56 ARGENG Nielsen
After a remarkable performance in his first game (GERYUG), Kim Milton Nielsen was selected for this extremely sonorous game. The Danish referee had to take a number of huge calls, not least sending Beckham off, but Nielsen could stand tall after this performance - he did a very sound job indeed.
Big Decisions
In the clip montage below are the following situations:
5' - Penalty given to Argentina (challenge) + yellow card (SPA)
5' - Penalty given to Argentina (challenge) + yellow card (SPA)
9' - Penalty given to England (impeding), no sanction
46' - Red card given to England no.7 (violent conduct), yellow card given to Argentina no.8
78' - Potential penalty to Argentina (handling)
80' - Potential penalty to England (handling)
81' - 'Goal' for England disallowed (striking), no sanction
92' - Potential penalty to England (handling)
(we will work through in the order: 46' - 5', 9' - 81' - 78', 80', 92').
(we will work through in the order: 46' - 5', 9' - 81' - 78', 80', 92').
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Let's start with the most famous decision - David Beckham was shown the red card for kicking out at Diego Simeone at the start of the second half.
English pundits disagreed with the "joke" decision, but Beckham put referee Nielsen in a position where only one decision was possible - as our friend in the comments very helpfully and interestingly informed us, Rausis was sent home for missing Dennis Bergkamp's clear stamp the night before (NEDYUG).
Nielsen actually already knew he was out after this game - Denmark had progressed through, so he couldn't - but all the officials were left in no doubt as to how serious FIFA were when they said that violent conducts must be punished with red cards.
Was it enough for an ejection? Well, according to today's LotG, we could reasonably say that Beckham's kick out was short of "brutality", and it seems that the Danish referee had the same idea, it appears that he reaches for shorts-right yellow, rather than back-pocket red, as an instant reaction.
Not a picture of charisma in dealing with Gabriel Batistuta's protestations, Nielsen understandably took his time before taking the only decision that he realistically could. It would be different today, but the Dane was correct to caution Simeone, and sent off Beckham.
Was it enough for an ejection? Well, according to today's LotG, we could reasonably say that Beckham's kick out was short of "brutality", and it seems that the Danish referee had the same idea, it appears that he reaches for shorts-right yellow, rather than back-pocket red, as an instant reaction.
Not a picture of charisma in dealing with Gabriel Batistuta's protestations, Nielsen understandably took his time before taking the only decision that he realistically could. It would be different today, but the Dane was correct to caution Simeone, and sent off Beckham.
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This was quite some match for Nielsen - he had to award two penalties in the first ten minutes!
5' -
Actually quite tricky, but the Danish referee got this one right. Even though Diego Simeone did exaggerate the fall, David Seaman makes a careless contact with his leg, so penalty is the correct outcome.
9' -
5' -
Actually quite tricky, but the Danish referee got this one right. Even though Diego Simeone did exaggerate the fall, David Seaman makes a careless contact with his leg, so penalty is the correct outcome.
9' -
Nielsen is widely adjudged to have gotten this call wrong, even Michael Owen himself broadly boasted recently that he dived - but I disagree! I think the Danish referee was bang on to give a penalty in this situation as well.
Roberto Ayala steps across Owen an impedes his progress, the replays look pretty damning for the referee, but I agree with his 1998 interview with BBC - the angles don't give a fair reflection of what happened in this particular situation. Maybe some Argentina players might have complained if it was actually a (clear) dive?
The actual problem with this situation is the sanction, or lack of - it is a DOGSO situation, and a red card should theoretically have followed. However, I believe this is such a scene where only some time after the event it is that it even dawns on the ref that perhaps it was a SPA or DOGSO scene.
Sure, by the book he was wrong, but practically no card and penalty 'felt' fair (Paul Ince was cautioned for too vociferously stating the opposite to the referee).
