World Cup Blog

The news Horacio Elizondo will boss England’s quarter-final with Portugal is a relief to England’s players and fans who will have someone to blame if even a minor decision goes against the team.

Urs Meier has half an autobiography filled after ruling out Sol Campbell’s header at Euro 2004 - also against Portugal - in the 90th minute. The decision was dubious, but the reaction was far from it. Fans sent hate emails and The Sun helpfully published his contact details.

Elizondo will have his work cut out to avoid controversy. In fact, only an England win will see him home safely.

The English will always find excuses: David Seaman, Sven Goran Eriksson, David Beckham for not tackling prior Brazil’s equaliser in the 2002 quarter-final, David Beckham for being sent-off in 1998, David Beckham… well, today actually.

Elizondo perhaps received the only praise referees have got in these finals after allowing Alexander Frei’s goal for Switzerland despite the assistant raising his flag. The ball had in fact come off a defending player, so the goal was right to stand.

Russian referee Valentin Ivanov saw the red card for his over-zealous performance and Sepp Blatter is again hugely frustrated at the inconsistency of officials in a tournament with record-breaking numbers of yellow and red cards.

“Fifa owes it to itself, in its own flagship competition, to send out the best referees, even more so because hundreds of millions of players and referees around the world are watching what happens in Germany with the desire to improve themselves and understand how the game is changing. Instead, I’ve noted that instructions aren’t being followed from one match to another.

“When a coach complains to me that shirt-pulling earned his player a yellow card one night and nothing for his team’s group rivals the next, how am I supposed to respond?”

The president from Switzerland continued: “Then there are the tackles from behind I’ve seen go unpunished and the violent conduct that has escaped sanction, not to mention the serious errors made in applying the rules.”

The stats so far are painful to the eye: 290 yellow cards and 25 red cards.

Slovakia’s Lubos Michel is Europe’s best, and has again impressed in these finals. Being from Slovakia, he has an excellent chance of refereeing the final although much depends on how he handles Germany v Argentina. Belgium’s Frank de Bleeckere is in control for Italy versus Ukraine and Spain’s Luis Medina is officiating Brazil’s clash with France.

Poll emotional at ‘three failures’

Graham Poll told Sky Sports - and only them, refusing to talk to any other journalists - that he is retiring from international football although will continue domestically after messages of support from friends and family.

He said that the previous season had been his best - officiating at over 50 games - but that he had failed in all three major summer tournaments and so was not worthy of a fourth opportunity. He is likely to have been selected for Euro 2008, but instead says it is time for another English referee to be given a chance.

It is sad news to come out of an emotional interview, and I would like to see him have another go and prove to himself he can be the best. At Euro 2000 and the World Cup finals in 2002 he failed, but until his error in the Croatia vs Australia game, Poll was looking set for a longer tournament than usual.

And at the moment there seems no clear leader to take over from Poll on the international scene. Steve Bennett is over-zealous and could find it a huge problem come major tournaments while alternative Mike Riley is never far from controversy and does not have the charisma of Poll who can be easily associated and empathised with.

The press treatment of him was a shambles, and heads that saw the interview will turn.

Moro blames British morons

Alfonso Moro, Portugal’s head of press, is considering throttling the English press after The Sun - yes, them again - published false comments attributed to the ‘Birdman’ Pauleta, who apparently sees England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as a weak link.

“The Sun has published a fake interview with Pauleta that was then quoted by other outlets. Portugal players give no interviews outside team press conferences and mixed zones after matches,” said Moro.

The report, said Moro, was a “fabrication, which makes things unbearable for us”.

“Such comments are unbearable, unfair and preposterous,” he added on claims from the media that the Portugal side were “insubordinate and violent.”

English journalists were only allowed to ask Pauleta and Nuno Valente three questions in total today - and one asked to Valente about who his manager, David Moyes - a Scot, would support in the game was censored. No ill-feeling is allowed in the build-up, and England could do without enemies pre-match. It’s less of a let-down that way.

Buoyancy over England. Scary.

There appears agreement over former players and media commentators that England will win against Portugal.

At Euro 2004, such excitement and belief was amiss and although it is great Sven’s side is finally being supported, the two suspensions to Deco and Costinha appear to have diluted the size of the task in-hand.

Portugal match England’s team and have played better so far with players actually able to believe they can win under a manager who has installed those thoughts. Scolari is of such stark contrast to Eriksson, and I think this may prove critical once again.

Still, it doesn’t stop me believing and pointing to the suspensions and the fact England should win. And should they fail, the criticisms will follow - name attached.

Tags: England, Portugal

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