Intense

Kicks

A lot of kicks in this match. And I'm not talking free kicks... The Colombians started the match kicking at everything. The ball of course, but also the Argentinians' legs, knees and feet. Without a care for the damage they might cause. The Argentinians responded but in a more moderate way. In the 15th minute Milito saw yellow as did Luis Perea for a hard kick that hurt Verón.

Arizala

The Colombian defender Arizala disputed the ball with Mascherano. But Arizala arrived later and violently kicked the Argentinian midfield player. This was clearly a red-card action. Referees should not tolerate this kind of dirty actions that could severely damage the players' physical integrity. Simón only showed an insufficient yellow.

Penalty

A few minutes later, perhaps because he knew the yellow card for Arizala hadn´t been enough, Simón conceded a penalty to Argentina. Rodallega wanted to get the ball but Messi got it first and his leg was struck by the Colombian´s foot. Messi elevated his leg more than necessary, but I think he was, in fact, kicked by Rodallega.

Better 2nd half

The 2nd half wasn't so violent and Simón could improve on his refereeing. He booked, correctly: Vargas, Verón and Banguero. In the 90th minute Vargas committed another important foul against Cambiasso and Simón showed him his second yellow and then red. This was right, but a bit late.