Big Question: Which has been the most poorly officiated match?
Referees weren’t supposed to be a big story this World Cup, but like most competitions they played a major role in the first round. Some games were well officiated. Some it might have been better to have no officials at all.
Of all the matches you have seen thus far, which one sticks out in your mind as being the most poorly officiated?
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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 56 comments.
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By timaah | June 25th, 2006 at 7:28 pm 
Don’t believe he hasn’t been called to account yet – but Merk refereeing Australia v Brazil. Disgraceful. ALL referees have favoured the more established football nations in every game but his display was shameful. 25 fouls to nine. as a german he should be able to recognise the Klinssman-style dive.
Posted from 
Australia
By Goss190 | June 25th, 2006 at 8:19 pm Lets face it guys the world cup is getting worse by the years. The refferes are ruining the game, plain and simple. If Fifa wants to keep people intersted like they were before they need to go back to the old style of playing. Let the game play out and be the official when needed. The referes are just trying to show the power that they have but now they are abusing it.
Posted from 
United States
By Jo | June 25th, 2006 at 11:31 pm Definitely the Netherlands – Portugal game today. It was a joke. The ref was utterly out of control.
Posted from United States
By kenh | June 25th, 2006 at 11:39 pm WOW!!!
Netherlands-Portugal was unbelievable!
Talk about ruining a game…
Posted from United States
By John | June 26th, 2006 at 12:01 am Holy crap, that Portugal-Netherlands game was atrocious!
Football definitely needs help in terms of proper officiating in real time. I’ve counted at least 12 obvious handballs that were not called, and we’ll all agree that there have been dozens of fake injuries and dives that should have been carded.
Seriously, this sport is anything BUT the “beautiful game.” It’s overrun with players gaming the system by faking and cheating. When winning relies on not getting caught or pretending to be hurt, you no longer have sport. Sorry.
By hana | June 26th, 2006 at 12:09 am Netherlands vs Portugal
4 Red & 16 Yellow Cards!
I can’t believe it!
France vs Korea
Thats a France GOAL!!
Posted from 
Singapore
By Anna | June 26th, 2006 at 3:45 am Portugal V. Netherlands
Clearly. But… Exciting!!!
Yellow Card Party!!!!
I think if all football was like this, it would catch on in America. 
Posted from 
China
By Cathy | June 26th, 2006 at 5:37 am I just finished watching this Netherlands v. Portugal game. I had to literally take a walk around the block after watching that debaucle. And where was the Netherlands? They were almost given the opportunities, and yet, nothing was produced. Wow!
Posted from United States
By Mark | June 26th, 2006 at 7:11 am This topic was a day too early. Dutch v Portugal easily. Ref ruined what was an exciting game. What a shame.
By Simon Parsons | June 26th, 2006 at 11:37 am Has got to be Portugal v Holland.
No Question….
Posted from 
United Kingdom
By Gupta | June 26th, 2006 at 7:52 pm The question should be what were the most acceptable since there are fewer? The world cup is no longer being seen as the best sporting event ever, but as a scam, with cheating by players acceptable and atrocious officiating that affects the result being the norm. Italy`s last minute penalty/dive was like a badly scripted film – obvious.What a shame.
Posted from 
Panama
By Daniel Tome | June 26th, 2006 at 8:44 pm Australia vs Italia today.
That 93rd minute penalty didn’t exist!!!
Posted from Australia
By Ken Goudie | June 26th, 2006 at 9:22 pm Portugal-Netherlands
Just the worst (to date) of a series of terrible efforts.
And, I thought the English Premiership officials didn’t have a clue a lot of the time….
How did these guys ever get to do games at this level. They’d cause a riot at a U-10 game!
Posted from United States
By KevinT | June 27th, 2006 at 8:36 pm Australia vs Croatia
Australia vs Italy
Posted from Australia
By AuSTRALIA | June 28th, 2006 at 3:29 pm AND Wtf A GUY GETTING 3 YELlOWS IN A GAME AND HE TRIED OT STAY ON NOT TELLING THE REF HE HAD ALREADY A CARD! FOR CHRIST SAKE HOW SH** IS THAT
Posted from Australia
By Jim | June 29th, 2006 at 2:14 am The Australia v Italy game. now, the game was officiated well for most of the game, but the penalty (if only the ref saw the crooked smile on his face as he dived!) cost Australia the game. a decision could not be more any more crucial.
Posted from Australia
By PORTUGAL | June 29th, 2006 at 2:44 am IVANOV SHOULD BE FIRED.
WHO HANDS OUT CARDS EVERY MINUTE?
WHAT AN IDIOT.
I DON’t EVEN REMEMBER SEEING A GAME. I JUS SAW A BUNCH OF CARD. WAs seeing yellow everywhere right after the game.
