39 GHAGER Simon
A tense night for Group D's conclusion was not really felt in the Johannesburg match - Germany got the win they needed, and Ghana the result they needed from the other game (only just mind) and both progressed through to the next round.
After a rather poor first performance, experienced Carlos Eugênio Simon from Brazil was appointed referee here. A low key if relatively tricky game; decent refereeing performance.
Simon's approach to the first half was apt - warning at 18' for a heavier careless foul, before opening the cards at 40' (more determination in the procedure would perhaps have been better here). Cautioning Thomas Müller, for what was this time, a careless sliding tackle, three minutes later, was perhaps not ideal, but one shouldn't be too critical given the proximity and similarity between the two bookings.
Simon's approach to the first half was apt - warning at 18' for a heavier careless foul, before opening the cards at 40' (more determination in the procedure would perhaps have been better here). Cautioning Thomas Müller, for what was this time, a careless sliding tackle, three minutes later, was perhaps not ideal, but one shouldn't be too critical given the proximity and similarity between the two bookings.
Referee restricted himself to only making small mistakes before the last twenty minutes (34' aside), but in that period at the end he lost it a bit - most evidently in not sanctioning a reckless foul by Sulley Muntari on Piotr Trochowski at 76', but also in some other errors and smaller deficiencies (73', 77', 81', 90'). No matter in the end.
Simon was scarcely required to use his characteristic demonstrative manner (38' was a rare example) - his soft skills not more than solid (18') - besides at the final whistle. That brought to an end a remarkable FIFA career, joining a pretty exclusive club of three-time World Cup referees (then fifteen in number by my calculation).
Brazilian might regret the way his first game went in 2010, but given he had just recovered from a long-term injury even to be in South Africa, realistically perhaps he couldn't have expected to get too much more than he did. A great career!
Altemir Hausmann wrongly flagged at 54' in an important situation; Roberto Braatz played a couple of nice onsides, including 25'.
Altemir Hausmann wrongly flagged at 54' in an important situation; Roberto Braatz played a couple of nice onsides, including 25'.
| Carlos Eugênio Simon - 8,3 Altemir Hausmann - 8,2 Roberto Braatz - 8,4 Martín Vázquez Carlos Pastorino BRA – URU | Ghana 0-1 Germany Group Stage 23 June |
 Ayew (40') - Tackle | Müller (43') - Tackle |
Perhaps one of the easiest MD3 matches, satisfying performance by Simon, who ended a significant World Cup career in a rather flamboyant fashion. Quite fitting, he was an odd bird. Great performances followed by one with several crucial mistakes, a style that would make FIFA refereeing directors go crazy nowadays and in general memorable performances.
ReplyDeleteSimon was perhaps not the best CONMEBOL referee in the 2002-2010 era, but a very good one.