Jorge Larrionda

Jorge Luis Larrionda Pietrafesa (born March 9, 1968) is a FIFA football referee from Uruguay who has officiated at international matches since 2000. He is currently one of the world's top referees, having had the highest moment of his career during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in which he officiated four matches, including a semifinal between Portugal and France. However, his refereeing style has also won him many critics, especially because of the high number of red cards he usually shows.

Larrionda is also well-known in South America, having participated in countless matches of continental competitions such as the Libertadores Cup and the Campeonato Uruguayo. In 2006, he officiated at the first leg of the Libertadores final match between Internacional and São Paulo, sending off two players for violent play.

International career prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup

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 CONMEBOL qualifying matches. [cite web | url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/ref/173372_LARRIONDA_Jorge.html | title = 2006 FIFA World Cup Referees: LARRIONDA Jorge | work = FIFAworldcup.com | accessdate = 2006-06-18]

2002 suspension

Larrionda was selected as a referee for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but was suspended for six months by the Uruguayan Football Association two days after his selection, and was dropped from the list of referees. cite news | url=http://www.soccernet.com/columns/2002/0110/20020110update2002.html | title = Update 2002: Uruguayan referee suspended | publisher = ESPN.com Soccernet | date = 2002-01-10 | accessdate = 2006-06-17 | last=Johnson |first=Dale ] The organization cited "irregularities" which were not specified. [cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/17/sports/soccer/18usa.html | title=U.S. Holds Italy to a Tie | publisher = New York Times | date = 2006-06-17 | accessdate = 2006-06-17 |last=Longman |first=Jere] Larrionda was one of five referees suspended for what the president of the Uruguayan board described as "irregularities that were denounced by other referees." cite video | people = Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa (Commentators); Musburger, Brent (Presenter); Giorgio Chinaglia, Alexi Lalas and Eric Wynalda (Analysts) | year = 2006 | title = World Cup Soccer: Italy vs. United States | medium = TV-Series | location = United States | publisher = ABC] The suspensions reportedly arose from accusations of corruption between members of rival Uruguayan soccer officials unions.cite news | url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=371526&cc=5901 | title = U.S. holds on for foul-plagued 1-1 draw with Italy | publisher = ESPN Soccernet | date=2006-06-17 | accessdate = 2006-06-18 | author=Associated Press]

2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier

Larrionda officiated over a 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. [cite news| url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=165930&cc=5901 | title=Brazil 0-0 Colombia: Controversy | publisher=ESPN.com Soccernet | accessdate=2006-06-18 | date=2004-10-13 |author=Reuters ] 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.

After the match, he became a target of criticism from a few British and American television commentators. 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 cheek 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. [cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4853182.stm| title=Italy 1-1 USA | publisher = BBC| date = 2006-06-17 | accessdate = 2006-06-18] 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.

Print and online journalists both supported and opposed his performance, and U.S. coach Bruce Arena stopped short of criticizing Larrionda directly when he said that generally, bookings had been excessive in the tournament. South American press, however, was overwhelmingly favorable to his performance in the match, as was FIFA, which endorsed the referee's performance, in line with International Football Association Board guidelines to crack down on violent play.

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.cite news
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5058558.stm
title = Italy 1-1 USA
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-06-17
accessdate = 2006-06-19] Waddle also said the officials were "rubbish" and incapable of officiating the tournament. Another BBC report, however, claimed that he was "left with little option" other than sending Mastroeni off. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4853182.stm]

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; [cite web | url = http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/berniemiklasz/story/AAE2194B9CE115DA8625719100157100?OpenDocument | title = It's official: FIFA lays an egg with choice of referee | publisher = St. Louis Post-Dispatch | date = 2006-06-18 | accessdate = 2006-06-18 |last=Miklasz | first= Bernie] [cite web | url = http://www.suntimes.com/output/soccer/cst-spt-usside18.html | title = Exhausting game could hurt U.S., Italy | publisher = Chicago Sun-Times | date = 2006-06-18 | accessdate = 2006-06-18 | last=Millward |first=Robert] [cite web | url = http://www.bangkokpost.com/Sports/19Jun2006_sport23.php | title = Everything to play for in the new 'Group of Death' | publisher = Bangkok Post | date = 2006-06-19 | accessdate = 2006-06-18] "The Times" and "The Sunday Telegraph" of London, Germany's "Der Spiegel", and America's SI.com World Cup Blog supported his decisions. [cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,28749-2231336,00.html | title=The beautiful game turns ugly | publisher=The Times | accessdate=2006-06-18 | date=2006-06-18 |last= Hughes |first=Rob] [cite news| url=http://wc2006.telegraph.co.uk/Document.aspx?id=EA6D4F27-19D9-4319-A838-5E6C281CABE2 | title=Italy score more than one own goal on a crazy night | publisher=The Sunday Telegraph | accessdate=2006-06-18 | date=2006-06-18 |last=Barclay |first=Patrick] [cite news| url=http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,422002,00.html | title=USA Ties Italy in a Match Marred by Rough Play | publisher=Der Spiegel | accessdate=2006-06-18 | date=2006-06-17 ] [cite web | url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/soccer/world_cup_blog/2006/06/lay-off-larrionda.html | title = World Cup Blog - Lay off Larrionda | publisher = CNN S.I. | date = 2006-06-19 | accessdate = 2006-06-19 | last=Marcotti |first=Gabriele]

