English referee Howard Webb has gotten the call to officiate the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands on Sunday.
Webb, the recognizable Premier League referee, was also the lead official for the 2010 Champions League final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. He did not work any of the quarterfinal or semifinal matches during the World Cup, but one of the three matches he did work was Spain's 1-0 loss to Switzerland. The other matches he worked were Slovakia's 3-2 win over Italy and Brazil's 3-0 win over Chile.
For a tournament that has had its refereeing criticized and scrutinized for many questionable decisions, the World Cup's final match appears to be in good hands, as Webb has one of the stronger reputations among FIFA officials. Assistants Michael Mullarkey and Darren Cann will join Webb at the final.
What do you think about Webb refereeing the final?
Share your thoughts below.
I think you are the idiot.
When they get to the Quarter finals and beyond they do not always pick for different confederations as that might limit the European and South American referees. Collina(sp) the great Italian refereedid did the 2002 final between Germany and Brazil.
Well done.
No problems with Webb.
I want to know who was smoking what at FIFA to give that idiot Archundia the third place game… unless it is an effort to expose just how bad CONCACAF officiating is in a game that really doesn’t matter that much.
FIFA made the right decision. Must be an honor for him being recognized as the best at what he does. He’ll be up for it.
Where can I place a bet that Nigel De Jong gets a red card?
If he lets the play progress a bit rough than fine. Just be consistent about the tolerance. De Jong and Van Bommel will take a rough tone of say severe ankle sprains and kick it up a notch (no pun intended) to broken leg (see De Jong’s tackle on on Holden). Robben will be studying up on his Greg Luganis impersonations. What a flopper.
Webb is generally consistent and fair. But, he does suffer a bit from the “let the play” mentality too much. He would be a better referee if he called fouls with more regularity and let the players get by with much less physical contact.
The players always learn rather quickly to adapt to what a consistent referee will let them get away with and he is a bit lenient, I expect that will favor a low scoring affair that gets bogged down in the midfield too much.
So England DID make the final!
Glad he could take a break from his royal duties. Here he is in his regular job:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/yul%20brynner%20king%20and%20i/white2006/white2/brynner-yul21.jpg
SFS is actually Ives…lol
I think maybe Meadowlandmel is SFS and has just expanded sites on which steers the thread away from its original theme…
It was the linesman’s fault though…
Plus, he seems like a big boy. I don’t think anyone would want to mess with him.
Webb is definitely the right pick for this game.
What? Is Alex Ferguson coaching Spain or Netherlands? 🙂
For whatever it’s worth, SFS has denied that he’s Jamie Trecker.
JOHANNESBURG — Robert Rosetti, the World Cup referee who wrongly awarded a goal to Argentina in its second-round win against Mexico, reportedly has retired from officiating. Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that Rosetti will take up a new role directing referees in the second-tier Serie B league. The paper reported Rosetti as saying the controversy, in which Argentina led 1-0 thanks to an offside goal by Carlos Tevez before winning 3-1, didn’t affect his decision. FIFA president Sepp Blatter apologized to Mexico officials for the error, and Rosetti was not retained for the tournament’s later stages. The 42-year-old Rosetti could have worked through the 2012 European Championship before reaching FIFA’s mandatory retirement of 45. He refereed the Euro 2008 final.
Archundia and CONCALAFF crew get the 3rd place match, so I suspect that if Uruguay had beaten Holland they might have gotten the final instead…
SFS on BS is actually Jamie Trekker the sportswriter.
*bald joke*
Good for both teams really. He’s a good ref. He’s from England and will allow physical play, which suits the dutch, and he allows play to move on which suits the Spanish.
I like Webb to ref the final. One of the best in the game if you ask me.
May the best team win.
Go Dutch!
Great ref, I hope he gives straight reds for diving or embellishing, its ridiculous at this point. Though Spain has been pretty good about it.
I don’t know who he is, which is a good thing.
Webb? I was hoping for Koman Coulibaly. Oh well…
then again, if Spain loses, you will cry conspiracy against Webb and claim that he favored the Dutch because he and Wesley Schneider both have shaved heads.
huh??????
Aristophanes: agreed.
someone is off his meds, or else he forgot to wear his aluminum foil liner under his baseball hat this morning.
Excellent Ref IMO.
Why you brought your fight here is well beyond me.
And people should care about this because?
He’s been strong, but it seems that referees can build a good reputation over several years, then they make a bad decision that alters the course of a big game, and all of the sudden they are pariahs. Rubbish. Unfit. Maybe even corrupt. I just hope they make a good showing in the final.
WTF?
From the Eight-years-too-late-question box:
Hasn’t it always been the case that when teams from two different confederations play each other, the ref has to be from a third federation?
So why did Hugh Dallas (Scotland) work the 2002 QF between US and Germany?
Thanks. I had forgotten.
Quite a year for Webb. Very few are lucky enough to man the middle in a CL or WC final during thier career. To do both just a few months apart is quite a feat. It’s the pinnacle of one’s career. Webb has earned it. The laws of the game are respected and followed when he’s in charge. The players respect him just as much as he respects them. Is Webb perfect ? No. He will miss a call here and there but if he recognizes he made a mistake it won’t happen twice. The WC final is in good hands with Webb.
Adriano, they’d really have to be pretty brain-dead to try such a move…
I’ll put $5 that Webb awards a penalty to Manchester United.
No doubt that one of them will get an early yellow.
Well, Spain’s chances of a man advantage just skyrocketed.
I would bet good money that either Van Bommel or De Jong do not make it to the end of the game.
Wonder if he’ll discrimate against Puyol and Sergio Ramos?! (you know, folicle envy)
Right on. That pair should have been shown red a long time ago… just hackers.
Odds that DeJong and Van Bommell are sent off have just doubled. Webb will keep a close eye on those two. They’ll be hacking away all day trying to pry the ball off Espana.
No, that was Graham Poll.
ives..i do not post often and do not post on big soccer ever..i just read a few of the comments on big soccer by sidefooter and feel i must comment. this guy considers himself the soccer gura of big soccer and i would love to see his soccer resume….
1. i do not think he ever played soccer above a high school jv level or ever coached above a local u11 level.
2. anyone who has over 30 thousand posts in three year has no job, no wife, no kids, no golf clubs, no tennis racket, or even a fishing pole, in short he has NO LIFE
3. any one who pays any attention to his comments is not a well versed soccer fan. enought said i am just sick of reading stupid comments from so called self proclaimed experts
Wasn’t this the referee who, mistakenly, only ejected a player after the third yellow car a few years ago, either in a World Cup or in an Euro Cup?
I like Webb…he’s confident and doesn’t make hair-brained decisions in my opinion.
So the English DID make it to the final (sort of)….I’m sure that the English press will somehow turn this tidbit into a juicy discussion. Good on Webb though, he’s had a good tournament.
he is one of the best so it suits him well