-agree-agree
Delete+1
Delete+1
DeleteSuper geeky detail: Anyone ever noticed the special whistling technique that Meler and other Turkish referees have?
ReplyDeleteLike what?
DeleteIt's not super geeky. He is the only one in this tournament doing it and it's noticeable. It goes from low to high sound instead of one straight sound. Usually how an amateur ref blows into a whistle but he does this on purpose.
DeleteAnd when he stops play for subs or injuries etc he does several quick tones instead of 2-3.
The sound is not cut off and the tone is not equal. It sounds like he's using a totally different whistle (not Fox or Molten).
DeleteAnd actually it's probably a completely different blowing (whistling) technique.
It's because he doesn't use his tongue on free kicks. He has the mouth open and then jst uses more force. If you use your tongue you will get that straight tone.
Deleteyes, it is the tongue that controls the sound :)
DeleteI hope that young refs are reading your comments so they can learn what is wrong with their whistle sound.
They could watch my video if they want :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2gl87GGb6Y
DeleteOh, that's you.
DeleteI remember your YT channel...
Good job, keep working!
Mistake by AR2 to initially award throw-in to SVK when the ball had clearly gone out. Interestingly overruled by Meler.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly indeed, referee at first went with his AR but suddenly changed opinion. Apparently some outside help ;p
DeleteIMO first mistake by Meler, harsh YC for SVK14.
ReplyDeleteVery good "by the book" performance by Meler in first half.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment he has actually managed to calm the game down.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I didn't have feeling that match was out of the control at all.
DeleteMeler's tactic with disciplinary control went well. Now he needs to step up in the second half.
Good refereeing in H1. YC's all correct and applies a strict line of control= predictable
DeleteWell, very good perfromance by Meler in 1st half. Strict,by the book. Full under control. By the way, he in some moments reminds me on Valentin Ivanov, and by the whsitle tehnique, like Kuipers when whistle end of the game!:)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVery good first half by Meler, almost flawless in my opinion. Never out of control and his leadership was never questioned. Watching the game you feel it’s very calm and controlled so far.
ReplyDeleteGood foul detection, pretty much perfect (expected decisions all the time). Not very tough to identify the fouls however so nothing out of the ordinary in this regard.
Lots of YCs, all but one atleast supportable leaning towards good with some being mandatory.
3’ - Mandatory for SPA, probably the easiest yellow in this tournament so far.
7’ - For me a good YC in THIS game with THIS referee. Another referee like Marciniak could have solved this with a strong verbal warning but definitely not wrong to give for Meler.
~14’ - SPA/LoR type foul, perfect for game balance and therefore a good decision for me.
~20’ - Reckless type of foul, definitely YC for me.
45+1’ - Harsch YC, wrong for me and Meler might have been tricked by the nature of the tackle/Bellinghams reaction.
Also a penalty appeal by England in 22’, correctly rejected by Meler, never enough for a PK.
All in all, great body language - very stern and confident, good movement (near proximity to potential fouls), allowing the game to naturally flow and whistling easy/expected fouls. 4/5 YCs correct in THIS game where one could expect a football focused contest and with Meler not having the same reputation/leadership as Orsato or Marciniak. I feel like he adapted well to the circumstances and profiled himself very early and very well.
We just have to hope players keep their cool and that Meler solves and especially ADAPTS incase things change in the second half. For now, his style works - we will see if it does in the second half.
EXCELLENT summary and I agree on every single word!
DeleteMeler after his 4 initial yellow cards has not shown consistency since especially with a couple late cynical challenges by the Slovak and a blatant obstruction on Bellingham to stop him breaking and a couple of aggressive fouls by Stones
ReplyDeleteVery good performance in this 1H for me as well. He chose a clear disciplinary line and is holding by it no matter what, showing excellent consistency in decision making. Of course, some may say it is too harsh/strict, but I think all those early YCs were more than correct, first two even mandatory: 3' (ENG6, SPA), 7' (ENG26, step on foot), 13' (SVK19, SPAish foul from behind, excellent opportunity to balance the cards, well taken), 16' (ENG10, late reckless tackle). Only the last YC to SVK14 in 45+1' might be debatable, but I don't think it's clearly wrong, at least according to the chosen line. I'd argue this presented performance is, although it might seem similar to Kovacs on Wednesday, actually very different: there was no change in approach in the middle of a warning, no insecurity or late issuing of a card and, most importantly, no disruptions of his line in the way of clear missed cards. Meler's body language is simply excellent and really convincing, clear but calm. He sent a clear message to the players, and it seems the players understood it and respect it (at least for now).