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The actual problem with this situation is the sanction, or lack of - it is a DOGSO situation, and a red card should theoretically have followed. However, I believe this is such a scene where only some time after the event it is that it even dawns on the ref that perhaps it was a SPA or DOGSO scene.
Sure, by the book he was wrong, but practically no card and penalty 'felt' fair (Paul Ince was cautioned for too vociferously stating the opposite to the referee).
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Volume one of Sol Campbell disallowed major tournament goals occurred here - Alan Shearer was pulled up for a striking offence on goalkeeper Carlos Roa. Correctly so, Shearer had deliberately jumped into Roa on a number of centred balls, and this time there was a clear elbow (even a reckless one).
Famously, and kind of amusingly in retrospect, Argentina counter-attacked while some England players were still celebrating - Nielsen says that having his time again, he would have prevented such a restart. In any case it didn't matter, assistant Mohamed Al-Musawi correctly perceived an offside.
Famously, and kind of amusingly in retrospect, Argentina counter-attacked while some England players were still celebrating - Nielsen says that having his time again, he would have prevented such a restart. In any case it didn't matter, assistant Mohamed Al-Musawi correctly perceived an offside.
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There were three further penalty appeals of note, all on handling incidents:
78' - the ball deflects off a deliberate play by Tony Adams' leg up onto his arm, so correct no penalty call
80' - a freekick deflects on Juan Sebastián Verón's arm and out of play; I suppose he kind of enlarges his body surface and kind of moves his arm towards the ball, but given how close it is to his chest, correct play on (it seems everybody missed the incident altogether)
92' - England appealed for a golden penalty(!), nowadays, I'm quite certain VAR would intervene on this play on call, the handling is too obvious to ignore.
Personally, I actually like this decision (and Nielsen did see it). José Chamot jumps for the ball, using his arms in a fair way for leverage, before the ball hits his non-tense arm, a clear signal that the handling was involuntary.
The fact the ball even hits Chamot's arm is testament to the fact that Shearer couldn't jump high enough to reach the particular centre - the ball would have just flown out if not for hitting the arm. Especially given it would have decided the entire match, Nielsen did very well to play on here in my view.
78' - the ball deflects off a deliberate play by Tony Adams' leg up onto his arm, so correct no penalty call
80' - a freekick deflects on Juan Sebastián Verón's arm and out of play; I suppose he kind of enlarges his body surface and kind of moves his arm towards the ball, but given how close it is to his chest, correct play on (it seems everybody missed the incident altogether)
92' - England appealed for a golden penalty(!), nowadays, I'm quite certain VAR would intervene on this play on call, the handling is too obvious to ignore.
Personally, I actually like this decision (and Nielsen did see it). José Chamot jumps for the ball, using his arms in a fair way for leverage, before the ball hits his non-tense arm, a clear signal that the handling was involuntary.
The fact the ball even hits Chamot's arm is testament to the fact that Shearer couldn't jump high enough to reach the particular centre - the ball would have just flown out if not for hitting the arm. Especially given it would have decided the entire match, Nielsen did very well to play on here in my view.
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One final incident worth mentioning cursorily - a potential second yellow card against Paul Ince at 107' (see: clip).
Managing the Game
An oft-forgotten nuance of the Argentina - England game at World Cup 1986 was it's very fair nature (Hand of God aside), the players weren't really interested in conflict - the same was true here, and Kim Milton Nielsen was a perfect choice as referee to compliment that.
His use of cards was optimal for this particular game - 18' was well-resisted, sure 37' was a reckless tackle, but no sanction worked well in the end. Verón's caution was brilliant - taking out deliberate fouls on attacking players from this game was a genuine masterstroke!
Foul detection was strong, Nielsen saw through the easy falls and operated a consistent approach to punishing contacts; the game was much easier in this regard after the red card, but the Dane remained strong throughout.
His use of cards was optimal for this particular game - 18' was well-resisted, sure 37' was a reckless tackle, but no sanction worked well in the end. Verón's caution was brilliant - taking out deliberate fouls on attacking players from this game was a genuine masterstroke!
