Michael Oliver at his third appearance at 2026 WC gets for the first time teams outside UEFA, he will officiate Canada - Morocco in the Round of 16.
Match #90
Round of 16
4 July 2026, 19:00 CET
NRG Stadium, Houston
CANADA - MOROCCO
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Danny Makkelie NED
Reserve AR: Hessel Streegstra NED
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 : Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 : Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
It'll be interesting to see how Michael Oliver handles the protests and players surrounding the referee. Both teams, especially Morocco, can be quite emotional when they're behind.
ReplyDeleteWill we see the typical English approach, where dissent is dealt with firmly, or the FIFA approach we've seen throughout this tournament, where almost everything is allowed?
Good start shows he means business retake kick off
ReplyDeleteAfter the almost disaster of the start of the 2nd half in AUS/EGY, I'm betting the committee made sure to highlight it the next morning.
DeleteClip: https://streamable.com/a8ktqy
DeleteI do believe that all the referees are competent and capable.
ReplyDeleteBut things change when the referees arrive and are told to throw away everything, they know and everything that they've done their entire careers. That's where Collina ruins capable and competent referees.
A good referee manager recognizes and accepts that each referee is different and that they all have differing abilities, strengths and weaknesses. And he assigns his referees to matches accordingly.
But that takes more work. So instead, they take the easy way out and just toss out blanket instructions and directives to all the referees. And expect them all to robotically perform in the same manner. No wonder we're left with this disarray in terms of officiating.
Yup, I am looking at you Collina and Busacca. The people you were as referees would be ashamed of what you've become and what you're doing to refereeing.
With that said, just let the referees officiate their respective matches in the manner that best suits them, In the manner that they've done it their entire careers. I guarantee that the results will be much better. Is it really that much to ask, Mr. Collina and Mr. Busacca?
+1
Delete+1 +x
DeleteI don’t understand the head injury policy, this is for me an instant stop, this is way more important than statistic of the game time. Once again weird guidelines from the committee.
ReplyDeleteClip: https://streamable.com/5tbu5h
DeleteAs has been shown. Player health, safety, and wellbeing are not high on FIFA's priorities list.
DeleteThis is in no way the poor referee's fault who have been "handcuffed" by ridiculous instructions and directives.
Bravo Oliver,too much stepping on opponets foot.
ReplyDeleteNow MOR will complain why for foul on Hakimi there was no YC.
YC 20' Clip: https://streamable.com/mouzel
DeleteI didn't really like the way Oliver presented the first yellow card it wasn't very clear who he issued it to
ReplyDeleteCorrect first YC, but pretty much similar foul was on the other side several minutes earlier without caution
ReplyDeleteMissed YC after an advantage played clear step on foot
ReplyDeleteReplay Clip: https://streamable.com/7c6wna
DeleteAnd now missed YC for foul on CAN player.
ReplyDeleteIt seems he is making a distinction between a full step onto a foot (YC) and an extended leg without the weight of the body (foul only).
ReplyDeleteHydration break, so far so good one YC issued by the English referee Oliver,
ReplyDeleteIt is very physical game and delicately possed Hopefully everything goes well for the English crew live 28'
Good YC a piece (one for each side) following the incident on 39'
ReplyDeleteFull-Sequence + Replays:
Deletehttps://streamable.com/utmvhu
Yes,you can difference in styles.
ReplyDeleteSomeone like Valenzuela would probably solve this with big warnings.
Oliver is using talkative but also booking approach.
Yc for hakomo meanless by oliver
ReplyDeleteConfrontation created out of absolutely nothing. Oliver tried to intervene quickly to stop it escalating being surprisingly physical with the players. Ultimately 2 yellow cards shown
ReplyDeleteOut of nothing? Did you not see the absolutely unnecessary shove in the back of the Canadian player when the GK already had the ball?
DeleteNot "literally" nothing obviously. A pretty minor incident which in most games would pass without the kind of confrontation that followed
DeleteRefnewgen at halftime can you post a clip of the off-ball foul at 15’?