ReplyDeleteThe potential penalty for ENG in 23' is a correct play on for my taste, there was not enough intensity in that contact to cause such a fall. Also, excellent delayed whistle just before 1-0 by SVK, with good reading of the game.
And also this analysis is spot on!
DeleteA relief to read such a value-adding summary of H1
ReplyDeleteAttacker clearly in offside, should have been seen by AR.
ReplyDeleteHe couldn’t see it as he was a mile behind play
DeleteBad miss from the AR there, wasn't particularly close
ReplyDeleteAR2 should be sent home for that goodness me
ReplyDeleteQuite a big miss by AR2, offside, goal disallowed.
ReplyDeleteCrucial offside missed by AR2.
ReplyDeleteHe was very late to sprint to keep his line with attacker and Ball.
DeleteAR2 was a fair bit behind play there. Looked offside in real time
ReplyDeleteVery clear offside, poor positioning by AR2
ReplyDeleteAR2 was late and he was in a doubt... A pitty.
DeleteAR2 fell too far behind and missed the clear offside, this is not good for Meler, it was really bad
ReplyDeleteClear Offside missed by AR2 as he was miles behind play, really poor at this level
ReplyDeletevery poor at any level
DeleteShould be seen onfield, but it is honestly rare that attackers are in offside positions in such situations. normally they are smart enough to stay behind the ball...
ReplyDeleteVery late AR, he couldn't follow the play.
ReplyDeleteImpossible to make any assessment for him, indeed.
https://ibb.co/kcVXFsk
I think AR2 could have seen this even though she was behind, because it was a very clear offside.
DeleteMeler should get to grips with the Slovak time wasting
ReplyDelete59', free kick, but no YC?
ReplyDeleteIndeed, clear second YC missed
DeleteSYC as well
DeleteA big fault of Meler. Second yellow
DeleteMissed SYC?
ReplyDelete2nd YC for SPA? Contextual refereeing for me from Meler
ReplyDeleteKucha should have had second y.c
ReplyDeleteAnd in the 59th minute, the foul was correct, but she should have sent the Slovakian player with a second yellow card.
ReplyDeleteHe for male mate...
DeleteHow can that not be a promising attack😂😂 I know I’m not impartial but that’s unbelievable
ReplyDeleteThats Yellow for SVK2 ?
ReplyDeleteClear missed foul on trippier and YC for reckless challenge
ReplyDeleteCorrect non-SYC, careless foul whilst ‘running into traffic’.
ReplyDeleteI agree, not mandatory and not even preferable for a SYC to me. Correct decision.
DeleteNow missed YC for Pekarik
ReplyDeleteOnly argument against SPA is the volume of players around him.
ReplyDeleteHowever, 2nd YC would certainly be the expected decision
He should have given a clear foul and a yellow card in the 62nd minute, it did not suit Meler. The second half started badly
ReplyDeleteMmhh we have another YC missed here, not good Meler now, he is keeping all cards.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, mandatory one for me. Certainly a mistake.
DeleteSVK19 is flirting with limits
ReplyDeleteKucka challenge close to red card. He is spoiling his performance now.
ReplyDeleteAnother late challenge and still no SYC
ReplyDeleteNo yc for foul on Trippier ,Meler is only refereeing one
ReplyDeleteNext foul #19 commits should lead to a second yellow card, if purely for persistent offending. Twice now lucky.
ReplyDeleteWhy, why, why change your style drastically after such a good first half? Fear of being rejected or losing control with such important call? Now possible 2YC to 10ENG for simulation. Still acceptable to let it go but we've seen them given.
ReplyDeleteVery sad as 1H was spot on
DeleteThat would be too harsh imo. But he missed the 2YC for SVK #19 not the first one to Mainoo but the one on 62 min. Also not calling a foul for SVK#2 was also a mistake.
DeleteWhy, that's the point. We can't understand whether he simply missed the mandatory cards, both the SPA and the one a few later, or he didn't want to book deliberately, second case is of course unacceptable... really sorry because it could have been an excellent performance, now for sure, even more if England will lose the game, all discussions will be about these missed cards...
DeleteIf England wins no one will talk about the cards they missed
DeleteWith his performance in the first half he would have gotten a fourth game. Now a fourth game is becoming increasingly unlikely
ReplyDeleteShould have been on the plane home after the second ,typical divisive Turkish referee
DeleteWtf? Really? No bias there then
DeleteNot bias just a comment on Turkish refereeing and numerous scandals both domestically and internationally
DeleteDomestic ones is a different story but can you please advise which scandal with international one?
