Germany vs Italy

Germany vs Italy - A Semi Final in the World Cup was a very exciting game and a difficult game to referee. The weather was very hot, the fans were very loud and the atmosphere was fantastic. The referees were under lots of pressure as we wanted to do a great job and ensure the game was played a fair as possible. We had a great experience and to top it off it was our fifth game. We had made it to the final stages of the World Cup and we were so pumped that we were very focused, yet we wanted to enjoy the game.

A devastated Germany team at the end of the match. There was nothing they could do to respond to the goals that came at the 119th and 121st minutes of play. Everyone was very tired and spent. The home fans were very quiet, while the Italian fans were celebrating.

A close up of the referees with both captains right beside the refs.

During the singing of the national anthems of both countries. A very emotional moment for players and fans alike. The noise level is extremely high.

The start of the protocol ceremony with the presentation of the flags to the tune of the FIFA Anthem...a very motivating moment for the teams, fans and referees. This is the moment the teams are first seen by the fans as they come from the tunnel.

Towards the end of the protocol the teams have their pictures taken and then they proceed to the coin toss.

Doing our 15- 20 minutes of warm up prior to the game. It was so hot that by the time we finish the warm up we probably loose a significant amount of water and our warm up shirts are totally soaked. The atmosphere is evident during this time as well since the teams are on the field at the same time and there is plenty of chanting from the fans.

Our crew during the field inspection. We had some supporters in the crowd as some of the FIFA Staff and Referee Committee members made the trip from Frankfurt to game.

Brazil vs France

The Brazil fans were shocked that their team was out of the World Cup. They simply stood there and watched the France players and fans celebrate. It took a long time before they actually started to make their way out of the stadium. It was quite a sight.

The France fans having a great time after winning the game.

We had a chance to see the Brazil vs France game live in the Frankfurt Stadium. France played a fantastic game and Brazil was not their usual self...that is the beauty of the game.

A Semi-Final - Our Fifth Game

What fantastic news we have received!!! Our team will officiate the Semi Final between Germany and Italy on Tuesday.

We are extremely pleased to have our dream continue and to be appointed to this important game. We are the first trio to do five games in the 2006 World Cup. We understand it is a record in the history of the World Cup for a referee to be in the centre on five games.

This along with the six games in the 2002 World Cup brings my total of World Cup games to 11 - Never mind a dream, it is more like a fantasy but we are living it.

We have completed our physical preparation and have been provided with valuable briefing on the upcoming game. As usual we will travel on Monday and return to Frankfurt after the match. We expect a fantastic atmosphere and a great challenge.

Switzerland vs Ukraine

Our team after the game - we were very pleased with our performance.

Waiting for a substitution to take place.

Keeping an eye on the play up field while maintaining an eye on the offside line.

During the national anthems of both countries.

One of the oldest churches in all of Germany is found in Cologne.

Our team and the assessor upon our arrival in Cologne for the match.

Fourth Game

Our fourth game was the longest one to date having gone into penalties from the penalty mark to eventually decide the winner. We knew this was a pretty evenly matched game so we were prepared for it. We had good fortune that the weather was not too hot and we were able to manage our fitness for the 120 minutes. The atmosphere was just as good, if not better, than other games we had. We attribute this to the fact that even though the stadium was only for about 40,000 people it was packed and it was a great football (soccer) stadium with the fans being very close to the field. As in other games, there were many flags from many nations hanging from the stands and it was great to see a Canadian flag as well.

We are noticing, after doing four games in such a short time with the level of intensity, pressure on the teams and referees, that we are beginning to get a bit tired - more so mentally than physically. It is time to charge the batteries with a bit of relaxation that we hope to get in the next few days. That is if we pass the next crucial test in the process.

Tomorrow the Referees Committee will decide who gets to stay for the final eight matches (4 quarters, 2 semis and 2 finals) and the rest will be sent home. It will be a very happy day for a few and a sad day for many. We believe that we have done everything that is in our control to prove that we belong and that we are worthy of the consideration to stay and do one more game. However, what ever the decision we can humbly hold our heads high as we have represented Mexico and Canada very well.

Our dream is to stay to the end and have an opportunity to do an important game. Because the rest is out of our hands, I want to take the opportunity to publicly thank my family, in particular my lovely spouse and children, for their uconditional support and love in my pursue of the World Cup dream. This is not possible without the support, encouragement and the sacrifices that have to be made over a period of eight years to reach the pinnacle of one's career twice in a lifetime. No one knows more than I what my family has had to give up in order for me to be where I am today - I am very a very lucky person. In addition, I want to thank my friends, fellow referees, instructors and the Manitoba Soccer Association with its volunteers and staff as their support has been very valuable.

Let's hope this is not the last time I write in this blog. However, if it is, I hope you have enjoyed reading it and my appreciations go to all of you who have sent encouragement in one way or another. This has been a fantastic ride!!!!

