Alain Sars matches

If you are a Czech supporter you probably think your team should have had three or four penalties. If you are Dutch, your opinion would probably be that even the one Czech penalty was too much. If you are a neutral spectator though, you have to agree that Alain Sars did a good job.

Duel
Apart from it being a match between the number two and nuber four of the FIFA world list, this qualifier was also a duel between the fast Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz and the even faster Czech forward Milan Baros. A match whitin the match that was won by Baros when he finally got his penalty, but lost by the Czechs when goal keeper Van der Sar dived into the right corner.

Fake
The missed penalty not only ended Czech chances to score the first goal, it also ended Sars' patience with Baros. Was the penalty perhaps a cummulation of maybe-fouls by Boulahrouz who couldn't keep up with the Czech forward, the next time Baros went down in the penalty area and screamed murder, the Frenchman drew a yellow card. The message was clear: no more fake or possible fake tumblings.

Anticipation
The French referee anticipated on a couple of other possible skirmishes between players by calling them to him and thus ending beforehand what could have become more yellow cards and a stain on a well lead and sportive match.

Trust
Alain Sars trusts his assistents. The two were never wrong calling off-sides, even when one call resulted in a no-goal for the Czechs.