Delete@bigJ
DeleteShame on you for that comment!
AR2 should have signalled foul on Palmer
ReplyDeleteWrong YC for Slovakia #2
ReplyDeleteI think It is often the Case. The frefree Shows the First cards too quickly and than He realizes that WE are now sending a Player off the field for two small fouls. So He doesn' do It.
ReplyDeleteHe cut the cards in the second half, maybe he got a warning for showing too many yellow cards, and two big mistakes in the second half, the clear offside missed by AR2, and the second yellow card not given to the Slovakian player by Meler. With the mistakes in the second half, Meler is very close to coming home
ReplyDeleteTurkish ref? :)
DeleteWhy are you surprised:)
DeleteCan the goal save Meler?
ReplyDeleteSave from what?
DeleteAlthough there is one major mistake by him and other mistake by AR2, there is nothing to save him for. It is his first major international tournament and he had a successful one. Before the tournament I would be happy for him having 3 games with a knock out game. He has achieved that. I never expected him to have one of last 7 games. So we'll done by Meler...
DeleteEdit: well done Meler...
DeleteHe will have learnt a lot. I think he will be 4th Off on a QF or even SF. He will look towards this coming Champions League and Nations League as a chance to cement his reputation and push on to WC26
DeleteI wish he has Super Cup final ahead of the season to boost his confidence.
DeleteThrow-in before goal incorrectly taken. Player has stepped into the field.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not! No issued with the throw in, correctly taken with both feet touching the line or being behind.
DeleteMeler performance is that of a referee that needs dropping a category
ReplyDeleteEngland late goal saved the assessment of the Turkish, in all cases, it's good for him.
ReplyDeleteAt least so far, of course :)
DeleteHe will be less criticised by English Media. But English media would have no time to discuss the ref, they would be busy discussing their manager :))) they will still be...
DeleteNothing within the officials performance contributed to the game itself. England have had 2 moments (Foden should never have been offside. Kane should hsve scored earlier, Rice was unlucky)
DeleteBellingham one touch of genius plus a Kane header from 6 yards
Several missed yellow cards after he set the tone of the game in the 1st 20 minutes including a second y,c for Kucka
Deletegot to question Meler fitness levels appears to be struggling to keep up with play.
ReplyDeleteSeeing a lot of people complaining about six minutes injury time. I don't think it would have effectively changed something regarding the goal since he would have let the game going for a fifth minute anyways, cause of the two substitutes. But maybe 4 (or 5) minutes would have been more approriate imo, since not a lot happened in the 2nd half and he is making himself an easy target for complains if a late equalizer is scored (like Makkelie in ITA/CRO).
ReplyDeleteBeing a lowly, untrained, paying spectator what do I know about the inconsistent application of the LOTG by referees? Good job there are self appointed so called "experts" on here to put me in my place! Thank you Mr Meler for (unfortunately) proving my point. Good luck, my friend!
ReplyDeleteNo, he didn't prove your point, you just proved that you are a mockingbird.
DeletePS you don't need quotation marks.
Cheers!
So sad to see such an esteemed commentator lowering to namecalling. Glad to remove the quotations marks, the 'so-called' remains.
DeleteI always wonder how opinions on this blog are 90% about the cards (not) given.
ReplyDeleteThere's still 10 minutes to go, but till now there's no reason to talk about Meler after this match.
Yes, he changed his approach in the second half, but to me that flexibility is really good (even one of the competences assessed in the Netherlands). First half he had 2 early mandatory yellow cards and kept consistency during the first half. Second half less hard play and more space to slow a bit down with the cards. As the intensity of the game changed, Meler showed his flexibility and went with the flow of the game. At every moment of the game he was accepted, respected and in full control.
Hats off to Meler, who really showed his potential this tournament. I think we will see him as 4O in a semi final and as referee in the Super Cup this year.
From a practical point of view I fully agree with you.
DeleteSimply looking at the theoretical and possible deviations from the LOTG is a too one-sided approach and risks limiting the total to what was not done properly.
Fortunately, there are several contributions in this blog that use an integral game approach and refer to them as such
His tactical approach in this match was exemplary and, from a practical point of view, fitted in perfectly with the course and character of this match.
He always had the necessary control, was calm but decisive where necessary and also avoided unnecessary discussions with players.
For me a good and satisfactory performance.
