The cards were flying like confetti at the Portugal-Netherlands game today. Twelve yellow, four red (double yellows). I figure both teams took exception to some of the early calls by the ref and when they got no satisfaction from him they started taking matters into their own hands. This mainly took the form of diving to get calls against the other team, but there were some cynical tackles that the ref had to punish (if he saw them), which made matters worse. It threatened to become a brawl by the end; the commentator described the Portugal bench as "incandescent with rage."
The ref really failed to manage the game properly, and the natural passion of the two teams boiled over due to the perceived injustices. This may be the downside of FIFA's attempt to crack down on fouling. Already this World Cup has broken the record for yellow cards given, and there are still two weeks to go. Perhaps it has been too abrupt of a change for the players, and the referees, to adjust to.
I may be too lenient but I wouldn't say it was a nasty game, overall. Two of the ejected players from opposing teams were seen sitting together on a step and calmly discussing the circus they had just been a part of. The spectators will likely have more lasting sour grapes than the players. It will take FIFA some unravelling to figure out exactly what went wrong. There may be repercussions for some of the behaviour not spotted by the referee (like my darling Figo headbutting another player. Oh Figo!). Portugal (who won, by the way) next faces England without two of their starting players, and possibly without Ronaldo ("King of the Stepovers") who was injured early in the game. Given England's performance today, I still favour Portugal, despite today's mélée.
My unofficial motto for this World Cup: "Never a Dull Moment"
