大象传媒

A pat on the back for the Russian referee, we thought he did a good job in a truely difficult situation.
The players themselves seemed to have a crack in their learning curves. After the fourth yellow they should have had the sense to take note of what was going on around them.

Portugal VS The Netherlands was one of those games that united Miami Florida for one moment in time.

On the way to my daughter's party [accompanied by my wife], I heard part of the game in the radio. People in the streets were waving flags of Portugal and Holland.

I stopped at the Publix Supermarket [one of Florida's Supermarket] in Westchester [one of the areas in Miami, the HDTV that was installed had the games and everyone was watching.

After arriving at the Bowling Alley [Bird Bowl] where the party was to occur, everyone was supporting Portugal. With Portugal's Victory, everyone celebrated with Pizza, Croquettes [A Cuban Specialty of Ham and/or Chicken], Chicken Wings, and Sodas.

While the Portugal/Netherlands game was arguably a poorly officiated game, I think that the referees are off their games as much as they are because Sepp Blatter and FIFA decided right before the World Cup about where they wanted to place enforcement emphasis and neither the referees nor the players had any reasonable opportunity to adjust to what the game was now supposed to be.

Sepp Blatter it not a fan, he is CEO of FIFA. He shouldn't be placing blame on his employees for poor games, especially when they are the natural outcome of policies and pronouncements of his. It's embarrassing for the game for him to be making critical comments immediately following a match without proper deliberation. If there are problems with officiating, let the Referees Committee handle it.

Italy versus Australia

What a stupid decision!!! everyone could see that the Italian player dived in the box to get a penalty, throughout this world cup the referees have been a disgrace. If the portugal Holland game wasnt the worst game for referees ever, we then have this ponce making an alwful decision...Italians are renowned for diving, and yet no one seems to pick up on this...when is Sepp Blatter and his adoring cronies going to do the job they are paid for and make world football a sport to be involved in? The referees in this world cup are meant to be the best in the world. But they are not doing there job properly. They seem to card happy and having the camera on them the whole time whilst they are dishing out cards. Ok they can only do what they feel is right and what they see. But surely they can see that they are gaining a bad reputation already at this world cup and all of them need to pick up there game. Im starting to get turned off with this tournament and cant see it getting any better. Can see the final being something like Ghana and Switzerland if the refs have anything to do with it...maybe the italin corruptions have made it all the way to this tournament...maybe thats why Italy were awarded a penalty for diving? they bribed the ref...Sort it out Blatter before you lose the whole worlds footballing audience!!!! and then wheres your money going to come from?

When they say, refarees ruin the game,they mean this world cup ,particularly this game. He had no control over the game,only thing he seemed to know he had two hands and two cards which he showed left and right like a man possessed,most of them only he knew why.I am not even a fan of these two teams, but everyone should be allowed to play a decent game which rest of us should be allowed to enjoy. Of course,players lost their cool,but it wouldn't happend if not for the refaree's continuous misjudgement.I don't think he should be allowed in the field anymore in this world cup,I don't want Brazil,Germany Or Arjentina suffering because of him.We wait for four years to enjoy the world cup and around these time our world revolve around these matches,but look what the refarees are doing ruining our days! They don't care about anything when they act like this.Most of the players of Portugal has a yellow card,two of them are out,how is this team supposed to perform in their next match? It will be an one sideed match for England to win,but wants that kind of match either to watch or play?Really very disappointing!

Italy VS Australia was a disgrace in football.

Oh MY GOD UKRAINE WAS BRILLIANT TONIGHT!!!
I can't belive all the football pundits never gave any credit to Ukraine tonight, GET THIS STRAIGHT LINERKER, ITS' UKRAINES FIRST GAME, AND THEY WERE AMAIZING!!!
The game was also much much more ecxiting to watch then watching England paly Equador (puke puke puke).
C'come the Ukraine : )

I have to say that players and commentators seem to talk only about the poor refereeing. maybe if the players did not blatently display such a bad examples of unprofessional and unsporting conduct to up and coming youngsters our beautiful game would be more entertaining for everyone! It's sad to also see national teams ousted from this or any event because Football has not yet woken up to the technology that is available today, it the ball crosses the line then it's a goal. it the referee or linesman did not see it clearly the team that scored are penalised and maybe lose the game. this is just not good enough, there is too much riding on the outcome. a nations pride and performance can be robbed by the present system.

What fair about that Mr FIFA.

Generally speaking, sports, including football, is losing its purpose.

What is sport's purpose?

It is to exhibit health, skill and good behaviour to inspire the spectators towrds such good qualities.

Take football of today, for example. Most of the players are tripping each other delebrately as if winning is a matter of life or death. Most of the players are delebrately throwing themselves on the floor to win a foul. The flow of the game through such behaviour is sadly killed. Football is art that must inspire people towards health, skill and good human qualities and today it is doing the opposite. No wonder that there is an increase in the number of ASBOS and clashes between football suporters of one team with football supporters of another team. Sport in general shall be cleaned.

As an American one-time college soccer player and now fan of the game, I was also dismayed at the diving, manufactured collisions and occasional flagrant offences against good football by players. I know FIFA, like the governing body of all major sports resists change, but it seems to me, that after the poor sportsmanship, made glaringly obnoxious by the images of the children escorting the players onto the field before each game, and sometimes over-zealous officiating, they should at least experiment with something new on some professional level to show the game off for the beautiful game it should be.
There are 22 players and one man expected to see and judge everything except offsides and out of bounds. Soccer is a complex, subtle sport with players moving all the time. Use the other 2 linesmen to get it right.
FIFA should do something so what happens on the field doesn't look too much like the hooliganism that happens off the field.

What about doing what some American sports do, have tape of controversial "flops" and apparant fouls reviewed. In Football, perhaps there could be stiff suspensions for players found to be flopping, regardless of the referees call on the field.
-dave

I am really disappointed with the way the referees have officiated this world cup, most of them have been disappointing even the more experienced ones. They made alot of match changing decisions which spoilt many countries chances. I think the referees are respecting many big players and teams at the determent of the smaller ones. I think FIFA should look into this if they really want to make all teams and players equal.

I could not find a dedicated Wayne Rooney complaints thread so this will have to do. This man needs banning from any further football match worldwide at any level. It was not so much his outrageously bad temper or the fact that he used his incredibly well controlled boot into an opponent's groin, it was the unbelievably stupidity that he did it within 1 metre of the referee who was looking in his direction. What an idiot!

Every decision that has been taking the match between Netherland and Portugal was correct. you implement the laws of the game because you are the only person that struugle the respection of the laws of the game not Blatter I appreciate all things that you did.

The level of officiating of the referees in this mundial is not to the best intrest of the game.I have decided to designe a web site,to kick against africa countries from coming to the world cup,because it seems they don't want us'africa countries'to take part of the game any more,thank.

The level of officiating of the referees in this mundial is not to the best intrest of the game.I have decided to designe a web site,to kick against africa countries from coming to the world cup,because it seems they don't want us'africa countries'to take part of the game any more,thank.