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Many media and football figures such as [[Diego Maradona]], criticized FIFA and [[Carlos Velasco Carballo]], clamming 'favoritism' towards Brazil, wrongfully disallowing a goal from [[Mario Yepes]] (as shown by replay)<ref>http://www.espnfc.com/team/colombia/208/blog/post/1934244/worswick-ref-not-decisive-factor-in-colombia-loss</ref> and allowing too many fouls by the Brazilians to occur without punishment, leading Colombians to play aggressively as well.<ref>http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/27463709</ref><ref>http://www.marca.com/2014/07/05/en/football/national_teams/1404560207.html</ref><ref>http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/05/brazil-colombia-world-cup-referee</ref><ref>http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2014/world-cup-2014-james-rodriguez-3816818</ref><ref>http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/maradona-angry-at-officials-in-brazil-colombia-game-171038640.html</ref><ref>http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/04/brazil-v-colombia-world-cup-2014-quarter-final-live</ref><ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2677300/Brazil-vs-Colombia-World-Cup-2014-LIVE-Follow-quarter-final-action-happens.html</ref> There has been arguments that had Carballo properly controlled the game, less fouls (as well as Neymar's injury) would have less likely to have occurred.<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/neymar-out-revealed--fifa-selected-lenient-referees-for-quarterfinals-9586697.html</ref>
Many media and football figures such as [[Diego Maradona]], criticized FIFA and [[Carlos Velasco Carballo]], clamming 'favoritism' towards Brazil, wrongfully disallowing a goal from [[Mario Yepes]] (as shown by replay)<ref>http://www.espnfc.com/team/colombia/208/blog/post/1934244/worswick-ref-not-decisive-factor-in-colombia-loss</ref> and allowing too many fouls by the Brazilians to occur without punishment, leading Colombians to play aggressively as well.<ref>http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/27463709</ref><ref>http://www.marca.com/2014/07/05/en/football/national_teams/1404560207.html</ref><ref>http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/05/brazil-colombia-world-cup-referee</ref><ref>http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2014/world-cup-2014-james-rodriguez-3816818</ref><ref>http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/maradona-angry-at-officials-in-brazil-colombia-game-171038640.html</ref><ref>http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/04/brazil-v-colombia-world-cup-2014-quarter-final-live</ref><ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2677300/Brazil-vs-Colombia-World-Cup-2014-LIVE-Follow-quarter-final-action-happens.html</ref> There has been arguments that had Carballo properly controlled the game, less fouls (as well as Neymar's injury) would have less likely to have occurred.<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/neymar-out-revealed--fifa-selected-lenient-referees-for-quarterfinals-9586697.html</ref>


==Safety==
==Safety and health==


===Within the venues===
===Within the venues===
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{{main|Belo Horizonte overpass collapse}}
{{main|Belo Horizonte overpass collapse}}
On 3 July 2014, an [[overpass]] under construction in [[Belo Horizonte]] as part of the World Cup [[infrastructure]] projects collapsed onto a busy [[carriageway]] below, leaving two people dead and 22 others injured. One witness blamed the accelerated construction schedules and the "incompetence" of the authorities and businesses for the disaster.<ref name="Overpass collapses BBC">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28155216 |title=Flyover collapses in Brazil World Cup host city |work=[[BBC News]] |date=4 July 2014 |accessdate=4 July 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705021338/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28155216 |archivedate=5 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="Overpass collapses Reuters">{{cite news |title=Overpass collapses in World Cup city, crushes vehicles |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=3 July 2014 |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/03/us-brazil-worldcup-accident-idUSKBN0F82A220140703 |last=Cawthorne |first=Andrew |accessdate=4 July 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705040415/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/03/us-brazil-worldcup-accident-idUSKBN0F82A220140703 |archivedate=5 July 2014}}</ref>
On 3 July 2014, an [[overpass]] under construction in [[Belo Horizonte]] as part of the World Cup [[infrastructure]] projects collapsed onto a busy [[carriageway]] below, leaving two people dead and 22 others injured. One witness blamed the accelerated construction schedules and the "incompetence" of the authorities and businesses for the disaster.<ref name="Overpass collapses BBC">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28155216 |title=Flyover collapses in Brazil World Cup host city |work=[[BBC News]] |date=4 July 2014 |accessdate=4 July 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705021338/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28155216 |archivedate=5 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="Overpass collapses Reuters">{{cite news |title=Overpass collapses in World Cup city, crushes vehicles |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=3 July 2014 |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/03/us-brazil-worldcup-accident-idUSKBN0F82A220140703 |last=Cawthorne |first=Andrew |accessdate=4 July 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705040415/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/03/us-brazil-worldcup-accident-idUSKBN0F82A220140703 |archivedate=5 July 2014}}</ref>

