Ref Watch!

All officials for the tournament are listed here:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organisation/referees/

I seem to recall hearing a few months back that FIFA are following a policy of only announcing referees for matches 48 hours before kick off to try to reduce the possibility of match fixing (Though I can't find confirmation of this)

Thanks Marco Rodriguez is the guy i wanna be onside with in this tournament 51 reds in 79 matches

Could be interesting if he gets a Honduras match then.

Can't wait to see them when there's actually something on the game.

Yuichi Nishimura takes control of the first match pretty fair ref lets it flow sent of Melo for Brazil in the last world cup. 327 yellows in 91 games with 13 reds. 3.59 yellows a game and .14 reds. Wouldnt be surprised if this guy got the final.

Just checked and there's actually a market for that 14/1

Officials for the first 4 matches have been confirmed today:

http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/02/36/68/33/140610_1-4_neutral.pdf

Brazil v Croatia - Nishimurya Yuichi (JPN)
Mexico v Cameroon - Roldan Wilmar (COL)
Spain v Netherlands - Rizzoli Nicola (ITA)
Chile v Australia - Doue Noumandiez (CIV)

anyone got any fancies to ref final ? read todays rp and have got an inkling for one.

Ravshan Irmatov looks a potential candidate at 14/1. He is young (36) but is already considered one of FIFA's best - he was given the opener and a Semi Final in 2010 (when only 32), as well as the 3rd place play-off in the Olympics two years ago. I wouldn't be surprised to see FIFA give it to someone from the AFC, as Asia have never had anyone ref the final. As a bonus, he is from Uzbekistan, so no concerns about his nation going deep into the tournament and ruining his chances of getting the appointment.

The alternative might be Yuichi Nishimura of Japan, another strong AFC candidate. He was fourth official at the last World Cup Final, and was in charge of the Club World Cup Final the same year. At 42 it will be his last chance to ref the WC final, so this may get him the nod over Irmatov. Note he has also been given the opener this year, which I'd suggest is a sign of him at least getting a Semi-Final (Irmatov had opener and a Semi in 2010, Elizondo had the opener and the Final in 2006, though this was only the second time this had eve happened).

Both can be backed at 14/1, so just need to decide which of the two AFC candidates FIFA rate most highly.

cheers ted. not one I was thinking of. rodriguez was the one for me.

For anyone intersted, the following site has been good for posting the ref appointments (official FIFA site is terrible):

http://footballrefereeing.blogspot.de/search/label/World%20Cup%20Referee%20Appointments

Marco Rodriguez refs the Algeria Belgium game today...let those cards flow!!

serbia ref ger/port very poor
red card end game

I'm having one last bet on cards this tournie. Felt was mugged by the referee in Mexico v Cameroon game, done well on France game then lost on Nigeria game (blame myself getting involved in that game where both teams couldn't even be bothered putting in challenges) but if there isn't several cards in this given the way the refs have acted in all the other matches game then I'm giving up on it.

As Kenny says Marco Rodriguez in charge. Algeria's 8 qualifiers had 29 cards altogether although the worry is that Algeria only got 7 yellows themselves. However at last World cup they received 8 yellows and 2 reds in 3 games.

The 1.95 over 3.5 cards on the AH with B.365 is preferred to the market on here.

Feel the ref's have been very lenient so far probably pocket talk because im on tournament overs. Can't bet with any confidence but ill join you in the Belgium game purely based on the ref.

thats enough for me..a notorious psycho ref hands out 2 yellows in first half then f all in the second..refs have deffo been git at and yes i am pocket talking

Me out too. Even with a standard ref, not the notorious Rodriguez, I don't think the booking at the pen apart which he pretty much had to give, there was only one other booking in that game. It wasn't a dirty one but there were numerous ankle crunchers from Algeria which could have been a booking.

Actually this looks dicey already. Backing over 3.5 cards at 5/6. Was planning on that if Belgium game came in so decided to just go for one more.