Since the defection of two referee trios before the very start of the World Cup (due to the failure in the physical tests by an assistant of these trios), and the replacement of only one, there are only 29 gathered at the Kievitskroon Hotel in Pretoria.
The FIFA refereeing commission having indeed implemented, as announced, the principle of one replacement trio per confederation (5 except for Africa – CAF), there are thus 24 main trios who should each officiate 2 matches (for a total of 48 matches corresponding to the number of group stage games – 8 groups of 6 matches). The surprise comes from the replacement trio from Europe (UEFA), which was rumored to be between the French crew (Stéphane Lannoy) and the Hungarian one (Viktor Kassaï), as it is the Swedish representative Martin Hansson who will experience the World Cup without ever putting the whistle to his mouth.
Not unknown to the French, and paying dearly for validating the French goal despite Thierry Henry’s sanctionable hand during the playoff second leg in November last year against Ireland. Guilty of not seeing to sanction this hand, if he had seen it he would not have hesitated to intervene, he may regret it even more if he is able to see all that is happening in the Blues’ camp today. One thing is for sure, he and his assistants would be main referees and the French team would not give such a deplorable image, so damaging for French football.
On the field side, in the thirty or so matches played, we have witnessed two distinct phases.
The 16 matches of the 1st day allowed refereeing to be almost unnoticed, then those of the 2nd day, where stakes were already crucial, and where some decisions did not comply with the instructions. And we can think that the decisive matches of the 3rd day will certainly be more intense and test the technical skills of the referees. Judging by the names of the referees awaiting a second designation, it is inferred that FIFA made the same projection.
Furthermore, the assistants have, apparently, better adapted their performances to the level of the matches through an offside analysis close to perfection, but be careful because the truth of one day is not that of the next. Nor even from one match to another on the same day!