THAT UGLY ASS REFEREE. GO BACK TO RUSSIA YOU IDIOT. HE WAS DEFINITELY TRYING TO get revenge because PORTUGAL WON 7-1 AGAINST russia which knocked them out of being qualified to go to GERMANY.
GO BACK HOME YOU STUPID IVANOV.
Posted from 
Canada
By Ryan | July 1st, 2006 at 6:34 am Tunisia was screwed, Shevchenko flopped and it was so obvious, what a dirt-bag. Regardless, Ukraine was destroyed today by Italy proving the fact that they were not supposed to be there in the first place.
By bigstrike | July 6th, 2006 at 4:07 am Netherlands v, Portugal was an outrageous sham. France v Portugal was also quite poor. Phantom foul gets Frog’s a PK while Fr. penal fouls and handballs in the box are overlooked. Italy v Fr. could be an interesting match between two undeserved sides. A disappointing cup to say the least.
Posted from United States
By Primitive Information » Blog Archive » World Cup Winding Down | July 7th, 2006 at 4:05 am [...] Needless to say I’m annoyed with FIFA and the plethora of red and yellow cards, dubiously culminating in their shameful decision to suspend Torsten Frings for a love-swipe after the Argentina quarterfinal. Overall, the reffing has been — I was going to type “fair” — let’s just say it hasn’t changed the outcome of any of the games from the quarterfinals on (with the possible exception of the above-mentioned, but that was FIFA, not an individual ref). Prior to that I can think of no less than three matches that I saw that were hugely altered by outright gaffes or over-reactions: Italy-U.S. (no need to say more); Italy-Australia (total dive for the PK); and of course the Dutch-Portugal bloodbath. Then there was the Rooney incident and of course, the double-yellow/no red in Croatia-Australia, which I didn’t see. (All of which led one blogger to ask, “which was the worst refereed game you saw?” Frankly, I can’t decide.) I’m not even counting U.S-Ghana here, which feels like small potatoes compared to some of these. [...]
Posted from United States
By Justin | July 10th, 2006 at 12:11 am Italy vs Australia -
Other matches were worse in quanity but the last minute of this match was by far the worse minute. Come on ref… in the last minute of a match you should not be blowing the whistle inside of the box unless there is no doubt that it is a penalty (and when it gets to this level there should be very little doubt). That call made me feel so sick to my stomach. Now Italy took the cup… Of course poor Australia, but also poor Italy. I don’t have as much respect for Italy because of the way they ended up winning this match. The world cup isn’t getting the respect it should be because of this kind officiating.
Is it just me, or did it seem the officiating was pretty good until we started getting into the later rounds? I am not concluding to anything but I have to raise my skepticism of ref’s being legit and not bought.
I am a US citizen and I am a new fan to football because of how epic it is, but for everything to lead up to matches filled with poor officiating and fake injuries kills what could be the largest climax in all sports. And it seems like the announcing has to sign a contract to never say anything bad about the officiating, so it isn’t going to get any better. Huge disappointment for a new fan.
Posted from Panama
By nicko | July 10th, 2006 at 12:27 am I think the last 10 minutes of the aust v croatia was pretty aweful, 3 yellows + dissalowing a goal because he blew his whistle while the ball was in the box, absolutely terrible.
on netherlands v. portugal, this game was ruined by 1) the dutch trying to injure ronaldo, 2) the portuguese responding. (there was no coming back once that line was crossed). The ref might have called a red against the dutch early on, but to be honest I don’t think that would have stopped the idiocy from both teams.
Posted from Australia
By Pedro | August 30th, 2006 at 8:21 pm Italy vs Australia -
What a disgraceful referee call on the 93rd minute. Referee should have picked up on the typical Italian dive over Lucas Neill. It was a game Australia clearly dominated and deserved to win. Thanks FIFA for another awesome world cup. Hopefully next time the refeering will be alot better instead of being star struck of the established teams. I hope FIFA moves towards technology to make doutful or difficult decsions eg Video Ref!!!! Hey even Cricket games have a video ref!!!! Unbelieveable.
Posted from Australia
By johnny | August 30th, 2006 at 8:53 pm Italy vs Australia
Giving Materazzi a red card in the 50′ brutal call that killed the game. Even though Italy was never in danger of loosing the game, even with a man down.
Luckily thr ref redeemed himself by having the guts to call Neill on that brutal attempt to tackle Grosso.
Posted from Canada
By Pedro | August 30th, 2006 at 11:41 pm Hi Johnny,
I have got say Johnny you have no idea what you are talking about!! You observsly didn’t even watch the game!! And whats this thing about brutal challenge from Neill. I suggest you get some glasses and look at the reply again buddy. At least Australia made it to the world cup!!
Posted from Australia
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