Howard Webb at his best...

Late reconciliation for Howard

Every referee has his own style and therefore sets the tone for a match. They can try to adopt themselves to different situations but there will always be a certain way in which they will officiate their matches. There is not so much leeway in the fashion they believe encounters should be directed. I think that this is the key to Howard's bad record and perception in the World Cup final. His approach didn't work in this particular match for which you would have needed a less generous and more repressive character like De Bleeckere, Rosetti or Larrionda. You may argue that a good referee makes a good game by imposing himself on it if necessary - but from my own experience at grassroot level I must say that I believe that there are quite a lot limits to this strategy if the teams are not cooperating. Don't get me wrong: I don't think Howard Webb was good in the final, but I strongly believe that there was only so much he could do about it even if he got more decisions right.

Back to tonight

Howard was great tonight in my opinion: He whistled for clear fouls, explained his decisions when necessary and was alway at the height of the game. He gave some very good advantages, kept the pace high and favoured football in the best of the sense of the word. The one yellow was justified for a foul from behind with a slightly tactical nature. There were no controversial scenes, so a thorough glamorous evening for Howard Webb and his team.