Free-thinking referee an early World Cup hero
Cesar Arturo Ramos is the unsung hero of the first week’s action at the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
He’s not a player or coach and his name might be unfamiliar to many.
Ramos is a 38-year-old Mexican referee who has hopefully set a precedent for other whistlers.
Ramos was referred to the pitchside monitor in the dying stages of the clash between Tunisia and Denmark on Wednesday, as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials had spotted a possible penalty offence, as a shot struck a Tunisian hand.
But in a surprising turn of events, Ramos deigned not to award a spot kick, ignoring the suggestion of the boffins glued to their screens in the Fifa bunker.
It was a beautiful moment, a reminder of the referee’s autonomy many thought had disappeared.
It took courage, as Ramos was going against the accepted pattern, which goes “I’ve spotted something”, followed by “I agree with you”.
Even if the majority of referrals are upheld, Ramos has reminded everyone they don’t have to be.
The run to the screen on halfway has become a pantomime; it was designed as a check, to consider something, but instead has become a rubberstamp.
It’s already led to some poor decisions. The worst was the penalty awarded to Argentina against Saudi Arabia, after wrestling in the area.
It was missed by the referee — mainly because it was innocuous and nowhere near the ball — but VAR suggested a referral, a long time after the initial incident, and the referee duly agreed.
It was bizarre. It wasn’t a clear and obvious error and such grappling happens at every set piece.
But it set a dangerous precedent, confirming the suspicion that VAR officials can lack a feel for the game.
As the title implies, VAR officials are there to assist, and the trend won’t help player behaviour.
Defences are getting tighter, which along with the new ferociously forensic interpretation of the offside law (anyone missing the good ol’ lines on the screen?) means creating scoring opportunities seems harder than ever.
So the temptation to hug and grab and grapple and dive during any corner or free kick must be great, knowing the potential rewards are huge, with little risk of punishment for attacking players.
Interpretation of the hand ball rule is also a concern; you have to pity the poor defenders who need to tie their hands behind their back after a full-on burst, lunge or jump, which is often physically impossible.
Aside from those quibbles, the first round of group games has delivered overall.
Already it feels like there are more serious contenders than in 2014 or 2018, and France definitely won’t follow the forlorn path of the four most recent titleholders.
Even without some key players, the defending champions retain their potent mix of poise, precision and physicality, and could go deep, but there are no shortage of serious rivals.
Ecuador and Canada sparkled with energy among the next tier, while Japan and Saudi Arabia could make Asian breakthroughs.
The major disappointment was the lack of early results for Africa. Senegal and Tunisia deserved more against powerful European nations, while Ghana, Cameroon and Morocco all had their moments against strong Uefa opposition.