ReplyDeleteNo Replays in the broadcast...
DeleteLive-Sequence: https://streamable.com/9qryis
Thanks man
DeleteMichael Oliver stepped in like a boxing referee; I think he should have stayed out of it
ReplyDeleteCorrect double yellow after mass conf. Difficult to manage but did reasonably well. One from each side.
ReplyDeleteWell handled altercation with one YC at each side
ReplyDeleteCorrect YC on 43' for SPA
ReplyDeleteClip: https://streamable.com/so1msn
DeleteThat mass confrontation is on Oliver directly.
ReplyDeleteJust call the simple foul and run over and admonish verbally and forcefully the Moroccan player for that completely unnecessary shove to the Canadian player.
No whistle no action by the referee. Of course, unsurprisingly the Canadians seek to get back at the Moroccan player on their own terms,
+1
DeletePoor management IMHO in minute 40 with the double caution. Oliver very complacent with original foul. Certainly not convinced that he would have cautioned the Moroccan player had the Canadian players not reacted. Then his solution to caution one from each team is unacceptable as the reaction from the Canadian who was fouled was certainly not enough for a caution.
ReplyDeletePeople on here moan all tournament about no cards and then when a ref is brave enough to issue cards, they all still moan
DeleteText book handling of confrontation. Tried to stop then got out and observed. Instigators cautioned
DeleteHowever, those cards were completely unnecessary if he had simply called the obvious and unnecessary push by Hakimi.
DeleteUtter rubbish ,both caution were justified .BOTH over reacted in an aggresive manner .Nip the confrontation in the bud .Better handled than a lot of referees ,burying their heads and thenhaving more problems later
DeleteSome users on this blog are simply error mongers whole only looks for faults by all means in any referee provided it is not their "favourite referee". I can't understand how somebody is looking for a way to blame Oliver in that situation
DeleteHe was not proactive by calling the simple foul. The uncalled for and unnecessary push by Hakimi on Lareyea. He blows for the foul and verbally admonishes Hakimi. I guarantee that things don't flare up.
DeleteOliver failed to act proactively and was forced to show cards reactively.
What is so hard to understand about that?
This isn't about ref hate. It's about facts!
Now very clear YC,good performance from Oliver.
ReplyDeleteProbably Collina will send him home cause 4 cards is too much,horror for Fifa and co.
Correct YC on 45' for reckless
ReplyDeleteClip: https://streamable.com/a1hdvx
DeleteGood to see Oliver didn’t ignore the clear YC for SPA to maintain control. And another YC as I write.
ReplyDeleteAnd 5th,very deserved.
ReplyDeleteOliver is going bonkers,Collina is mad probably🤣🤣🤣
🤣🤣🤣 you are probably correct.
DeletePerfect first half, but ideally one or two more cautions to top it off.
ReplyDeleteWrong call foul 45+1 clear dive by MAR player
ReplyDeleteCall the simple foul (the shove by Hakimi), give him a good tongue lashing. The Canadians wouldn't have reacted and there would be two less cards.
ReplyDeleteVery good performance from Oliver. His experience helps him take control of this game. Strong candidates of the Final (Taylor as well)
ReplyDeleteMicheal Oliver’s facial expressions show that he’s a little perturbed by the physical nature of this game.
ReplyDeleteRubbish ,Oliver started his refereeing in Tough leagues in the North East of England ,this is a picnic in comparsion
DeleteYeah but these players are skilled, not a bunch of fat drunks like the English leagues
DeleteOliver doesn't show a card for a strong careless/borderline reckless tackle, then it's missed YC. Oliver does show cards (correctly), then he's card happy and it's too much according to this blog. I'm not convinced any of the referees can win!
ReplyDeleteIs crazy to think Oliver and his crew are struggling to deal this game!
ReplyDeleteI don’t know if struggling is the correct word but definitely don’t really know how to manage it imo.
DeleteThe AR1 has flagged for two fouls that weren't fouls and is hopelessly behind on long runs.