Italy vs Czech Republic

The German Organizing Committee representatives have been great hosts. Eventhough we don't have much time at all, they ensure that we see a little bit of Germany after the match. Really the only spare time we have.

Our team after the match. We were very happy with our team work and the chances to move on to the next round.

During the National Anthems of both countries.

Checking the nets during the field inspection prior to coming out for the warm up.

The teams take to the pitch for their walk about prior to the warm up.

Our first steps on the Hamburg Stadium field. It was a magnificent stadium with great atmosphere.

Our Third Appointment

The Italy vs Czech Republic game in Hamburg was full of anticipation as either team could have gone to the round of 16 based on the outcome of this game and the others in the group. We were expecting a difficult match but we knew we were also very well prepared for it. It was our third game of the group stage.

We had no issues during the match and it was a fantastic atmosphere as the stadium was built specifically for soccer and the atmosphere from both sets of fans was excellent. When ever one group of fans got going chanting for their team the opposing supporters got louder, which made the noise level extremely high. The speed of the game was not as high as we expected it but the game was very exciting.

Our team work continued to excel and upon our return to the hotel in Frankfurt on Friday all the instructors and assessors were pleased with our performance. Our sequence of daily activities meant that on our return we were at +1, which means that it is the Recovery Training Day. Saturday was to be our rest day (+2) but we were also informed that it was our -2 day, which is two days prior to the next game and the training session is technically based. We were asked not to attend the technical session and asked to rest all day as they want us to recover quickly and be ready for Monday.

We were somewhat surprise, yet not totally, that we were quickly appointed to another match this time in the round of 16. We our one of two trios that has so far been appointed to four matches in the World Cup. As four years early I am extremely happy to be amongst the referees most appointed to matches. Our match will be Ukraine and Switzerland, two teams that we do not know much about but that we had seen a couple of times during the World Cup and by the time the game arrives we will have studied in greater detail. As a result we spend the whole day in the hotel.

It was also media day at the training ground, however, since we were not at the training location FIFA allowed the media to visit with us at the hotel for 30 minutes. They interviewed our group outside the hotel and then we continued with our rest and debriefing meetings.

We will depart for our fourth match on Sunday and travel to Cologne by train for the first time. We have been fortunate to have been appointed to matches in different cities, which has allowed us to see a little bit of Germany even if it is just the hotels and the drive from the airports or train stations.

After the Game

After our successful game between France and Korea.

France vs Korea

Our second appointment took place in Leipzig between France and Korea on June 18th. As usual we left the hotel in Frankfurt the day before and traveled by plane. Leipzig is a history city in the sense that the first steps towards unification in Germany started in that city.

The day of the game we visited the Referee Museum that was put together for the World Cup. It was an interesting visit as it covered the good, the bad and the ugly about soccer officiating. Many of the more well known referees in the world were highlighted.

As for the game itself, we expected a much faster game compared to what we actually experienced. We knew that both teams, in particular France, needed to win the game and expected them to control much of the play, as they did. It was a smaller stadium of approximately 40,000 that was somewhat unique in that the new stadium was built inside the old stadium. Again, to be on the pitch with great players like Zidane and Henry amongst others was a dream come true. The atmosphere in the stadium was excellent with lots of fans from both teams being very loud. We really enjoyed our experience in Leipzig.

One of the things that we have been told in the evaluations is that our team is doing very well. We are feeling very positive about our experience and have a very positive attitude towards the games and our preparation for each one. We are ensuring that we keep the positive energy in check so as not to become complaisant and we maintain our focus at all times. We review the teams and the circumstances facing every game in order to be as prepared as possible.

The debriefing sessions have been very good in that we are given positive feedback on the things that are being done correctly and those that need to improve. Overall the debriefings have been aimed at improving the performances not at criticizing the referees. The instructors and assessors have been very frank and supportive. At the same time the referee team has been doing very well.

Many watching the games have noticed the use of the Communication System by the four officials on the game. This allows for constant communication during the games, although most of the communication takes place during difficult plays only. The lines of communication are opened at all times between the referees and the ARs and the fourth official can also hear the discussions.

We have been informed that on Thursday we have a game that will be officially announced late on Tuesday evening. We suspected that it will be the Italy game, which is also a very critical game for both teams. Which ever game it turns out to be, we will do our very best to prepare for it and continue to have the ball roll positively for our team.

Our referee team prior to the France vs Korea match.

During the checking of the field prior to the game in Leipzig. The stadium was awesome.

The referee museum in Leipzig.

Second Game

Today we were advised that our second game will be on Sunday between France and Korea. We expect a very difficult game and we are getting prepared during the technical sessions and also analyzing the information we have on both teams.

We will leave for Leipzig on Saturday after our pre-match training session and we will come back to Frankfurt by Monday. We have been told it is a wonderful soccer specific stadium and a beautiful city. We hope that we have at least a bit of time on Saturday to see a little of the city.