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June 25, 2006
BAD JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG
Portugal survives ref, ill-tempered affair
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Things got rough in the Portugal-Holland game.
Tony Quinn |
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
Nuremberg, Germany -- Believe it or not, they actually played some soccer here Sunday night.
Some, but not much.
Inbetween the fouls, a World Cup record four red cards and a record-tying 16 yellows awarded by Russian referee Valentin Ivanov, Portugal managed to survive an ill-tempered match to register a 1-0 second-round victory over the Netherlands.
The Portuguese booked a quarterfinal meeting with England in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday, but they will have to do so without two red-carded players --playmaker Deco and Costinha -- by a game official who turned the match into a farce before a sold-out 41,000 at Franken-Stadion.
"The referee did not have a good game," said Maniche, whose 23rd-minute goal proved to be the difference, three minutes after he himself received a yellow card. "He did not try to dignify football."
Maniche got no argument from both coaches and even FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who chimed in on the incompetent officiating. The previous record of three red cards had been tied in the U.S.'s 1-1 draw with Italy on June 17.
"I consider that today the referee was not at the same level as the participants, the players," Blatter told a Portuguese TV station. "There could have been a yellow card for the referee."
Portugal coach Felipe Luiz Scolari, who increased said his personal Cup record winning streak to a record 11 games, was just as adamant.
"FIFA talks about fair play," he said. "There was no fair play."
Ivanov started his imitation of a human traffic light in the second minute when he awarded Dutch midfielder Mark Van Bommel a yellow card.
"It is a pity the referee made a mess of this game," Dutch coach Marco Van Basten said.
It got progressively worse, although the Portuguese found time to score.
Miguel's throw-in on the right side found Cristiano Ronaldo, who broke though three Dutch players and sent the ball to Deco, who crossed it into the penalty area to Pauleta. Pauleta shuffled off a short pass back to Maniche at the top of the area. Maniche took a couple of steps before beating goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar from 14 yards to the right near corner.
Portugal lost Ronaldo to a leg injury in the 34th minute after a touch tackle. Scolari is hopeful he can play against England.
Maniche, whose goal also eliminated the Dutch at the Euro 2004 semifinals, was named the player of the match, although it was Ivanov who stole the spotlight as he lost control. The players tried to get away with flopping, time wasting, gamesmanship and hard fouls.
Costinha was the first to go -- for his second yellow -- a hand ball a minute into first-half stoppage time.
The Dutch enjoyed a man advantage until the 63rd minute when Khalid Boulahrouz was given his marching orders (his second yellow) for elbowing Figo in the face while battling for the ball.
Another second yellow led to Deco's 78th-minute ejection, when he and Dutch midfielder Phillipe Cocu had a tug-for-war for the ball.
Again the Dutch had a man up, until Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was ejected for his second yellow five minutes into second-half stoppage time. The action so incited players of both teams that both benches were ready to empty onto the field several times -- a World Cup rarity -- only to be restrained by the fourth official.
Despite playing 10 on 9, the Dutch could not solve goalkeeper Ricardo, who made nine saves.
Scolari, a native Brazilian who directed his country to the 2002 world title, said the game reminded him of the sometimes raucous Libertadores Cup, South America’s version of the European Champions League.
“It’s a war,” he said.
“Victories like this, there’s a lot of suffering, magnificent results.”
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