ReplyDeleteWhere
DeleteAs expected with the start of elimination games way more fouls and ‘’protective approach’’ by referees. This game is a good example of it a lot a soft fouls given especially at the end of the 1st half
ReplyDeleteWe're on track to break the card record in the Euro 2024 Turkey-Czechia match 😂
ReplyDeleteMaybe even Battle for Nuremberg?😉
Delete6th YC of the half (correct again) for reckless on 45+5'
ReplyDeleteClip: https://streamable.com/648vnu
DeleteGood performance but it’s looking more like this match will not finish with 22 players on the park
ReplyDeleteYes 😂
DeleteAnother correct yellow. We might see a second yellow in this game unless the players wise up.
ReplyDeleteThis game will have 20 yellow cards!
ReplyDeleteIf you can't make sensible comments ,what are you doing on here
DeleteJohn, are you having an emotional breakdown?
DeleteSince 2024, kovacs has been getting unfair criticism simply because he wasn’t afraid to show the cards that were deserved. Now that Michael Oliver is taking the same approach, he’s being praised and rightly so. The double standard is astonishing. What a hypocritical
In this case Oliver brought it on himself.
DeleteHe failed to act proactively on the Hakimi and Lareyea incident which calling a simple foul and a string verbal warning would have sufficed. But he chose to ignore it completely and it infuriated the Canadians which in turn led to the mass confrontation. At that point he had no choice but to show cards.
Agree with John. Damir, silly comments have been consistent from you, if it’s a caution it’s a caution. End of story. I don’t care what FIFA says. The laws are the laws.
DeleteHopefully, they’ll remain just as consistent with personal penalties in the second half—even if Collina doesn't like it; Oliver won't be around in four years anyway.
ReplyDeleteWow, it seems that Oliver lost a bit control of the game in last 10-15 minutes. Still,keeping it on positive way. We will see second half.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't call the simple foul.
Delete45×6 given therecis one like this in the begining of the game no card shown
ReplyDeleteThe game has become what it is because of a "flash point" incident. The completely unnecessary and uncalled for shove by Hakimi that was not whistled by the referee. Which unsurprisingly followed by the mass confrontation.
ReplyDeleteAnd that just begs the question:with 1st performance in bookings as it should be,even better than Turpin's last night,why could not every ref whistle like this,by the book?
ReplyDeleteI dont even Siebert or Kovacs would have whistled it like Oliver in 1st half.
What's crazier is he on purpose or missed 1-2 yc's.
But other than that,great 1st half.
I'm in a bit of shock on how to analyse that first half. Good if not unexpected performance from Oliver. 6 (six) YC's in the first half, all correct and players can have no complaints. Foul recognition and consistency have been strong and has been proactive with player management where possible. Certainly a performance not in trend with the whole tournament but a refreshing change t see an official just referee the game.
ReplyDeleteOne of the big reasons for so many YCs in the first half is because so many refs have been ignoring even the most blatant fouls. Oliver is not allowing that to continue in his matches. You would think managers would have told their teams that Oliver is one of the best refs in the world and to change their overly aggressive defending.
DeleteThe players are so used to making 5 of these fouls before they even get a warning, not today
ReplyDeleteFailing to call a quite simple foul caused the temperature of the match to rise.
ReplyDeleteLarreya and Hakimi had already had a clash earlier in the match. A locked in referee keeps this in mind and is on the lookout for follow up incidents between these two players.
The hundreds of fouls that havie been missed in this WC ,have been caused by Collina and his directives .
DeleteCollina isn't on the pitch. Oliver is.
DeleteFurthermore, if said guidelines are going to compromise your game control. To hell with the guidelines and call the simple foul that will in turn prevent a flash point from occurring,
It's hilarious to read this place sometimes. We've had a whole tournament of whinging and moaning about referees not issuing cards. As soon as there's a match where yellow cards are correctly issued it means that he is losing control.
ReplyDeleteUltimately a large number of people only come on here with the sole desire just to moan and whinge as much as possible
+1
DeleteThe cards are of because of his own doing.