"Yes, he changed his approach in the second half, but to me that flexibility is really good"
DeleteI wish we have more approaches like this one on this blog.
Twice a Slovakian player has booted the ball (with force) into the crowd. Of course the crowd shouldn't throw a second ball on the pitch, but the way they are kicked into fans seems to be very dangerous
ReplyDeleteAllowing a play on when 2 balls on the pitch basic error ,Meler is getting noticed more and more as the game has progressed ,a good referee is one who is not noticed
ReplyDeletePlay on is correct, I believe the law was clarified to allow that when a second ball wasn't interfering
Deleteit was interfering as it disturbed the English players concentration
DeleteCorrect reaction by Meler to play on as the balls were being unsportingly thrown onto the field of play by England supporters to abort Slovakia's attacks.
DeleteHe managed a perfect match except for the first 25 minutes of the second half, if we don't blame the AR2 mistake on him, the second yellow card he didn't give to the Slovakian player was his biggest mistake, I think he had a very good tournament, maybe a quarter final or 4O.
ReplyDeleteIMO overall, a (very) good performance by Meler. Full control, not faultless but high accuracy.
ReplyDeleteWell, lot of potential showed by Meler. But, only solid performance by him. Its obvius that Uefa will work with him in some areas. At the end,he can be satisfied with what he done as referee at EURO 2024. Maybe we will se him once more as 4th official, and thats all. In my view,him and Nyberg fight for SuperCup. I gave advantage to Nyberg.
ReplyDeleteI think we see Meler in the Position at 4 Official
ReplyDeleteOverall good performance, but 2 missed YCs, both for players who were cautioned is a bit disappointing
ReplyDeleteNo idea who gets the Eng-Sui game. Siebert?
ReplyDeleteSiebert won't get it as Germany is a neighbouring country to Switzerland ,more likely to be Eastern Europe official
Deletethe excuse of neighbouring country is bullshit! Makkelie refereed Germany, Letexier is refereeing Spain, Zwayer referees Netherlands, Orsato refereed Switzerland, Siebert refereed Czech Republic, Kovacs refereed serbia
DeleteI would go with Vincic as an early prediction (if he's still around)
DeletePlease no!!
DeleteI didn't see a changed approach by Meler (in the 2H), he carried on with the same line as before. After four cautions in the first 20min, perhaps the game should have felt more in the referee's grasp than it did (IMO). To me it is more than justifiable to have spared Kucka x2 (no SPA; then later careless kick). Bellingham's simulation was theoretically clear but it would have been extremely surprising to see a SYC given there. The cautions to Skriniar and Pekarik respectively were bogus, he was fooled by the exaggerating England players. In extra time, there were a handful of rather inexistent freekicks awarded, one of which ultimately lead to the winning goal. As a whole, it was a generally satisfactory performance, with the note of linesmen Ersoy's mistake in the 2H. I'd like to see Meler gain more experience by being a fourth official for at least one match in the later rounds. Very good tournament for the Turkish referee, who undoubtedly enhanced his reputation over the three games; Turkey's trio can be proud of what they achieved in Germany.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete+1
DeleteVery good brief...
DeleteAgreed, good summary. Meler is a referee that can become a very trusted elite with more experience and improvements in certain areas of game management (as a whole). Great tournament for him, Meler can be very satisfied with his performance!
DeletePerfect comment.
DeleteTime management once again (after Italy-Croatia): big team requires a goal means 2-3 minutes more than the other way around. Meler was lucky that the equalizer was scored at 90+5 and not 90+6 because that was definitely at least a minute too much given the context of rather low extra times given at EC.
ReplyDeleteOverall Slovakia was the luckier team with several missed YC, though. Not a great performance of Meler.
Meler performance was poor ,fitness level not great as he struggled to keep up with play in extra time ,missed the basics ,waving play on with second ball on pitch as both sets of players stopped .After setting his stall in the 1st 20 minutes ,you have to show the same consistency for the rest of the game ,because it comes harder for players to read the game .He also seemed to have poor communication with both sets of players and should have been more proactive when the Slovak manager attacked Rice
ReplyDeleteI guess you watched another match and the comments are incredible and you don't understand enough about football and refereeing to say that Meler should be relegated to 1 category for this match.
DeleteHave we watched the same match?
Delete"After setting his stall in the 1st 20 minutes ,you have to show the same consistency for the rest of the game"
Old school observers like your comment :)
May be if you took away the Turkish bias ,you may realise are ones that are not noticed during the game and have full control are the good referees .
