Match 32: POR : URU - FAGHANI (IRN)

In

 

Bumped. Right guy for this game. I expect it to be very spicy throughout given the teams and the individuals participating.

 

Correct yellow card early, 6th minute, but that credit mostly goes to Mansouri. Faghani in the first few minutes is too distant and has relied on his assistants (incl. Al-Jassim) for two different fouls.

 

Bentancur with a caution 6 minutes in. That one really felt like 1) Bentancur was sending a message and 2) Faghani and crew was waiting for something like that and was ready to pounce right away on it. I LOVE that caution. If you have any chance of these two teams actually settling down and playing soccer, you have to get a call like that one early.

 

Off topic - it takes a lot to overshadow how dumb the Adidas ref kit backpack stripes are, but these Puma change kits with the "Hello, my number is..." name tag on the front accomplishes that feat. I hope both Adidas and Puma rethink some design ideas for 2026 (assuming Adidas is still outfitting referees for 2026, as I remember some rumors that this may be the last World Cup for referees to wear Adidas kit).

 

39-40'

Taking excessive time before Uruguay FK in attacking 3rd.

Just way too long.

 

38' - fine with the yellow for Neves, but I think Faghani could've got away with just an AC here. IMO, it's not really SPA due to the number of Portuguese defenders in the area and more careless than reckless.

 

You just have to wonder if these long monologues have any impact whatsoever. I'm guessing the players just hear "something, something, don't hold, something, something" . . .

If you're going to say something, keep it quick. Kind of like I tell my kid before I drop him off at a friend's house to stay the night. He won't listen to a list of rules. I just tell him, "Have fun, don't do stupid stuff."

EDIT - Dumbass card of the night to Olivera for DR/FRD (take your pick) in 44'. WTF?? He has to think that no one is watching the kick as Faghani is running to the next phase of play.

 

44' Another good yellow from Faghani, this time for Failure to Respect the Distance.

 

First FRD card ever given at a WC? Bravo, sir.

 

42'
No caution for the blatant and cynical jersey grab and take down.

44'
Correct FRD caution. You don't see that every day!

 

That was a pretty easy one . . . .

 

In a vacuum I have SPA but it feels a little harsh compared to what the standard has most often been during this tournament. I say most often because it's been all over the place this tournament. Every game it's a different line, even within some games (BRA-SUI is a good example) it hasn't necessarily been consistent.

 

If it was any other player than Valverde he would've given him a yellow.

 

Faghani did well enough in that first half on the back of very accurate and smart disciplinary choices, but it didn't really feel like an elite performance in other ways. He was always very central which made him way too distant from play on occasion. His management of players didn't extend beyond disciplinary choices. Not a bad performance at all, but it certainly lacks something special that Orsato had in a similar sort of match the other day.

I'm a big Faghani fan but this hasn't been his best performance, in my view. I was way more impressed by Taylor and Barton earlier, albeit in easier matches.

 

Ah. The double foul. Good opportunity for man management.

 

Rainbow flag wielding intruder and subsequent drop ball handled well.

 

CR7 OSP?

Ah, no, good replay angle

 

49'

Clattenburg wanted a caution. Would that have been a second because if so, I think maybe that is the limit of allowable restraint, but I prefer YC.

 

The semi-automated tech shows just how our eyes often deceive us in terms of player positions. The live replay camera shot made it look like it was a pretty close offside call. The bionic men in the SAOT replay shows that it really was not that close. For me, that's something to consider when I don't have that technology. My eyes are often telling me that I'm seeing things that benefit the defense much more than what they likely are in reality.

 

Good job by the AR keeping his flag down on the goal. Not the easiest play to see at live speed.

 

62' call me crazy but the replay on that URU handling call looked like a not-unnatural position. Sort of hanging down-ish

 

I thought the same thing. I've called far less natural positions than that as non-handling when the ball has either been played or deflected straight from the same player.

 

Watching Michigan against the team down south Saturday, I saw the Ump-Cam a couple times. Would love to see footage of what soccer officials see, maybe after some statute of limitations has run out.