DeleteI think it's small amount of people.
DeleteI don't think he lost control and it's refreshing to see ref who is not afraid to show cards.
+1 every game missed YCs and being given it's now poor refereeing (what's what) l bet if it was one of the French it would be charismatic,aura and bravery
DeleteHe allowed the match to heat up. Thus, he had no choice but to show cards. He caused it himself.
DeleteThat's like praising an arsonist for putting out a fire he lit.
Amazing what not calling a simple foul can lead to.
ReplyDeleteIn this case it led to a "flash point" incident (mass confrontation).
Which in turn from that point on the temperature of the match changed significantly.
You are saying “not calling simple foul” 20 times lol, but what are you talking about?
DeleteI thought he called it, is it wrong?
He did not call the completely unnecessary and uncalled for push in the back by Hakimi on Lareyea. Which in turn led to the mass confrontation. If Oliver calls the foul and verbally admonishes Hakimi. It ends there.
DeleteBut instead, we got a no call by Oliver, so the Canadians unsurprisingly decided to seek justice on their own.
Laryea is an absolute shit disturber, he will get in anyones face. Push anyone. Canada would be better letting hakimi get yellow, and laryea stay calm...but he doesn't and that / his out of control causes more problem for the referee.
DeletePretty good performance from the English crew at Halftime
ReplyDeleteOn the confrontation it was not in his hands out of meaningless contacts and the rest was a flow of correct YC to finish at 45'
That mass confrontation is on Oliver directly.
DeleteJust call the simple foul and run over and admonish verbally and forcefully the Moroccan player for that completely unnecessary shove to the Canadian player.
No whistle no action by the referee. Of course, unsurprisingly the Canadians seek to get back at the Moroccan player on their own terms,
And now watching social newtwork,everyone criticizes Oliver,says he is very card free.
ReplyDeleteSo that's what Fifa does not want,ref to be main focus.
No matter if made right decisions in all 6 cards,too much for people,too much for Fifa.
He caused it. He led to it. His decision to not whistle that completely uncalled for and unnecessary shove by Hakimi infuriated the Canadians.
DeleteFurthermore, those two players had already clashed earlier in the match. A "locked in" referee knows this and keeps in mind for future clashes.
In this case Oliver failed to react proactively and was left showing cards reactively.
He allowed advantage and then in a blik of an eye conflict happened.
DeleteHe was then there,but conflict still continued..
What more could he do when guideline is to let advantage whenever you can?
If said guidelines are going to compromise your game control. To hell with the guidelines.
DeleteHe should have had in mind the fact that these two players had already clashed earlier in the match and been on the lookout for a follow up incident.
When the follow up incident happened, he attempted to downplay it and it backfired. It led to the mass confrontation which in turn raised the temperature of the match.
Oliver failed to act proactively and was left showing cards reactively.
There individuals in this platform who have given themselves the task of looking for something to murmur and complain about in every referees' performance except it is their "favourite referee".
ReplyDeleteThis first half I have watched, you have to be an error mongers to not be satisfied with the referee's performance.
+1
DeleteHe caused it. He led to it. His decision to not whistle that completely uncalled for and unnecessary shove by Hakimi infuriated the Canadians.
DeleteFurthermore, those two players had already clashed earlier in the match. A "locked in" referee knows this and keeps in mind for future clashes.
In this case Oliver failed to react proactively and was left showing cards reactively.
We heard you the first 10 times you've said the same thing. Stop spamming the forum
DeleteYou just don't like that I am stating facts. Thus, the reason you don't have a rebuttal to my claim.
DeleteI would rather have a small mistake like a missed or mismanaged foul that leads to a few cautions for reactions than have several completely missed clear cautions. Just saying. Soft YC given vs clear YC missed, the former is better in my opinion.
Delete+1000
ReplyDeleteI’m new to this forum for the World Cup. These comment sections are unfortunately cesspools. The best thing is refnewgen posting clips of incidents.