====Ramadan fasting====
There have been reports that state that players who are fasting could be negatively affected in various ways, including an affect on their sleeping patterns, slower thinking and reaction times, dehydration, hand to eye coordination, muslce fatigue, reduced speed and agility, and the extra length of the fasts during summer.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ramadan-fasting-affect-world-cup-players/story?id=24380986#6</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 05:01, 7 July 2014

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil has generated various controversies, including demonstrations, some of which took place even before the tournament started. Most have centred around officiating, with international referees including Yuichi Nishimura, Milorad Mažić, Enrique Osses, Peter O'Leary, Ravshan Irmatov, Howard Webb, and assistant Humberto Clavijo coming under criticism for their performances. Furthermore, there have been issues with safety, including eight deaths of workers and a fire during construction, breaches into stadiums, an unstable makeshift staircase at the Maracanã Stadium, a monorail collapse, and the collapse of an unfinished overpass in Belo Horizonte. The most notable disciplinary case was that of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, who was disciplined after biting an Italian player during a game.

Before the tournament

Protests

Anti-World Cup demonstration on the opening day.
See also: 2013 protests in Brazil and 2014 protests in Brazil

Prior to the opening ceremony of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup staged in Brazil, demonstrations took place outside the venue, organised by people unhappy with the amount of public money spent to enable the hosting of the FIFA World Cup.[1] Both the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and FIFA president Sepp Blatter were heavily booed as they were announced to give their speeches at the 2013 tournament's opening,[2] which resulted in FIFA announcing that the 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony would not feature any speeches.[3] Further protests took place outside other matches during the Confederations Cup[4][5] as part of wider unrest and rioting in Brazilian cities, seeking to express disenchantment with the government's financial management of the country.[1][6]

The weeks preceding the 2014 World Cup as well as the first days of the tournament have featured further unrest and protests across the country against the spending.[7][8][9] However, in contrast to the Confederations Cup, security forces have managed to prevent any protests reaching the stadiums.[10]

While covering a protest on 12 June opening game, CNN Reporter Shasta Darlington and CNN producer Barbara Arvanitidis were injured. Barbara Arvanitidis was directly hit on the wrist by a tear-gas bomb whilst they were reporting the indiscriminate use of riot weapons.[11][12][13]

Blatter said that the protesters "should not use football to make their demands heard",[14] and that the public expenditure on staging the tournaments was on "items that are for the future, not just for the World Cup".[14] President Rousseff responded with a public address in which she stated: "the federal money spent on the stadiums is in the form of financing that will be duly repaid by the companies and governments that are exploiting these stadiums".[15]

Former Brazilian footballer and now political figure Romário has labelled the tournament "the biggest theft in history", saying that he believes its real cost will exceed R$100 billion (£26 billion/€32 billion/US$45 billion). He has called for a deeper investigation into the widespread misuse of public funds, which he identifies as the reason for the continuing protests.[16][17][18][19][20] Nevertheless, he was criticised by the ruling Workers' Party for receiving R$1 million to appear in two TV advertisements which promoted the World Cup.[21]

Directly before the tournament, President Rousseff reiterated her assurances of the previous year that all the implemented public works had long-term benefits for Brazilians.[15][22]

Budweiser bill

After numerous deaths in football stadiums, Brazil passed a law in 2003 outlawing alcohol sales in stadiums. FIFA demanded that Brazil allow alcohol sales at the World Cup because Budweiser, a major World Cup sponsor, was the "Official Beer of the FIFA World Cup", a role it had played since 1986. In response, Brazil passed a law paving the way for alcohol sales in the World Cup, nicknamed the "Budweiser Bill".[23][24]

Group stage

Brazil vs Croatia

Referee Yuichi Nishimura (right) at the Group A opening match

Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura faced heavy criticism for his performance in the Group A opening match between Croatia and the host team, Brazil.

