Jorge Larrionda
Encyclopedia
Jorge Luis Larrionda Pietrafesa (born March 9, 1968) is a FIFA
football
referee from Uruguay
who has officiated at international matches since 1998. He is currently one of the world's top referees, having had the highest moment of his career during the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, in which he officiated four matches, including a semifinal between Portugal
and France
. However, his refereeing style has also won him many critics, especially because of the high number of red cards he has shown, earning him the nickname "Red Card Larrionda". Larrionda has made several controversial decisions during matches involving the United States
, and is often vilified amongst American fans.
Larrionda is also well known in South America, having participated in countless matches of continental competitions such as the Copa Libertadores and the Campeonato Uruguayo
.
He was preselected as a referee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
, 2002 World Cup qualifying matches for CONMEBOL
and CONCACAF
, the 2003 Confederations Cup, the 2004 Olympics
, the 2004 Libertadores Cup
, the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
and Under-17 World Championship, and 2006 World Cup CONMEBOL qualifying matches.
, but was suspended for six months by the Uruguayan Football Association
two days after his selection, and was dropped from the list of referees. The organization cited "irregularities" which were not specified. Larrionda was one of five referees suspended for what the president of the Uruguayan board described as "irregularities that were denounced by other referees." The suspensions reportedly arose from accusations of corruption between members of rival Uruguayan soccer officials unions.
. He refereed the Angola - Portugal match (June 11), which went without incident.
After the match, he became a target of criticism from a few British
and American
television commentators. In this game, Larrionda became the fourth referee to send off three players in a single World Cup finals match, after sending off Italy's Daniele De Rossi
for an elbow to the cheek of Brian McBride
, United States' Pablo Mastroeni
for a two-footed tackle, and Eddie Pope
for a late tackle which saw Pope receiving his second yellow card.
In total for the match, Larrionda issued four yellow and three red cards; all but one of the cards were issued during the first 47 minutes of the match.
Print and online journalists both supported and opposed his performance, and U.S. coach Bruce Arena
stopped short of criticizing Larrionda directly when he said that generally, bookings had been excessive in the tournament. South American press, however, was overwhelmingly favorable to his performance in the match, as was FIFA, which endorsed the referee's performance, in line with International Football Association Board
guidelines to crack down on violent play.
and Eric Wynalda
and the BBC's Chris Waddle
characterized his ejection of Mastroeni as a "make-up" or "even-up" call for the earlier red shown to Italy, with Alexi Lalas
questioning the need for a make-up call, adding "did [De Rossi] not elbow [McBride] directly in the face?" Waddle also said the officials were "rubbish" and incapable of officiating the tournament. Another BBC report, however, claimed that he was "left with little option" other than sending Mastroeni off.
Articles published after the match were not in agreement over the quality of Larrionda's calls. Opinions in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, Chicago Sun-Times
and Bangkok Post
challenged the referee; The Times
and The Sunday Telegraph of London, Germany's Der Spiegel
, and America's Sports Illustrated
supported his decisions.
The Associated Press reported on the following day that FIFA communications director Markus Siegler said the red card issued to De Rossi, which drew blood, was appropriate. Siegler was not quoted on the other ejections in the match, but he said that generally, FIFA was pleased with the quality of officiating in the tournament.
Two days after the match, Wynalda said he had rushed to judgement in his complaint about Larrionda's ejection of Mastroeni, noting that the tackle was reckless.
did not voice a grievance against Larrionda specifically, agreeing with the referee's offside call that disallowed an American goal, and deferring to his judgement for the red card against Mastroeni and the second yellow card against Pope, but complained that generally, FIFA was punishing fouls too severely in the tournament.
and Togo
.
On 28 June FIFA announced that Larrionda would be one of the final group of 12 referees retained for the remainder of the tournament, and on 2 July he was appointed to officiate the second semi final between Portugal
and France
(July 5).