The Associated Press reported on the following day that FIFA communications director Markus Siegler said the red card issued to De Rossi, which drew blood, 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. [cite news| url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=371660&cc=5901 | title=Red and yellow cards warranted, FIFA says | publisher=ESPN.com Soccernet | accessdate=2006-06-18 | date=2006-06-18 | author=Associated Press] [cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/specials/world_cup/2006/06/18/red.yellow.cards.ap/index.html | title=FIFA official defends Cup officiating | publisher=CNN S.I. | accessdate=2006-06-19 | date=2006-06-18 | author=Associated Press]

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.cite video | people = Julie Foudy, Eric Wynalda and Allen Hopkins (Analysts) | year = 2006 | title = World Cup Live | medium = TV-Series | location = United States | publisher = ESPN2]

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. [cite news | url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060617/1/7s1n.html | title=ITALY-USA: Players' quotes | publisher = FIFAworldcup.com | date = 2006-06-17 | accessdate = 2006-06-18] 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. [cite news
first = Steven
last = Goff
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/18/AR2006061800917.html
title = Arena Cites 'Excessive' Calls
publisher = The Washington Post
page = E13
date = 2006-06-19
accessdate = 2006-06-19] [cite news
first = Andy
last = Gardiner
url = http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/worldcup/2006-06-18-arena-officiating_x.htm
title = U.S. coach: 'The cards are excessive'
publisher = USA Today
date = 2006-06-18
accessdate = 2006-06-19]

Remainder of tournament

Larrionda was chosen to officiate a third pool-play match, between France and Togo. His performance produced less criticism in the media.

On 28 June FIFA announced that Larrionda would be one of the final group of 12 referees retained for the remainder of the tournament, and on 2 July he was appointed to officiate the second semi final between Portugal and France (July 05). [cite news| url=http://www.sportgate.de/fussball-wm-2006/finalrunde/98962-Schiedsrichter-Larrionda-leitet-zweites-Halbfinale.html | title=Schiedsrichter Larrionda leitet zweites Halbfinale | publisher=sportgate.de | accessdate=2006-07-02 | date=2006-07-02 | author=dpa]

=France v Portugal= Larrionda officiated the France-Portugal semifinal on July 5, 2006. In the 32nd minute, Larrionda awarded a penalty kick to France for a foul by Ricardo Carvalho on Thierry Henry. The shot was taken successfully by Zinedine Zidane. The kick was the only goal of the game, and France won 1-0. [cite news
first = Paul
last = Doyle
url = http://football.guardian.co.uk/worldcup2006/minbymin/0,,1788444,00.html
title = France 1 - 0 Portugal
publisher = Guardian Unlimited
date = 2006-07-05
accessdate = 2006-07-23] . Larrionda later ignored a penalty kick request from Cristiano Ronaldo, a move for which he was criticized by the Portuguese coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. [cite news
first = Eduardo
last = Vieira da Costa
url = http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/esporte/ult92u105432.shtml
title = Scolari ataca juiz e insinua benefício à França fora de campo
publisher = Folha de São Paulo
date = 2006-07-05
accessdate = 2006-07-05]

Reporters noted that the game was colored by dives and play-acting, but Larrionda gave out only two yellow cards in the match. [cite news
first =
last =
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4991632.stm
title = Portugal 0-1 France
publisher = BBC
date = 2006-07-05
accessdate = 2006-07-23] He booked Ricardo Carvalho of Portugal in 83rd minute and Louis Saha of France in the 87th. Both players were already carrying yellows, and thus missed the third place match and final, respectively, due to card accumulation. [cite news
first =
last = PA
url = http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=191979&cc=5739
title = Portugal 0-1 France: Zidane's final dream
publisher = ESPNsoccernet
date = 2006-07-05
accessdate = 2006-07-23]

References

External links

* [http://worldcup.reuters.com/referee/larrionda.html Reuters profile]
* [http://www.ratetheref.net/referees/view.php?Id=22 Profile on RateTheRef.net]