In the 71st minute, Croatia defender Dejan Lovren put his hands below Brazil striker Fred's arms in the Croatian penalty area, after which Fred fell down. Nishimura decided to award Brazil a penalty kick which forward Neymar subsequently converted for their second goal in a 3–1 win. The call was condemned by various sources, including former top-level FIFA referees,[25] newspaper writers,[26][27][28] players from other teams,[29] and fans in Nishimura's home country,[30] saying that Lovren's contact was minimal and that Fred went down on his own.

12 minutes later, the Croatians had an equaliser disallowed for a foul by Croatia forward Ivica Olić as Brazilian goalkeeper Júlio César went down in a high-ball duel, another call that was also condemned by some sources.[31][32][33]

Earlier in the game, in the 26th minute, Neymar elbowed Croatia midfielder Luka Modrić, after which Neymar was issued a yellow card. The Croatians were at that time leading the game 1–0.[34] Some critics agreed that Neymar's punishment was too lenient and that Neymar should have been issued a full red card, which would have taken him out for the remainder of the game and left Brazil with just 10 players on the field.[30][35][36][37][38]

Croatia defender Vedran Ćorluka was critical of Nishimura's verbal skills, saying that he had never seen a referee who doesn't speak English—a requirement of World Cup referees—and that Nishimura "was speaking something in Japanese but no one could understand him."[39]

Renowned former top-level FIFA referee Markus Merk questioned FIFA's appointment of Nishimura as the referee in the opening match, labelling the refereeing in the match as "embarrassing".[40] Massimo Busacca, Head of Refereeing Development at FIFA, defended Nishimura's penalty kick decision and insisted that Lovren's contact was significant enough, but admitted that there were doubts as to whether Nishimura would be appointed to other games in the tournament.[39][41] FIFA's marketing director Thierry Weil rejected suggestions that the Brazilians were favoured by Nishimura.[39]

Mexico vs Cameroon

In the Group A game between Mexico and Cameroon, Mexican midfielder Giovani dos Santos had two goals wrongly disallowed for offside in the first half. Replays showed that he was in line with the last defender for the first, whilst the ball came from a Cameroonian player for the second.[42] Following the game, which Mexico won 1–0, Amy Lawrence of The Guardian described the tournament as having "incompetent officiating", and called for FIFA president Sepp Blatter to allow team managers to challenge two decisions per match with video review, a possibility that Blatter discussed before the tournament.[43][44] On 20 June 2014, FIFA announced that they had removed the Colombian linesman responsible for the incidents, Humberto Clavijo, from further officiating at the tournament.[45]

Spain vs Netherlands

Much attention ahead of the tournament had focused on the switch of Brazilian-born striker Diego Costa to the Spain national football team. Costa returned to his native land for his World Cup debut, only for his new team to lose 5–1 to the Netherlands in their opening game in Group B. Jeers and insults were heard from the local fans throughout the match. Costa also noticeably headbutted his opponent Bruno Martins Indi during the game and was subsequently substituted by his coach Vicente del Bosque for striker Fernando Torres.[46][47]

Germany vs Portugal

Milorad Mažić, referee of the first Group G and third Group F match

In the Group G game between Germany and Portugal, there were some arguably dubious decisions on the referee's part, Serbian Milorad Mažić.[48]

In the 12th minute, Mažić awarded Germany a penalty kick as Portuguese defender João Pereira held back German midfielder Mario Götze in the penalty area, and gave Pereira a yellow card for the foul. The Portuguese players surrounded Mažić in protest, including a very agitated Pepe.[49][50] Germany's Thomas Müller scored on the penalty kick to give the German team a 1–0 lead early in the first half.[51] The penalty call was questioned by several, including Portugal's coach Paulo Bento, who called it "forced".[51][52] The Daily Telegraph's Mark Ogden labelled it "another example of questionable refereeing at this World Cup as contact appeared slight, certainly not enough to force Götze, who made the most of the challenge, off his fit".[53]

