Netherlands sees red over yellow cards
By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports Sunday, Jul 11, 2010
(Frank Augstein/AP)
Follow Martin Rogers on Twitter at @mrogersyahoo
JOHANNESBURG – Controversial World Cup referee Howard Webb came under attack from furious Netherlands players and head coach Bert van Marwijk after Spain’s 1-0 extra-time victory on Sunday night.
Van Marwijk insisted Webb had lost “control” of the game at Soccer City after handing out a World Cup final record 13 yellow cards and one red over the course of 120 minutes of play. The coach also hinted that the Spanish’s criticism of Webb’s officiating during their defeat to Switzerland early in the tournament may have played a role in his performance.
Eight Dutch players were booked and John Heitinga was sent off in extra time after receiving a second yellow card.
“I think both sides committed terrible fouls,” Van Marwijk said. “I don’t think the ref controlled the match well, not at all.
“I also read some things today about how angry Spain was in their first match with Switzerland. You would almost think this first match had an impact on this match. The last few minutes were very sad, it was not right.”
The Netherlands were outraged when Andres Iniesta’s winning goal four minutes before the end of extra time was allowed to stand. Dutch players insisted there had been a foul in the buildup to Iniesta’s decisive score. Webb also seemed to have made an error a minute earlier by incorrectly giving Spain a goal kick when a corner kick should have been awarded.
Dutch chances of victory took a major blow when Heitinga was ejected in the 109th minute after what appeared to be a soft foul on Iniesta.
“I don’t want to see him [Webb] anytime soon,” Heitinga told the Dutch media. “He is not a typical English referee. There were so many cards. It was a strange game.”
The Netherlands could count themselves fortunate that Heitinga was the only dismissal. In the first half, midfielder Nigel de Jong slammed Xabi Alonso in the chest with a raised boot but only received a yellow card.
Webb set the tone early on, issuing five cautions in the first half. Things only got worse after the break as both teams continued their physical play.
Ironically, Webb plies his trade by refereeing primarily in the English Premier League, which is one of the most physical leagues in the world. The Premiership referees are generally seen as being among the most lenient on the planet.