ReplyDeleteMissed foul and missed offside here
ReplyDeleteHe clearly played advantage
Deletedo you mean the advantage with a corner afterwards?
DeleteDidnt see the gesture apoligies.. although there was an offside pretty sure
DeleteYC on 49' for SPA (correct again)
ReplyDeleteClip: https://streamable.com/y29f76
DeleteNow clear yc shown.
ReplyDeleteUnusually for Michael Oliver, he has found himself in a match with several yellow cards. At one point, following one of the cards he issued, you could clearly notice his reluctance to show the card. He seemed to be trying to avoid it, but in the end he had no choice. My feeling is that, in a game like this, there is now a real possibility that red cards could follow.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't expecting Canada - Morocco to be this intense, although I have to say the match has been very open and highly competitive.
I had anticipated a rather easy game with very few talking points, but this time, unlike in his previous two appointments, Oliver has to battle to keep control.
We finally have the kind of test that allows us to assess the English referee properly.
In his earlier matches we said he had performed well, but in reality it was impossible to know how he would react under pressure because he was never really put in that situation.
So let's see what the second half brings and whether the English referee can once again demonstrate his quality or not.
Now Morocco scored. Game can change.
I''ve seen plenty of Jesse Marsch's Canada. And they are always on "Intense Pro Maxx" level. That's how the coach has them play. They are always pushing the envelope. So, no not surprising that Canada is so intense.
DeleteThis isn't a good performance. Oliver's push on the protesting Canada player at 47:20 indicates that he doesn't feel in control of the match (and is right so to feel).
ReplyDeleteYou can tell from a single scene that the referee doesn't have the game under control. Kudos. For me, it was a good performance with total control of the match
DeleteOliver failed to act proactively and was left showing cards reactively.
DeleteFull-Sequence 48':
Deletehttps://streamable.com/9ziwkn
You shouldn't commit an act on a player that, if done to you, would be a VC! It wasn't a big deal practically however. The game changed immediately after the first goal and was, from that point on, a clearly good performance. The problem was that Oliver didn't identify the problem Canada players (Buchanan and Laryea) from the first 20min and then didn't book at either 23:40 (to continue clamping down on reckless fouls) or 36:25 (to balance the cards after a cynical tactical foul) - not sanctioning one would be okay, but not doing either led to the chaotic end to the 1half. It was good that Oliver issued cards in this period though! So, overall: not bad performance all told.
DeleteI would lose my patience and resort to unorthodox actions as well if I was forced to manage dissent without cautions…Contact was made with the referee first initiated by the player while protesting a decision. Oliver is completely correct, plays a good advantage that leads to an attempt on goal and a corner. Leave the referee alone. He’s managing and speaking to players and then backing it up with cards like his usual style, and the response from the players is to not respect him. He’s not used to that, and it’s clear to see.
DeleteSecond half very consistent with the YC bar l guess YCs may reach 12/14 more physical and more delicate with the host nation becoming more desperate
ReplyDeleteOffside ? Or pen ?
ReplyDeleteOff
DeleteOffside but seemed a bit light tbh
DeleteThe contact was light I meant *
DeleteThat would undoubtedly be a YC for dissent in the Premier league and it should be in the WC too
ReplyDeleteThat was clearly a dissent
DeleteOliver's right to toe the party line, but yes
DeleteClip: https://streamable.com/002l30
DeleteNo yc for dissent
ReplyDeleteThat dissent from the Canadian player on 61’ was too obvious and sustained to ignore. Should have cautioned. Not good.
ReplyDeleteWhy would Oliver defy the instructions?
DeleteI’m aware of the directives, but that verbal dissent was very clear. Had he cautioned he could have sold it.
Delete65 mins- not a bad performance per se but not his usual high standard of officiating , if England does get past Mexico this would be his last appointment and can't imagine him being that pleased with today's performance
ReplyDeleteReffing Morracos very rough playing is easy for any Ref. Oliver is doing a very good job. Probably a big reason he was assigned to this match.
