PLAY THE ADVANTAGE

Wednesday is a very interesting day, front loaded as it is with three generally well-respected referees who’ve done well in this tournament and may well see later matches: Nicola Rizzoli of Italy, Carlos Velasco of Spain and Nestor Pitana of Argentina.

We (Switzerland) get the mighty Pitana – mighty because he’s a damn good ref and also because he is enormous.

This will be Pitana’s third match, but only the second for the others, and for Noumandiez Doue of Ivory Coast. Netherland’s masterful Bjorn Kuipers will be with him as fourth official.

I’d be amiss to point out that, as if the hotness of Nicola Rizzoli (above, at his dreamy best) weren’t enough, but FIFA has seen fit to add cutie Svein Oddvar Moen as fourth official. It’s like they were thinking just of me…

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Renato Faverani (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Stefani (ITA)
Fourth Official: Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR)

Referee: Carlos Velasco (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Alonso (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Yuste (ESP)
Fourth Official: Enrique OSSES (CHI)

 Referee: Nestor Pitana (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Hernan Maidana (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Pablo Belatti (ARG)
Fourth Official: Milorad Mazic (SRB)

Referee: Noumandiez Doue (CIV)
Assistant Referee 1: Songuifolo Yeo (CIV)
Assistant Referee 2: Jean Claude Birumushahu (BDI)
Fourth Official: Bjorn Kuipers (NED)