DeleteNot at all, I am so impartial that I can point out his mistakes, he only has two mistakes and what you wrote is obvious, you even wrote that he should be demoted to category 1 and then you understood and deleted him, not only me but everyone in this tournament loved him, he is also a perfect person to make mistakes no. There is no such perfect referee
Delete@bigJ
Deleteyou are the one who emphasized the adjective TURKISH more than once in the comments. Which just goes to show how ridiculous your writing is and the way you apostrophize things.
We have a lot of card counters on this blog... Maybe the should try as delegates.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this disrespectful comment.
DeleteHow do you think Kuipers will rate Meler?
ReplyDeleteThe specific mark in this match match is not so important, as the general impression left by the Meler is important. I think he showed that UEFA can rely on him in the years to come, of course, he still has a lot to work on, and I believe that the impression he left on the Kuipers will be positive.
DeleteI believe he will generally rate him high with areas to improve.
DeleteAfter a very good performance in the 1H I already talked about in a previous comment, I don't actually think Meler changed his approach and disciplinary line in the 2H. For what my opinion is worth, I think he still presented a good/solid piece of refereeing after HT, with some areas for improvement being visible in a certain deterioration in foul recognition and disciplinary management as the game progressed (some soft fouls in the ET, missed CK for SVK in 113', one missed and one really dubious YC during the 2H).
ReplyDeleteI have to be honest and say that I don't consider the potential SYCs to SVK19 as mistakes: the existence of actual SPA in 59' is somewhat questionable to me and I don't see the foul in 65' as clearly reckless (Kucka managed to slow/stop his kick just in time to make it rather careless). Therefore, I would give Meler the benefit of the doubt in both instances, although I admit the interpretation could have easily gone the other way around. Also, while Bellingham certainly simulated a foul in 70' from a purely theoretical point of view, I would argue quite strongly that a SYC would have been quite unwise and rather surprising in that particular moment, from a management and common sense perspective.
On the other hand, I do believe that SVK2 had to receive a YC for his hard and late reckless tackle in 63'. This is the most serious individual mistake in today's performance IMO; no matter the actual line, this was a mandatory YC in any match. The same player eventually "earned" his caution in 77', however for a rather incorrectly assessed step on foot. I cannot resist a feeling Meler was aware that he made a mistake with the same player in 63' and used this opportunity to "even the score", but it's certainly not a positive and desirable approach. As for the disciplinary line in the ET, I think Meler found his correct approach again and issued two good cautions: 108' (SVK3, SPA) and 116' (SVK6, protest/dissent).
While I don't believe he actually made any changes to his line, but rather committed a bad mistake in 63', while taking supportable decisions in 59', 65' and 70', it always puzzles me somewhat to read a belief by some that a referee shouldn't change the approach in a match no matter what. Back in the day, I was actually taught the opposite: a referee needs to feel the match, adapt to it. Of course it's of the utmost importance to follow a clear line in comparable situations, or comparable halves, or when a match progresses along a certain style for its whole duration. However, matches are rarely the same during the whole 90 (or 120) minutes: the game "temperature" changes, tensions rise and fall, player behaviour and attitude develops positively or negatively, coaches adapt their tactics and so on. I would argue that it's very important for the referee to be able to correctly feel and/or recognise these changes and adapt to them adequately, instead of just stubbornly staying along the same line if it's clear that it longer meets the requirements of a now changed nature of the match. This discussion doesn't necessarily apply to Meler and his performance, but is a response I had to offer to some comments above.
In terms of KMIs, the pretty bad mistake by AR2, with the incorrect onside for a goal by ENG, needs to be highlighted. I'd argue this one had to be seen live, with Foden clearly in front of the ball on the key pass, but the suboptimal position in which AR2 was caught due to his bad following of play, caused him to fail in this important moment. Thankfully, VAR crew did their job well. To add, there was one more potential penalty situation for ENG in 104', but it was correctly rejected by Meler (Saka crashed into his opponent and rather fell on his own).
DeleteTo conclude, I think Meler presented a good piece of refereeing in this match overall. He started strongly and bravely, and I have to say I was very pleased to observe his calm but firm way of dealing with the players, strong body language and clear communication. Of course, he had mistakes and I tried to present them objectively, but I cannot agree with some comments speaking about a "bad" or "poor" performance. I think Meler can be more than satisfied with his achievements during this tournament, and I certainly expect him to become a really top referee very soon, after gaining valuable experience from tournaments such as this one.
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