DeleteSome will blame oliver, but it is a clearly horrible behavior from the canadian players
ReplyDeleteI am Canadian, and certainly not blaming Oliver, but what examples do you have about “horrible behaviour from the Canadian players”??? Oliver has been decent IMHO, aside from his management of the Hakimi/Laryea situation.
DeleteSome of the Moroccans were equally as bad.
DeleteCorrect YC on 67' for reckless and good proactive refereeing to refuse any flashpoints.
ReplyDeleteYC 67' Clip: https://streamable.com/t3gmx2
DeleteThe game is becoming more and more challenging
ReplyDeleteOliver did well there, you could even say he was proactive... to avoid a mass confrontation
ReplyDeleteWhat will haters say now?
ReplyDeleteQuick card pull and running to prevent escalation.
Brilliant.
I'm sure the person who keeps moaning about the "mass confrontation" in the first half will be here soon....
DeleteIf stating facts equals "moaning". So be it.
DeleteI'm glad that he learned his lesson from what he failed to do in the first half.
Somebody may have gotten into his ear during half time to be more proactive and to do better by calling the simple foul.
I agree he should have reacted better to the stupid push in the first half. However, he is not used to or expecting the ridiculous behavior by the Canadians, which is a clear reflection of their coach. I don’t think it’s a stretch to characterize your comments as moaning, you made several comments about the same incident. Make a comment about it and reply to a comment or two disagreeing and then leave it alone.
DeleteIncredible sprint Oliver!
ReplyDeleteGood and correct YC for Canada no 9 for reckless challenge. Oliver sprinted to the scene of the offence to deter any “afters”. Good proactive refereeing.
ReplyDeleteNo replay from broadcast on holding and possible dogso
ReplyDeleteAt 67:15, Oliver shows excellent presence and alertness. That aspect of his match management could have helped prevent some of what happened in the first half if he had displayed the same level of authority from the opening minutes.
ReplyDeleteWith hindsight, I also think he switched into that more alert and proactive mode a little too late. The “usual” Oliver is often very relaxed, reads the game well, identifies the right fouls and makes life easy for himself. That approach didn’t work as well in the opening phase of this match, where a higher level of presence and proactivity was needed from the start.
He has struggled at times with foul recognition and identifying the right free kicks, while also being quite strict in applying the disciplinary ladder—which I actually like given how the tournament has generally been officiated. However, I found it difficult to see a consistent line in his cautions during the first half. Part of that, in my view, was due to him not being active and present enough in his overall management, as well as missing the foul on Hakimi that led to the mass confrontation.
That said, this has been a match with a very high degree of difficulty. In the second half, he has still managed to keep things under control with the cautions shown in the first half. We’ll see what the remainder of the match brings.
Very well refereed on the foul
ReplyDeleteA lot happening off the ball in this game. The players are certainly not helping the referee. Oliver to me looks anxious and is not carrying his usual comfortable body language. Challenging game with all his cautions at least supportable, indeed 1 or 2 missed. He’s doing his best in difficult circumstances but I suspect he won’t be happy with his performance. He’ll be glad when it’s all over.
ReplyDeleteHave to say I'll never understand the logic of pointing just outside the penalty area when it's in a central area to indicate that it's outside. It looks significantly more like a penalty signal than a normal free kick signal
ReplyDelete+1. odd signal - very close direct FK...
DeleteClip: https://streamable.com/529s5u
Ghost faoul on 76 min
ReplyDeleteMr. Adnan, what is "faoul"?
DeleteYou know what he means.
DeleteI know what is foul, faoul I don't know.
DeleteGood FK award on 77' but for me that should be a YC.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the most difficult match to manage so far
ReplyDeleteThe view on 76 minute foul was so inconclusive that what I saw was more no call than foul! But, i will remain undecided.
ReplyDeleteGood (small) advantage for the MAR 2nd goal
ReplyDeleteClip: https://streamable.com/m5jrq2
DeleteI have a feeling canada will loose all composure now and we might see chaos now
ReplyDeleteThe Moroccans are the more volatile team
DeleteYeah, I'm still waiting on said "chaos".