In the 37th minute, Portuguese defender Pepe headbutted Thomas Müller after Müller allegedly faked an injury,[54] and was shown a straight red card.[55][56] Some commentators, including former World Cup referee Brian Hall, have condemned Müller for using theatrical action to "gain unfair advantage" by "tricking the referee".[57][58] (By comparison, during Spain's game against the Netherlands three days earlier, Spanish striker Diego Costa headbutted Dutch defender Bruno Martins Indi but was not sent off, as the headbutt was not seen by any of the referees at the time.)[59][60][61] The situation turned out to be the match's biggest talking point[62][63] with observer reaction generally centred around the condemnation of Pepe's actions[49][64][65][66] as well as to a lesser extent discussion whether Müller overemphasised the initial contact.[67][68][69]

Later on in the game, at the 75th minute, Mažić failed to award a penalty kick to Portugal, prompting much irritation from the players.[70] Germany ended up winning 4–0, with Müller scoring three goals.[71][72][73][74] In his post-match comments, Portugal's head coach Paulo Bento said Mažić showed "bias" on both occasions, adding: "I am not saying it was only the referee's fault. We also made mistakes but the circumstances of what happened in the first half made the rest of the game difficult for us... The sending-off was forced on the player. I don't know if it was because of Pepe's reputation. It depends what sort of a reputation you think Pepe has".[75]

Italy vs Costa Rica

In the Group D game between Italy and Costa Rica, Costa Rican forward Joel Campbell was kicked by Italian centre-back Giorgio Chiellini in the penalty area while looking for a goal, but Chilean referee Enrique Osses failed to award a penalty kick, enraging Costa Rica's coach Jorge Luis Pinto. Former World Cup referee Graham Poll later tweeted: "HUGE moment in this match, how have Costa Rica not got a penalty?! Joel Campbell gets behind the Italy defence to race through on goal, before he is clumsily brought down by a push from Giorgio Chiellini."[76]

Argentina vs Iran

During the Group F game between Argentina and Iran, Serbian referee Milorad Mažić allegedly failed to award a penalty kick that would have favoured Iran. In addition to sparking a furious response from the Iranian players[77] who rushed and bumped the referee,[78] Mažić's non-call on Argentine defender Pablo Zabaleta's penalty area challenge on Iranian midfielder and winger Ashkan Dejagah in the 55th minute produced a post-match discussion on whether a foul had been committed. Iranian print media, including the Jam-e-jam, Quds, and Iran daily newspapers, lambasted Mažić over his decision not to award a penalty shot, citing him as the reason Argentina won the match,[79] Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey of Pravda.ru declared Mažić "either biased or incompetent" before proclaiming his 55th minute decision "a disgusting comment on the quality of referees chosen to manage the games of the FIFA World Cup",[80] Metro wrote that despite Zabaleta getting his toe to the ball when tackling Dejagah, "replays showed Iran should've been awarded a spot-kick",[77] Daily Mail’s Matt Lawton[81] and SB Nation's Kevin McCauley[82] felt Dejagah had a "strong claim for a penalty". However, The Guardian's Barney Ronay[83] and the Associated Press's Karl Ritter[84] wrote in their reports that television replays suggest Zabaleta had gotten a touch on the ball first before bringing down Dejagah and therefore didn't foul the Iranian. The Daily Telegraph also thought that the call was correct: "[Dejagah] is screaming for a penalty, so much so that he almost manhandles the referee in his frustration. I've no idea why, as replays suggest Zabaleta won the ball, albeit a little clumsily."[85]

Iran's coach Carlos Queiroz questioned the 55th minute non-call in his post-match comments, saying "It should have been a penalty and red card. There's no excuse. There's nothing that can explain (why) this Serbian referee (did) not give the penalty. How can this guy sleep tonight, or for the rest of his life? With all respect, I would like to have the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with him. Why did he do that to us?".[84] Argentina's coach Alejandro Sabella supported Mažić's non-call, feeling that Zabaleta got the ball first in his challenge.[86][84]

Two days after the match, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran filed an official complaint to FIFA over Mažić's refereeing. Signed by the federation's general-secretary Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, among other things it read: "Unfortunately the referee’s mistake altered the outcome of the game and helped the Argentine side edge past us".[87]

Nigeria vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

During the Group F match between Nigeria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, New Zealand referee Peter O'Leary disallowed a goal to Bosnia and Herzegovina due to an incorrect offside call from his assistant.[88][89] There was also controversy over the lack of a foul call made right before Nigerian forward Peter Odemwingie scored a goal.[90] Nigeria won the game 1–0, which meant that Bosnia and Herzegovina were mathematically eliminated from advancing to the knockout stage.

