June 2014

[marathondan]

Yes, an interesting game. Croatia deserve to go through on that performance, so let's hope they can channel their sense of injustice. For me the ideal match ref would have been the venerable Nicholas Parsons who, if he gives the benefit of the doubt to one player early on, tries to repay the favour later in the game. The ref's leniency towards Neymar's neck-chop could have been balanced with a less generous view of Fred's collapse under a gentle tap on the shoulder.

As for the disallowed equaliser, in fairness to Brazil they were playing to the whistle, so it's not a given that the ball would have ended up in the net had Cesar not been afforded the cotton wool treatment.

And it must be said that for both of Brazil's legitimate goals, Croatia gave the ball away in dangerous areas, so the man in black (with natty piping) wasn't completely to blame for their downfall.