| Referees went a little bit over the top this weekend, with
a total of 75 cards including seven sendings off. That works out an average of
7.5 cards per match, or to put it another way, a card for one out of every
three players who took the field (how any team can make it in to the European
fair play league beats me). I repeat average, as some of referees didn't really
pull their weight and others had to make up for them. For example our leader
from last week Turienzo Alvarez turned into an "angelito" on Saturday, probably
overawed with the all the big names at Real Madrid, and only showed a couple of
cards to Osasuna players. However Daudén Ibáñez didn't
falter, producing an above average nine in the match between Deportivo and
Espanyol, including an inexplicable yellow for Djalminha for an gloriously
inventive pass with his shoulder. Either Djalminha has hands growing out of his
chest or Daudén has got it in for him. He then went on to send off two
players, Cristóbal and Donato, chasing after the Hispano-Brazilian
veteran to show him a second yellow and a red as he was being stretchered off
the pitch virtually unconcious on a stretcher after clashing with Nishizawa.
Pérez Burrull went one better, somehow finding ten different players to
give a yellow to, but the ever theatrical Prados García clocked up the
highest tally of the weekend with twelve, ten yellows and two reds. Let's face
it football federation, when you have a bad tempered match on the horizon, with
inflamatory statements by both sides all week, you don't put Prados
García in charge. I know the computer picks the officials now and it's
not your fault (the banks here use that excuse all the time), but surely
someone could have a right of veto? Elsewhere Rodríguez Santiago let
Barcelona's Puyol off the hook on more than one occasion when he was already on
a yellow card, and players took matters in to their own hands at the end.
Losantos Omar was too hard though on Rayo's Setvalls, who hardly merited a
yellow let alone a red for his tackle which got him sent off, and Undiano
Mallenco ignored a clear penalty by Villarreal's Berruet on Pacheta. In fact
referees only gave one penalty in all the matches played, and that was totally
non-existant, even the usually silent Luis Figo admitting that Cruchaga never
touched him. Turienzo (or his linesman) was probably the only one who thought
he did, but justice was done as Figo put his kick wide. (30.04.01) |