DeleteThe Moroccans clearly have been beat by the Canadians in “volatility” in this game.
DeleteShould be PK to Canada ,keeper made contact with Canadian Player before he punched the ball
ReplyDeleteWatching a different game
DeleteThe keeper comes through the Canadian to punch the ball ,surely if attackers get called for going into the keeper .It has to be the same when a keeper takes out an outfield player.
DeleteI think ultimately, there were no major talking points - his game management may well be questioned by some. Overall, I think Collina & Co will be satisfied with his performance.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Much calmer second half, very much felt in control. I think he stepped up his alertness, stronger gestures and involvement in that half, but I don't think the first half was out of control either, perhaps slipping a little as that half went on. But in the end, a good performance
DeleteHe used the cards in the first 60 minutes and the last 30 went pretty smooth.
ReplyDeleteDecent performance by oliver and crew
ReplyDeleteAll in all Oliver has come through a very challenging game relatively unscathed. His first half approach was vindicated by a second half featuring significantly fewer reckless challenges and flash points.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I think it's clear he was not at his most comfortable and was not enjoying the game, the few occasions where he was quite shouty and physical with players point to that.
He'll be happy to have gotten through it and would merit another appointment dependant on England's progress
Oliver's first half approach turned out to be totally vindicated. The match cooled down considerably in the 2nd half, which was in most part down to them accepting Oliver's disciplinary line.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole a very good performance and tournament from Michael, whether he gets another game will be down to England's progression but I think he's been one of the best referees at the tournament and would deserve a QF or even a SF.
Well,solid pefromance from Oliver,disciplinary good but sometimes it was ,I have the feeling, that the game goes out of control. At the end,no controversy,what is most important!
ReplyDeleteGood performance from Oliver in my opinion, refreshing to see a referee not afraid to use his cards, he took charge of the game his way and it was enjoyable to watch
ReplyDeleteOverall a good performance from Oliver following a difficult start. I think for me it's clear that he is heavily reliant in Europe with pre existing relationships with players across the Premier League and UEFA competitions. In a game where he didn't have that, the start was difficult and to an extent reactive and his usual style very quickly wasn't working. Then we had the 6 YC's which came as a result of the match and Oliver not being comfortable to follow his usual approach but all 6 YC's are correct even if they don't follow the trend throughout this tournament. Second half was more straightforward and in the end he got through the game with all 22 on he pitch so I guess FIFA will be happy. Overall foul detection are recognition were good, sanctions were on the round consistent with one or two minor disagreements in my opinion. Fitness and positioning of Oliver's usual standard. And it just goes to show that you can use cards to manage a particularly niggly game well and don't need to let everything and anything to go to achieve a positive performance.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with every single point here, he was a bit late to adjust, but he made it in the nick of time.
DeletePretty solid performance by Oliver with a strict line on first half. But for me, second half showed that his strategy was the good one and I think he successed to manage a very challenging game during 60 minutes. Well done by English referee. We can regret the lack of reaction with canadian player dissent by the way. But overall satisfying match IMO.
ReplyDeleteLeast convincing performance of the 3 he had, which doesn't mean it was completely bad. One could argue that he is perfect fit for all UEFA duels and struggles with non-Europeam matches, but sample is to small to make that conclusion as definite
ReplyDeleteOutside that UEFA comfort zone!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t call it a poor performance but I also don’t think it’s one he’ll look back on with much satisfaction. The positive is that he avoided any major match changing mistakes.
At this stage, I don’t see him receiving another appointment unless it involves UEFA teams. I’ve said before he was fortunate not to get a match like Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador. This tournament has highlighted that managing non European teams can present different challenges, as European teams are generally more familiar with and responsive to his refereeing style.
Hmm, I have to say this is right.
DeleteHowever I remember that he delivered masterclass performance in MEX-KSA 2022, so it is a little disappointing to say that.