Croatia vs Mexico

During the Group A match between Croatia and Mexico, Uzbek referee Ravshan Irmatov denied awarding a penalty kick due to a clear handball by Croatian Darijo Srna, while Vedran Ćorluka appeared to have fouled Javier Hernández inside the area just seconds earlier.[91][92]

Uruguay vs Italy

Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez (far back left) with the Uruguay national team at the Group D match

Around the 79th minute of Uruguay's final group match against Italy, Uruguay striker Luis Suárez clashed with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini while waiting for a cross. Replays showed that Suárez lunged at Chiellini and bit his shoulder (Chiellini showed bite marks), followed by Suárez falling and clutching his face. As the Italian players protested to Mexican referee Marco Antonio Rodríguez for not penalising Suárez, Uruguayan defender Diego Godín won a corner and scored from it. The game would finish 1–0 in favour of Uruguay, thus advancing Uruguay to the knockout stage as the Group D runners-up and eliminating Italy.[93][94][95] FIFA announced, late on the same day, that it had opened disciplinary proceedings for Suárez.[96][97][94]

These are just things that happen out on the pitch. It was just the two of us inside the area and he bumped into me with his shoulder and that's how my eye got like this as well. There are things that happen on the pitch and you should not make such a big deal out of them.

— Suárez's post-match interview against Italy, 24 June 2014[96]

I lost my balance ... falling on top of my opponent ... I hit my face against [Chiellini], leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth.

— Suárez's defence to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, 25 June 2014[98]

... the truth is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a bite in the collision he suffered with me ... I apologize to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire football family. I vow to the public that there will never again be another incident like [this].

— Suárez on 30 June 2014[99]

Suárez had been found guilty of biting opponents on two previous occasions: Otman Bakkal in 2010[100][101][102] and Branislav Ivanović in 2013.[103][104][105] He received a seven-game ban for the first incident and a ten-game ban for the second, where he was criticised for not recognising "the seriousness" of it.[106]

On 26 June 2014, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee banned Suárez for nine international matches, effective immediately, meaning he would take no further part in the World Cup. It was the longest such ban in World Cup history, exceeding the eight-match ban handed to Italy's Mauro Tassotti for breaking the nose of Spain's Luis Enrique at USA '94.[107][108][109] He was also banned from taking part in any football-related activity (including entering any stadium) for four months and fined CHF100,000 (approx. £65,700/€82,000/US$119,000).[110][107][108] The verdict would not prevent Suárez from transferring to another club.[111] The severity of the penalty was due to the fact that it was Suárez's third biting offence, as well as what FIFA saw as a lack of remorse.[98] With Suárez banned, Uruguay lost their next match 0–2 to Colombia and were knocked out of the World Cup.[112]

On the same day the ban was announced, the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said it would appeal against the decision.[113] Suárez's lawyer claimed that "we don't have any doubts" of a European-based campaign against Suárez.[114] Various Uruguayan individuals defended Suárez, questioning if he had actually bitten Chiellini, and criticised the severity of his ban, including: President of Uruguay José Mujica, who labelled the ban "fascist" and called FIFA "a bunch of old sons of bitches";[115][116] AUF president Wilmar Valdez;[113] Uruguay captain Diego Lugano;[117] and Uruguay coach Óscar Tabárez, who resigned from two FIFA posts in protest of the ban.[118] The Uruguayan media were also noted to have been in a defiant and defensive mood.[119] For non-Uruguayan parties, Chiellini, who was bitten, called the ban "excessive", while international players' union FIFPro called for Suárez to "receive all the support he needs" and that the "focus should be on the rehabilitation and serious treatment" of Suárez.[118]

Six days after the incident, on 30 June, Suárez apologised to Chiellini through Twitter and vowed never to repeat the incident, while writing that the "physical result of a bite" occurred in a collision with Chiellini.[99][120] Chiellini responded through Twitter indicating that all was forgotten and his hope that FIFA would reduce Suárez's suspension.[121][120]

