DUTCH CLASSICO

The Match

This Classico is always hard for a referee, and today the referee was Eric Braamhaar, mostly known by the elbow accident, in the PSV-Ajax match, 1 year ago. Today he didn't have a simple match to referee, both teams played a very complicated match, with nasty fouls, they played for winning the game, and Braamhaar had to win his own game, and he passed the test.

Questionable?????

3 things he did in this match were questionable:
1. Ajax striker Leonardo was going towards the goal, and Feyenoord goalie Timmer fouled him outside the penaltybox, with only 1 defender behind him, Should this been red? I think yes in my opinion, but Braamhaar decided otherwise: yellow.
2. 84th minute, Ajax striker Suarez was running towards the goal, with only the keeper in front of him, a Feyenoord defender fouled him clearly in the penaltybox, Braamhaar decided no penalty, but he was far away from the situation, again Ajax had something to complain.
3. 86th minute, Feyenoord striker Mols was fouled very light in the penaltybox, and Braamhaar was close to the situation and desiced this time on a penalty

Overall

This was not a regular match, and overall - without these 3 things - Braamhaar refereed well. I can remember the first Classico he took charge of, in 2001, when he made a terrible mess of it, trying to deal without yellow cards, with a big fight in the 44th minute of a PSV-Ajax, and the first card he gave was a direct red to Rafael van der Vaart. This time he decided to be very strict, so players didn't have a chance to play very violently, and he did it well. Braamhaar already gave 6 yellows in the firtst part of the game, and ended with 9 yellows. There were no fights, which is a big compliment for (I think so) the number 1 referee from the Netherlands.