Foul detection was strong, Nielsen saw through the easy falls and operated a consistent approach to punishing contacts; the game was much easier in this regard after the red card, but the Dane remained strong throughout.
The contribution made by the referee to this game was very positive, well done Kim Milton Nielsen!
Kim Milton Nielsen did a stellar job as referee in this match - he responded to all the key scenes in an optimal way, and offered a perfect approach in facilitating a thrilling football match. Assistant Referees
A pretty good evening for both men at Nielsen's side too. Mohamed Al-Musawi in the second half faced a high number of challenging situations, and in five of six, he made the correct call (50', 54', 73', 79', 82') and only made one mistake (84'). The Omani was impressive above the tournament average in dealing with those crossover situation!
Halim Abdul Hamid had two calls to make, both of them rather big ones - correct to flag at 14', he made a pretty big mistake at 100', Argentina nearly scored one-on-one (minus 0,2/3 in UEFA). Hamid correctly detected a throw-in not properly executed at 64'.
Halim Abdul Hamid sadly passed away in August 2009, aged forty-seven :( - rest in peace, Halim.
Halim Abdul Hamid had two calls to make, both of them rather big ones - correct to flag at 14', he made a pretty big mistake at 100', Argentina nearly scored one-on-one (minus 0,2/3 in UEFA). Hamid correctly detected a throw-in not properly executed at 64'.
Halim Abdul Hamid sadly passed away in August 2009, aged forty-seven :( - rest in peace, Halim.
Balance
The nature of the game totally turned on David Beckham's red card, the Danish referee had the courage to issue a brave red card; all complaints should be in Beckham's direction, not of the referee, who had no option.
Denmark having progressed to the quarterfinal, Nielsen was very unlucky to be removed from the final list of officials. His performances definitely merited a further appointment - perhaps even the final itself. In any case, he can look back on a commendable performance in, and indeed appointment to, one of the most sonorous matches of the competition.
| Kim Milton Nielsen - 8 Halim Abdul Hamid - 6 Mohamed Al-Musawi - 7 Rune Pedersen DEN, MAS, OMA | Argentina 2-2 England (aet, Argentina win 4-3 in a penalty competition) Round of Sixteen 30 June |
 Verón (44') - Challenge Simeone (47') - Challenge Almeyda (73') - SPA (Challenge) Roa (Pen.) - Dissent | Seaman (5') - SPA (Challenge) Ince (10') - Dissent |
 Beckham (47') - Violent Conduct |
Officials retained for matches 57-64:
Africa:
Said Belqola (MAR)
Gamal Al-Ghandour (EGY)
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Dramané Dante (MLI)
Mohamed Mansri (TUN)
Achmat Salie (RSA)
Asia:
Abdulrahman Al-Zaid (KSA)
Ali Bujsaim (UAE)
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Mohamed Al-Musawi (OMA)
Hussain Ghandanfari (KUW)
Halim Abdul Hamid (MAS)
North America:
Arturo Brizio Carter (MEX)
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Owen Powell (JAM)
Reynaldo Salinas (HON)
South America:
Epifanio González (PAR)
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Jorge Díaz Gálvez (CHI)
Celestino Galván (PAR)
Oceania:
(-)
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Lencie Fred (VAN)
Europe:
Hugh Dallas (SCO)
José María García-Aranda (ESP)
Urs Meier (SUI)
Rune Pedersen (NOR)
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Nicolae Grigorescu (ROU)
Mikael Nilsson (SWE)
Fernando Tresaco Gracia (ESP)
Marc Van Den Broeck (BEL)
Mark Warren (ENG)
Emanuel Zammit (MLT)
Wow! What a performance by Nielsen! Indeed, everyone remembers it for the Beckham's red card, but there were so many other important situations and Nielsen was able to make all the correct decisions. Congrats to him!