Garbage comment Oliver has refereed around the World for a number of years and handled teams from all federations . The only thing that is making it difficult for referees is Collina and stupid directives messing with the game
ReplyDeleteComplete agree. Collina’s stupid directives have led the players to be comfortable with stupid behavior that ordinarily wouldn’t be tolerated, which is why it’s such a challenge for Oliver, who is a referee who quite correctly expects better from players and punishes them when they commit clear offenses.
DeleteFeels a bit like a self-fulfilling prophecy. UEFA ref handles a UEFA game then they're brilliant. They don't handle a non-UEFA game and they're out of their comfort zone. Non UEFA ref doesn't handle a non-uefa match well and they're terrible.
ReplyDeletePrecisely. People here start with certain conclusions and work backwards. Not to mention being reactionary.
DeleteYeah. Some don't realize that this type of football is like 80% of WC qualifiers in CAF/CONCACAF/CONMEBOL. It's not easy.
DeleteWhat about when a non-UEFA referee does poorly on a all-UEFA game? What are they?
DeleteSo far there have been eight all-UEFA matches and they've all had UEFA refs.
DeleteI think his performance was all in all good in a very challenging match and I would like to see him in charge of the final, if we see 2 European teams without England there! If no French team, but England vsPortugal or Spain: Turpin, if Conmebol vs Uefa: Barton, If Concacaf vs Uefa: Tello or Sampaio.
ReplyDeleteI really like Oliver's style, but he is quite inconsistent. He puts in great performances, yet at other times, he flirts with disaster. Today, I felt he fell below the standard we’ve seen from him so far. Many here criticized me when I praised Sampaio in the first match for handing out so many cards; sometimes, the game calls for that. Yet now, with Oliver, those same critics stay silent. What’s the difference? Extremely physical matches—like Mexico vs. South Africa and Canada vs. Morocco—demand that approach. Referees who study each country's playing style know they have to be prepared for it.
ReplyDeleteAnother critic once told me that a referee shouldn't intervene directly with players. What would they say today seeing Oliver acting like a boxing referee, pulling fighters apart to prevent a brawl? No criticism for him now? What was that all about? That’s why I say there’s a double standard here.
Oliver struggled to control the match; he handed out cards to try to keep things in check—in my view, one of the five was excessive—but he still managed to maintain control, and Morocco's lead helped as well. I had really envisioned him officiating a potential final, but after this performance, I’m no longer so sure. Maybe Sampaio will have the great opportunity if BRA wont reach there
It was so nice to see a referee in this World Cup who actually gave the deserved cautions that everyone has been asking for. The beginning of the game was as uneven as all the rest have been with failure to give a card or 2, I thought the game was going to get sort of out of control, but I think Oliver said "screw it" and realized he was going to need them to keep peace. I don't think it's a surprise that he gave 6 cautions in the first half and the game calmed down after that. Honestly he could have given even more.
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand what this site wants, reading the comments. For all the games before this, you all complained endlessly about clear reckless or SPA cards not being given and how Collina and Busacca were causing an officiating disaster. Now you have a ref who actually did the right thing, and apparently that's an indication that he lost control of the game. It seems to be impossible to win with the crowd here. You know, sometimes teams come out to kick the crap out of each other and the referee can't do much about it. They try to manage it without cards, it doesn't help. They try to manage it with cards, it still doesn't help. At some point, players have to be held accountable for their actions. Not everything is the referee's fault.
It's great that he showed cards.
DeleteBut what at least I am trying to convey is that his failure to be proactive on the clearest and simplest foul (Hakimi's unwarranted and late push of Laryrea) was the "flash point" that altered what had up to that point been a calm half.
If Oliver blows that foul and then reacts quickly to verbally admonish Hakimi. The mass confrontation does not happen. He chose to ignore it, the Canadians felt aggrieved and decided to seek their own justice as the Oliver has failed to act appropriately.
So, praising him for putting himself in a situation where he had no choice but to show cards. Is like praising an arsonist for putting out a fire he lit.