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World Cup 2010: Germany 0-1 Spain - Referee Analysis
Goal.com takes stock of the man in the middle.
Jul 7, 2010 4:25:00 PM
By Julian Kersh
In a World Cup where the missed calls and controversies fill the headlines as much as the play itself, the semifinal clash between Spain and Germany was a relatively quiet night for center referee Viktor Kassai. The Hungarian official rightfully let some early, but clean challenges slide without a whistle or booking in the first half. Fans supporting the players on the wrong end of tackles may say otherwise, but in such a high-profile game the referee was right to let players off with a warning for minimal challenges in the first half, rather than booking them on their first offense like many overly eager officials in the tournament have.
It looked like Kassai's only major order of business in the first half was going to be stopping play in the 4th minute while security corralled an unruly fan that made his way onto the field. That is until Germany's Mesut Ozil found himself played through behind Spain's back line in the 46th. Sergio Ramos came to the rescue for Spain with a challenge that sent Ozil to ground.
Replays show there was contact on the German midfielder just as he made his way into the box; however, Kassai was right on top of the play and made the correct no call. The contact was minimal and appeared incidental, and for the official to award a penalty in a tight, semifinal match like this one for a minimal amount of contact would have been much more controversial than not awarding the foul.
Lukas Podolski was involved in a similar clash with Ramos on the other end in the 63rd minute, seeming to have taken down on his way toward the German goal. However again, replays confirmed Kassai was right in not awarding a penalty as the contact on Ramos came after the ball was passing him by, and his appeals for a penalty would go unrewarded.
What Went Right?
Some may argue Kassai was a little too lenient on not producing a booking on some challenges, but the official got the big moments right, and those are the ones that matter. In the run of play, the two aforementioned challenges appeared to be fouls, but a second glance showed the referee was spot on in keeping his composure and not rewarding penalties that would completely change the game's dynamic.
The Germans again appealed for a foul by Carles Puyol on Bastian Schweinsteiger at the top of the box in the 85th minute, but it appeared the German midfielder tried to catch himself on the leg of Puyol as the Spanish defender has already gone down.
Too many games during this World Cup have been swung because of the head official's mistake in the crucial moment, but Kassai wasn't guilty of falling into that trend today.
What Went Wrong?
There were a few challenges in the center of the park that Kassai wrongfully whistled, like Xavi Alonso's sprawling tackle that took the ball first in the 84th minute, but that's part of the game. The largest concerns were a few incorrect offside decisions, both ways, but fortunately none of these opportunities looking promising enough before they were whistled dead that either side can feel cheated or saved.
What Must Improve?
A perfectly officiated game will never exist, so there will always be calls that go under the microscope after games. However, Viktor Kassai and his team did a quality job and let the game shine rather than their decisions. The most incorrect calls seemed to be on offside decision, and Spain and Netherlands fans alike will hope these problems don't rear their heads in their World Cup final.
The 2010 World Cup is finally here, so keep up to date with all the news at Goal.com's World Cup homepage and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
It looked like Kassai's only major order of business in the first half was going to be stopping play in the 4th minute while security corralled an unruly fan that made his way onto the field. That is until Germany's Mesut Ozil found himself played through behind Spain's back line in the 46th. Sergio Ramos came to the rescue for Spain with a challenge that sent Ozil to ground.
Replays show there was contact on the German midfielder just as he made his way into the box; however, Kassai was right on top of the play and made the correct no call. The contact was minimal and appeared incidental, and for the official to award a penalty in a tight, semifinal match like this one for a minimal amount of contact would have been much more controversial than not awarding the foul.
Lukas Podolski was involved in a similar clash with Ramos on the other end in the 63rd minute, seeming to have taken down on his way toward the German goal. However again, replays confirmed Kassai was right in not awarding a penalty as the contact on Ramos came after the ball was passing him by, and his appeals for a penalty would go unrewarded.
What Went Right?
Some may argue Kassai was a little too lenient on not producing a booking on some challenges, but the official got the big moments right, and those are the ones that matter. In the run of play, the two aforementioned challenges appeared to be fouls, but a second glance showed the referee was spot on in keeping his composure and not rewarding penalties that would completely change the game's dynamic.
The Germans again appealed for a foul by Carles Puyol on Bastian Schweinsteiger at the top of the box in the 85th minute, but it appeared the German midfielder tried to catch himself on the leg of Puyol as the Spanish defender has already gone down.
Too many games during this World Cup have been swung because of the head official's mistake in the crucial moment, but Kassai wasn't guilty of falling into that trend today.
What Went Wrong?
There were a few challenges in the center of the park that Kassai wrongfully whistled, like Xavi Alonso's sprawling tackle that took the ball first in the 84th minute, but that's part of the game. The largest concerns were a few incorrect offside decisions, both ways, but fortunately none of these opportunities looking promising enough before they were whistled dead that either side can feel cheated or saved.
What Must Improve?
A perfectly officiated game will never exist, so there will always be calls that go under the microscope after games. However, Viktor Kassai and his team did a quality job and let the game shine rather than their decisions. The most incorrect calls seemed to be on offside decision, and Spain and Netherlands fans alike will hope these problems don't rear their heads in their World Cup final.
The 2010 World Cup is finally here, so keep up to date with all the news at Goal.com's World Cup homepage and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
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