Thoughts on the Semifinal Referee: Marco Rodriguez
Few people expected this game to end the way it did: with a 7-1 Brazil defeat.
In fact, what most people expected – a brutal, ugly display and possibly retaliation for Neymar’s injury – didn’t happen at all and much of the credit for that can be given to Rodriguez.
He could have called an early foul for Brazil right outside the box; Bastian Schweinsteiger did seem to get a last-minute trip in on Gustavo, but Gustavo took several long strides, threw up his arms and fell to the ground dramatically. With the light touch and the drama, Rodriguez decided for Germany in that situation.
He played a good advantage early on when Thomas Muller lost the ball and tried to get it back with a shirt tug, and appropriately called it back when no advantage was forthcoming. Indeed, he played several good advantages.
There was another kerfluflle a little after 15 minutes into the first half. Philip Lahm made a good challenge that Brazil tried to claim a penalty. Rodriguez disagreed and tempers flared. (It’s always hilarious to see guys getting all uppity, and just bouncing off the giant Manuel Neuer like he’s a great, goalkeeping boulder.)
After 26 minutes, with Germany up by four, Rodriguez’ focus had to become just keeping things from getting too violent.
At 61, Maicon dived in the box. Just flat out dived. Rodriguez didn’t fall for it, but he also didn’t give the yellow card for simulation that the Germans were asking for – and that probably would have been correct.
As the game just fell apart on Brazil, his main goal had to be keeping things from getting out of control. He did a really admirable job of that, using his pace, presence and – most importantly – a constant stream of talk to avoid the lack of control we saw when Brazil played Colombia.
Overall, a very good performance by the Mexican team.
PLAY THE ADVANTAGE 
Overall a good job of Rodriquez.
I can understand he didn’t show yellow to Marcello and Boateng when they heavily argued after Marcello’s claim for a penalty.
However in the second half in my opinion it should have been yellow for both Müller and David Luiz after Muller attacking David Luiz with his studs and David Luiz trying to take revenge at Müller.
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I get the impression that he didn’t fully see that the way we did on replay. Nothing actually connected.
Handbags at ten paces if you ask me…
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I think that Neuer will be the next captain of the German team as soon as Lahm and Schweinsteiger stop playing. He was already captain at Schalke, and is very suited for the position.
I did expect a high win for Germany. I would have expected it even if Neymar and Silva had been able to play. A lot of people called me crazy, but after seeing the chaotic game Brazil played against Colombia, I was sure that they would falter as soon as they were confronted with an organised team, with players good enough that nobody would be able to just go around them, and Germany, who has a really hard time with overly defensive team but is very dangerous the moment you give the players enough room to pass, is such a team.
It was, in my eyes, also a triumph of fair play against let’s call it emotional play (and I hope Argentina will repeat the performance, because I checked, and to my surprise, they barely fouled during the tournament, unlike the Netherlands).
Rodriquez did overall a good job. He didn’t fell for the diving, and I really liked how he didn’t allow the game to go on before he talked to Boateng and Marcello. I wouldn’t have given yellow in this situation either, unless they had repeated the display, but it was good that he ensured a strong warning.
I am also glad that the Brazilian audience ended up showing respect for the German display…I was afraid how they would react, especially should Klose top Ronaldo’s record in their own country against the own team, but I guess at this point they were too shocked to really react and later on, everything was so…well, nice I guess. I felt sorry for Fred, though. But it was really nice how the players of both teams interacted after the match.
I think the 5:0 was actually offsite, barely, but who cares at this point.
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And I don’t mind not pulling the yellow for diving either in this case…Brazil was already down at this point. It didn’t really matter.
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Dutch press says that Marco Rodriquez has told he will resign as referee. This match between Germany and Brazil has been his last match.
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I announced this on FB yesterday, Chiquimarco has retired,
was totally expected…
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