| Referees moderated their behaviour this week, presumably
because, being the month end, they probably got paid. Only 49 yellows in total
and three reds, all for picking up two yellows and none of them direct sendings
off. Two new boys did make their mark this week though, presumably keen to get
their names emblazoned across the Soccer-Spain white stick awards table.
Between them they dished out 19 of the 52 cards, with Muñiz
Fernández showing eight yellows at the Bilbao Mallorca game and this
week's national white stick winner Ramírez Dominguez producing 10
yellows and one red to none other than Spain's new striker Catanha at the Rayo
Celta match, thereby demotivating him and ruining Spain's chances of qualifying
for the next World Cup. His performance pales into insignificance though
against Sr. Ramos Rizo, the Mexican referee who single handedly cost Spain the
gold medal in Sydney. We are the first to criticise diving, but being hit on
the back of the neck by a defender's elbow in my book is a foul and a penalty
and not an attempt to attract sympathy by a depressed striker. His sending off
of José Mari for two similar incidents, ignoring valid penalty appeals,
and his earlier very harsh red card to Gabri leaving Spain with nine men spoilt
the game even for neutral onlookers. It will take a lot to beat that this
season! (2.10.00) |
