Jorge Larrionda
 | This article documents a current sporting event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports, scores, or statistics may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
Jorge Larrionda (born March 9, 1968) is a football referee from Uruguay who has officiated at international matches since 2000, though he was suspended for 6 months in 2002. Larrionda officiated a controversial 2004 match between Brazil and Colombia, disallowing goals for both sides. He became a target of criticism from British and American television commentators when he officiated a 2006 FIFA World Cup group stage match between the United States and Italy; the match was only the fourth in tournament history in which three players were ejected. Print and online journalists both supported and opposed his performance, and the American coach stopped short of criticizing Larrionda directly when he said that generally, bookings had been excessive in the tournament.
International matches
Prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Larrionda officiated 34 games internationally in matches in the 2001 Copa America, 2002 World Cup qualifying matches for CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, the 2003 Confederations Cup, the 2004 Olympics, the 2004 Libertadores Cup, the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and Under-17 World Championship, and 2006 World Cup qualifying matches for CONMEBOL.[1]
2002 suspension
Larrionda was selected as a referee for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but was suspended for six months by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol two days after his selection, and was dropped from the list of referees. [2] The organization cited "irregularities" which were not specified. [2] [3] Larrionda was one of five referees suspended for what the president of the Uruguayan board described as "irregularities that were denounced by other referees." [4] The suspensions reportedly arose from accusations of corruption between members of rival Uruguayan soccer officials unions.[5]
2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
Larrionda officiated over a controversial 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier held October 13, 2004 between Brazil and Colombia at Maceio, Brazil. In the 68th minute, Colombia had a goal disallowed for a questionable offside call, and in the 70th minute, Brazil also did not score a goal for a shot that bounced downward from the crossbar, though replays indicated penetration of the goal line by at least half a meter.[6] The match ended in a draw.
2006 FIFA World Cup
Larrionda was selected again to officiate for the 2006 World Cup. He refereed the Angola - Portugal match (June 11), which went without incident.
United States v Italy
Larrionda's second assignment in the 2006 World Cup was the June 17 match Italy - United States.
In this game, Larrionda became the fourth referee to send off three players in a single World Cup finals match, after sending off Italy's Daniele De Rossi for an elbow to the head of Brian McBride, United States' Pablo Mastroeni for a two footed tackle, and Eddie Pope for a late tackle which saw Pope receiving his second yellow card. [5][7] In total for the match, Larrionda issued four yellow and three red cards; all but one of the cards were issued during the first 47 minutes of the match.
Media reaction
Larrionda's performance drew especially harsh criticism from commentators and analysts on ABC and the BBC, who cited the inconsistency of foul calls between the earlier and later portions of the match. ABC's Marcelo Balboa and Eric Wynalda and the BBC's Chris Waddle characterized his ejection of Mastroeni as a "make-up" or "even-up" call.[4][8] Waddle also said the officials were "rubbish" and incapable of officiating the tournament.[8]
Articles published after the match were not in agreement over the quality of Larrionda's calls. Opinions in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chicago Sun-Times and Bangkok Post challenged the referee;[9][10][11] London's The Times and The Sunday Telegraph, Germany's Der Spiegel, and America's SI.com World Cup Blog supported his decisions.[12][13][14][15]
The Associated Press reported on the following day that FIFA communications director Markus Siegler said the red card issued to De Rossi was appropriate. Siegler was not quoted on the other ejections in the match, but he said that generally, FIFA was pleased with the quality of officiating in the tournament.[16] [17]
Two days after the match, Wynalda said he had rushed to judgement in his complaint about Larrionda's ejection of Mastroeni, noting that the tackle was reckless.[18]
Player and coach reaction
In a post-game comment, Pope disagreed with the red card issued to Mastroeni but was silent about his own dismissal. [19] The day after the match, U.S. coach Bruce Arena did not voice a grievance against Larrionda specifically, agreeing with the referee's offside call that disallowed an American goal, and deferring to his judgement for the red card against Mastroeni and the second yellow card against Pope, but complained that generally, FIFA was punishing fouls too severely in the tournament.[20][21]
References
- ^ "2006 FIFA World Cup Referees: LARRIONDA Jorge". FIFAworldcup.com. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
- ^ a b Johnson, Dale (2002-01-10). "Update 2002: Uruguayan referee suspended". ESPN.com Soccernet. Retrieved 2006-06-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Longman, Jere (2006-06-17). "U.S. Holds Italy to a Tie". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-06-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b
{{cite AV media}}: Empty citation (help) - ^ a b Associated Press (2006-06-17). "U.S. holds on for foul-plagued 1-1 draw with Italy". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Reuters (2004-10-13). "Brazil 0-0 Colombia: Controversy". ESPN.com Soccernet. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite news}}:|author=has generic name (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Italy 1-1 USA". BBC. 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Italy 1-1 USA". BBC Sport. 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
- ^ Miklasz, Bernie (2006-06-18). "It's official: FIFA lays an egg with choice of referee". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Millward, Robert (2006-06-18). "Exhausting game could hurt U.S., Italy". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Everything to play for in the new 'Group of Death'". Bangkok Post. 2006-06-19. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Hughes, Rob (2006-06-18). "The beautiful game turns ugly". The Times. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Barclay, Patrick (2006-06-18). "Italy score more than one own goal on a crazy night". The Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "USA Ties Italy in a Match Marred by Rough Play". Der Spiegel. 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Marcotti, Gabriele (2006-06-19). "World Cup Blog - Lay off Larrionda". CNN S.I. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Associated Press (2006-06-18). "Red and yellow cards warranted, FIFA says". ESPN.com Soccernet. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Associated Press (2006-06-18). "FIFA official defends Cup officiating". CNN S.I. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^
{{cite AV media}}: Empty citation (help) - ^ "ITALY-USA: Players' quotes". FIFAworldcup.com. 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2006-06-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Goff, Steven (2006-06-19). "Arena Cites 'Excessive' Calls". The Washington Post. p. E13. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
- ^ Gardiner, Andy (2006-06-18). "U.S. coach: 'The cards are excessive'". USA Today. Retrieved 2006-06-19.