ReplyDeleteOnly one South American referee retained for the last 8 matches? Did that ever happen in modern times? By the way, Mark Warren (ENG) was also retained as AR from Europe.
1990? Pérez Hoyos was linesman only and Silva (rejected), Jácome Guerrero, Maciel were out, Loustau because of Argentina, leaving only Wright as referee for the last eight matches.
DeleteQuarterfinals will be up on Friday and Saturday.
ReplyDeleteContemporarily, I agree Beckham had to see red. I do disagree that Nielsen instinctively went for yellow on Beckham, though. I think he was reaching there because he always wanted to card Simeone first and he ultimately did card him first. So I don't think you an deduce that the timing of his hand going to the right front pocket means he was going to yellow card Beckham. I think that move was to card Simeone and, then, once he processed Beckham needed to go he decided to pause everything to show them in succession.
ReplyDeleteThe younger me always wondered about the idea of sending off Simeone. To start, he has charged Beckham rather violently from behind. He is straight into his back and flattens him. Could a case be made for a charge with excessive force? Particularly when you realize Simeone is also embellishing the severity of the retaliation, I can't help but feel there's a way to send both players off and make this 10 v 10. So even if you can't get to SFP for the charge, you could perhaps conjure up the mythical UB reckless + UB simulation simultaneous 2YC. From an issue of fairness, it just feels right. Simeone has caused everything AND he's done his best to ensure his opponent gets sent off. Beckham's reaction, while illegal, isn't truly violent. And the Laws certainly would allow for two red cards so it's not like a referee would be making up new rules to get 10 v 10. I realize it would have been an unorthodox decision, but perhaps it would have been the just one that would have been more widely accepted.
On the Adams handball shout... I wonder about contemporary instruction. I think the fact that the arms are raised so high and prevent an attacking cross call for this to be handling. The mitigating factor is distance, but I'm not sure it's enough. The explicit edict about a deflection from the foot is very recent, after all. Besides, his arms are likely above his shoulders when contact is actually made. Ultimately, I think the no-call is expected and just here (in 1998!). But I wonder what a VAR does if this happens in 2022.
Conversely, I'm surprised you think a VAR definitely intervenes at 92'. There's a clear element of intent, of course. But the arm is flush to the body even if the elbow is bent. His silhouette is not larger. This one, to me, feels more like a "call stands" no matter what the on-field decision is. But maybe I'm missing a key aspect that you feel is present.
As for 107'... I had vague recollections of that. It looks like an SFP challenge in the group stage of that tournament, honestly. Ince getting away with nothing was nothing short of a miracle.
In order :)
Delete- agree, it took a few seconds for Nielsen to perceive and determine what happened, and he even excelled in his calm dealing with the situation
- disagree here, for the sake of sending two players off, you might as well have just booked them both; Nielsen would have been criticised much more for going 'red card crazy' I'm pretty sure making it 10v10
- the deflection makes it a CLEAR (emphasis needed) no penalty according to current instructions as I understand them
- I had WC 2018 on my mind :) in general I'd say it is "too clear to ignore", but defensive freekick is perhaps a get out
- should be a SYC I'd say, but Nielsen made the most sensible call all-things-considered!
On the question of 10 v 10, I frame it from the perspective that you had in your analysis (and everyone basically understood at the time): Beckham HAD to go. There was no wiggle room there. If he opted for two yellows in the name of justice, everyone would say he was wrongly excusing Beckham and letting him stay on the field.
DeleteSo, if you start from the premise that Beckham had to go and there was no choice to make on that question, can you rationalize a red card for Simeone? Yes, I know that he would have faced criticism for going "red card crazy" but from a neutral perspective and one of true justice, would it have been the right thing to do? Everyone knew Simeone exaggerated and, frankly, Simeone was guilty of much more violence. Letting Simeone stay on the field and forcing Beckham to walk down the tunnel because the referee had no choice based on instruction always felt distasteful to me.
But, again, I understand I was and am advocating something unorthodox.