Larrionda officiated the France
-Portugal
semifinal on July 5, 2006. In the 32nd minute, Larrionda awarded a penalty kick
to France for a foul by Ricardo Carvalho
on Thierry Henry
. The shot was taken successfully by Zinedine Zidane
. The kick was the only goal of the game, and France won 1-0. Larrionda later ignored a penalty kick request from Cristiano Ronaldo
, a move for which he was criticized by the Portuguese coach Luiz Felipe Scolari
.
Reporters noted that the game was colored by dives and play-acting, but Larrionda gave out only two yellow cards in the match. He booked Ricardo Carvalho
of Portugal in 83rd minute and Louis Saha
of France in the 87th. Both players were already carrying yellows, and thus missed the third place match and final, respectively, due to card accumulation.
.
upset Spain
2-0. He issued four yellow cards in the match, two to each side, as well as a straight red to the USA's Michael Bradley
late in the game. The card drew strong criticism from American commentators at ESPN
and Fox Sports. David Mosse, writing for ESPN.com, described the card as "questionable" and the resulting suspension - which forced Bradley to miss the final
against Brazil
- as "cruel." The Guardian
, while not commenting on the suspension, described the challenge for which Bradley was sent off as "heavy." In his match report, Larrionda accused Bradley of angrily confronting him following the game, earning the American an additional 3 match suspension.
.
. He was the referee at the match Australia
-Serbia
, which Australia won 2-1. During the match's injury time, he controversially failed to award a penalty shot to Serbia following a Tim Cahill
handball in the Australian penalty area.
and Germany
that Germany went on to win 4-1, Larrionda failed to award a goal when a shot from Frank Lampard
came off of the crossbar and fully crossed the goal line. It would have made the score 2–2 at the time. This incident renewed calls for the introduction of goal-line technology
. Larrionda along with his two assistants were not chosen by FIFA for the final stages. Larrionda was said to be aghast when shown the image of the ball at least a yard over the line, gasping 'Oh my God!' after seeing a replay of Frank Lampard's disallowed goal.
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
referee from Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
who has officiated at international matches since 1998. He is currently one of the world's top referees, having had the highest moment of his career during the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, in which he officiated four matches, including a semifinal between Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. However, his refereeing style has also won him many critics, especially because of the high number of red cards he has shown, earning him the nickname "Red Card Larrionda". Larrionda has made several controversial decisions during matches involving the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, and is often vilified amongst American fans.
Larrionda is also well known in South America, having participated in countless matches of continental competitions such as the Copa Libertadores and the Campeonato Uruguayo
Primera División Uruguaya
The Liga Profesional de Primera División , also known as the Primera División Uruguaya or Primera División de Uruguay , is a professional football league in Uruguay at the top of the country's football league system. It is organized by the Uruguayan Football Association and is contested by 16 teams...
.
He was preselected as a referee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
International career prior to 2006
Prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Larrionda officiated 34 games internationally in matches in the 2001 Copa AmericaCopa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
, 2002 World Cup qualifying matches for CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
and CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
, the 2003 Confederations Cup, the 2004 Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, the 2004 Libertadores Cup
Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
, the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...
and Under-17 World Championship, and 2006 World Cup CONMEBOL qualifying matches.
2002 suspension
Larrionda was selected as a referee for the 2002 FIFA World Cup2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, but was suspended for six months by the Uruguayan Football Association
Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol
The Uruguayan Football Association is the governing body of football in Uruguay. It was founded in 1900 and affiliated in 1923. It is a founding member of CONMEBOL and is in charge of the Uruguay national football team and the Campeonato Uruguayo de Fútbol, including the Uruguayan Primera...
two days after his selection, and was dropped from the list of referees. The organization cited "irregularities" which were not specified. Larrionda was one of five referees suspended for what the president of the Uruguayan board described as "irregularities that were denounced by other referees." The suspensions reportedly arose from accusations of corruption between members of rival Uruguayan soccer officials unions.
2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
Larrionda officiated over a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier held October 13, 2004 between Brazil and Colombia at Maceio, Brazil. In the 68th minute, Colombia had a goal disallowed for a questionable offside call, and in the 70th minute, Brazil also did not score a goal for a shot that bounced downward from the crossbar, though replays indicated penetration of the goal line by at least half a meter. The match ended in a draw.2006 FIFA World Cup
Larrionda was selected again to officiate for the 2006 World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. He refereed the Angola - Portugal match (June 11), which went without incident.
