Blundering refs sent packing
The Source: LONDON/http.//www.nation.co.ke/World Cup - 30/06/2010
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Uruguay’s Jorge Larrionda and Italy’s Roberto Rosetti, whose blunders have prompted Fifa to rethink using video technology, won’t play any further part in the World Cup.
They were left off the list of 19 referees announced by Fifa on Tuesday to take part in the rest of the competition although football’s world governing body gave no explanation.
Larrionda and his assistant failed to see an England shot clearly cross the line in a 4-1 loss to Germany in a second round game on Sunday.
Frank Lampard’s shot hit the bar and bounced down behind the line before spinning back into play. It would have made the score 2-2.
Rosetti wrongly awarded a goal to Argentina’s Carlos Tevez against Mexico when he took Lionel’s Messi’s pass in a clearly offside position. It was Argentina’s first goal in a 3-1 victory that put the team into the last eight.
The mistakes prompted Fifa president Sepp Blatter to announce that he had apologised to England and Mexico after the errors helped eliminate their teams from the World Cup.
“Naturally, we deplore when you see the evidence of referees’ mistakes,” said Blatter, adding that it would be “a nonsense” for Fifa not to look again at goal-line technology with its rule-making panel.
“After having witnessed such a situation,” Blatter said, “we have to open again this file, definitely. Naturally, we will take on board again the discussion about technology. Something has to be changed.”
Two more left out for the remainder of the competition were Koman Coulibaly of Mali, who disallowed a third United States goal in a 2-2 draw with Slovenia, and Frenchman Stephane Lannoy, who harshly sent off Brazil’s Kaka for a second yellow after Cote d’Ivoire’s Kader Keita ran into him while going for the ball.
Favourite for the final
Those left on the list include some from countries no longer involved in the competition. England’s Howard Webb has become one of the favourites to referee the final and has Belgian Frank De Bleekere. Belgium did not qualify.
The amended list of referees includes six from Europe, four from South America, three from Asia, three from North, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf), two from Africa and one from Oceania.
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