United States v Italy
Larrionda's second assignment in the 2006 World Cup was the June 17 match Italy - United States.After the match, he became a target of criticism from a few British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television commentators. In this game, Larrionda became the fourth referee to send off three players in a single World Cup finals match, after sending off Italy's Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma. He is the current Roma's vice-captain and nicknamed as Capitan Futuro due to his high probabality as heir-apparent to Francesco Totti's captain armband.With Roma he has won the Coppa Italia...
for an elbow to the cheek of Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
, United States' Pablo Mastroeni
Pablo Mastroeni
Pablo Mastroeni is an Argentine-born American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, and for the United States national soccer team.-Youth:...
for a two-footed tackle, and Eddie Pope
Eddie Pope
George Edward Pope is a retired American soccer player who last played for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and spent eleven years as a defender for the United States national team. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Youth:Born in Greensboro, he attended Southwest Guilford...
for a late tackle which saw Pope receiving his second yellow card.
In total for the match, Larrionda issued four yellow and three red cards; all but one of the cards were issued during the first 47 minutes of the match.
Print and online journalists both supported and opposed his performance, and U.S. coach Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player...
stopped short of criticizing Larrionda directly when he said that generally, bookings had been excessive in the tournament. South American press, however, was overwhelmingly favorable to his performance in the match, as was FIFA, which endorsed the referee's performance, in line with International Football Association Board
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
guidelines to crack down on violent play.
Media reaction
Larrionda's performance drew especially harsh criticism from commentators and analysts on ABC and the BBC, who cited the inconsistency of foul calls between the earlier and later portions of the match. ABC's Marcelo BalboaMarcelo Balboa
Marcelo Balboa is an American former soccer defender who played in the 1990s for the U.S. national team, becoming its captain. After retiring from playing, he has worked as a commentator for ESPN and ABC and MLS games on HDNet and Altitude...
and Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda
Eric Boswell Wynalda is a retired American soccer player, and former sports broadcaster. He was the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel and is currently employeed as the president of international operations at Mexican third division club Murcielagos.Wynalda scored the first goal...
and the BBC's Chris Waddle
Chris Waddle
Christopher Roland "Chris" Waddle is a former footballer from England. He played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France...
characterized his ejection of Mastroeni as a "make-up" or "even-up" call for the earlier red shown to Italy, with Alexi Lalas
Alexi Lalas
Panayotis Alexander Lalas is a retired American soccer player who played mostly as a defender for the United States national team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup...
questioning the need for a make-up call, adding "did [De Rossi] not elbow [McBride] directly in the face?" Waddle also said the officials were "rubbish" and incapable of officiating the tournament. Another BBC report, however, claimed that he was "left with little option" other than sending Mastroeni off.
Articles published after the match were not in agreement over the quality of Larrionda's calls. Opinions in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
, Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
and Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
challenged the referee; The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and The Sunday Telegraph of London, Germany's Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
, and America's Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
supported his decisions.
The Associated Press reported on the following day that FIFA communications director Markus Siegler said the red card issued to De Rossi, which drew blood, was appropriate. Siegler was not quoted on the other ejections in the match, but he said that generally, FIFA was pleased with the quality of officiating in the tournament.
Two days after the match, Wynalda said he had rushed to judgement in his complaint about Larrionda's ejection of Mastroeni, noting that the tackle was reckless.
Player and coach reaction
In a post-game comment, Pope disagreed with the red card issued to Mastroeni but was silent about his own dismissal. The day after the match, U.S. coach Bruce ArenaBruce Arena
Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player...
did not voice a grievance against Larrionda specifically, agreeing with the referee's offside call that disallowed an American goal, and deferring to his judgement for the red card against Mastroeni and the second yellow card against Pope, but complained that generally, FIFA was punishing fouls too severely in the tournament.
Remainder of tournament
Larrionda was chosen to officiate another group-stage match, between FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
and Togo
Togo national football team
The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks, is controlled by the Fédération Togolaise de Football.They played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their team bus...
.
On 28 June FIFA announced that Larrionda would be one of the final group of 12 referees retained for the remainder of the tournament, and on 2 July he was appointed to officiate the second semi final between Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
(July 5).
France v Portugal
Larrionda officiated the France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
-Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
semifinal on July 5, 2006. In the 32nd minute, Larrionda awarded a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
to France for a foul by Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Alberto Silveira de Carvalho OIH , is a footballer who plays as a centre back for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid.Carvalho was born in Amarante where he played for the local team, Amarante Futebol Clube. By his great performance as a youngster, he was spotted by the Portuguese powerhouse,...
on Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
. The shot was taken successfully by Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
. The kick was the only goal of the game, and France won 1-0. Larrionda later ignored a penalty kick request from Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
, a move for which he was criticized by the Portuguese coach Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
.
Reporters noted that the game was colored by dives and play-acting, but Larrionda gave out only two yellow cards in the match. He booked Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Alberto Silveira de Carvalho OIH , is a footballer who plays as a centre back for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid.Carvalho was born in Amarante where he played for the local team, Amarante Futebol Clube. By his great performance as a youngster, he was spotted by the Portuguese powerhouse,...
of Portugal in 83rd minute and Louis Saha
Louis Saha
Louis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...
of France in the 87th. Both players were already carrying yellows, and thus missed the third place match and final, respectively, due to card accumulation.
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
Larrionda was selected as a referee for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
.
United States v Spain
Larrionda took charge of the 2009 Confederations Cup semifinal, in which the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
upset Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
2-0. He issued four yellow cards in the match, two to each side, as well as a straight red to the USA's Michael Bradley
Michael Bradley (soccer)
Michael Bradley is an American soccer player who currently plays as a central midfielder for Chievo Verona in Serie A and the United States national team, which was formerly coached by his father Bob Bradley.-Early life:...
late in the game. The card drew strong criticism from American commentators at ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and Fox Sports. David Mosse, writing for ESPN.com, described the card as "questionable" and the resulting suspension - which forced Bradley to miss the final
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final was a football match to determine the winners of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. The match was held at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg, South Africa, on 28 June 2009 and was contested by the United States and Brazil. Despite being two goals down at half-time,...
against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
- as "cruel." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, while not commenting on the suspension, described the challenge for which Bradley was sent off as "heavy." In his match report, Larrionda accused Bradley of angrily confronting him following the game, earning the American an additional 3 match suspension.
Inter Continental World Cup Qualifier 2010
Larrionda refereed the second leg of the two legged playoff between Bahrain and New Zealand, in Wellington. The first leg was refereed by Hungarian Viktor KassaiViktor Kassai
Viktor Kassai is a Hungarian football referee. He has participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and he has been a full international for FIFA since 2003...
.
Australia v Serbia
Larrionda was selected as a referee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. He was the referee at the match Australia
Australia national football (soccer) team
The Australia national association football team represents Australia in international association football competitions. Its official nickname is the "Socceroos"...
-Serbia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
, which Australia won 2-1. During the match's injury time, he controversially failed to award a penalty shot to Serbia following a Tim Cahill
Tim Cahill
Timothy Filiga "Tim" Cahill is an football player of Australian nationality who plays for Everton and the Australian national football team...
handball in the Australian penalty area.
Germany v England
In the match between EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
that Germany went on to win 4-1, Larrionda failed to award a goal when a shot from Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
came off of the crossbar and fully crossed the goal line. It would have made the score 2–2 at the time. This incident renewed calls for the introduction of goal-line technology
Goal-line technology
In association football, goal-line technology is a proposed technology currently in testing stages, which determines when the ball has completely crossed goal line, assisting the referee in calling a goal or not. So far FIFA, footballs governing body, has resisted goal-line technology as well as...
. Larrionda along with his two assistants were not chosen by FIFA for the final stages. Larrionda was said to be aghast when shown the image of the ball at least a yard over the line, gasping 'Oh my God!' after seeing a replay of Frank Lampard's disallowed goal.