On 3 July 2014, the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) made the appeal against Suárez's ban, though Suárez remains suspended while the appeal is pending.[122][123]

Russia vs Algeria

Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev

The final group stage match between Algeria and Russia on 26 June ended 1–1, thus advancing Algeria to the knockout stage and eliminating Russia. A win for Russia would have seen them qualify, and they led the game 1–0 after six minutes. In the 60th minute of the game, a moving green light, probably produced by a laser pointer, was shone in Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev's face while he was defending from an Algerian free kick, which striker Islam Slimani scored from to equalise. Russian coach Fabio Capello blamed the laser for the decisive conceded goal.[124][125]

After the match, the Algerian Football Federation (AFF) was fined CHF50,000 (approx. £33,000/€41,100/US$56,200) by FIFA for the use of lasers and other violations of the rules by Algerian fans on the stadium.[126] Laser pointer was a prohibited item on the stadium, according to FIFA Stadium Safety and Security Regulations.[127]

Cameroon match fixing allegations

On 1 July 2014, Cameroon's football federation was revealed to be investigating claims that seven of their players were involved in match fixing, with the 4–0 loss to Croatia being specifically highlighted.[128] The investigation came in the wake of allegations published in the German magazine Der Spiegel, in which it was claimed that convicted match fixer Wilson Raj Perumal had predicted the outcome of the Cameroon–Croatia match, including the scoreline and the fact that one player would be sent off. Perumal later denied that he made such a prediction,[129] but Der Spiegel announced that they were standing by their story. Commenting on the allegations, FIFA said that there had been "no evidence of match manipulation".[130]

Knockout stage

Brazil vs Chile

The first Round of 16 match, between Brazil and Chile, resulted in some confusions and controversies.[131]

There was some doubt if the first goal of the match, scored by Brazil, was an own goal by Chile defender Gonzalo Jara, although FIFA confirmed that the goal was scored by Brazil's David Luiz.[132]

English referee Howard Webb was criticised for calls which might have been too close or harsh, especially against Brazil: BBC Sports commentator and former England striker Gary Lineker said in a video that Webb made some "iffy decisions", such as denying a penalty kick award to Brazil forward Hulk at 13 minutes "that looked like it possibly was", and calling a handball against the same player at 55 minutes that was "a little bit harsh".[133] Hulk had put the ball into Chile's net, but the referee ruled that he had controlled the ball using his arm. The goal was disallowed and he was shown the yellow card. Other commentators (including former England footballer Michael Owen, via Twitter)[134] also questioned the handball decision against Hulk (made by English assistant referee Michael Mullarkey) as being a call which might have been too close.[135]

Netherlands vs Mexico

Dutch winger Arjen Robben

While the score was 1–1 during stoppage time (six minutes) after 90 minutes of play in the Round of 16 match between Mexico and the Netherlands, Dutch winger Arjen Robben went down following a foul by Mexican defender Rafael Márquez in which Márquez stepped on Robben's foot, giving the Netherlands a penalty kick which striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar converted for the game-winning goal, eliminating Mexico with a 2–1 win. Robben, who has a reputation for diving,[136][137] was condemned widely in the press for his "theatrical fall" to earn the decisive penalty.[138][139][140][141] After the match, Mexico's coach Miguel Herrera was seen arguing with Portuguese referee Pedro Proença and later claimed, in an interview, "This was a World Cup where everyone was against Mexico."[142] Later on, during a press conference interview, he elaborated: "Out of four matches we had three where the refereeing was disastrous and this was the worst. Robben did three dives for penalties that didn't exist. He had to be cautioned. If you do that to the guy who tries to cheat, then he can’t cheat again."[143] After the match, Robben admitted to diving once during the game and said "I must apologize. The one [at the end] was a penalty, but the other one just outside the box in the first half was a dive. I shouldn't be doing that." Robben also said that a pair of fouls against him while he was inside the box during the first half should have been awarded a penalty.[144][143] According to Márquez, Robben confessed to him at the end of the match that "It [the 90'+6 tackle] wasn't a penalty, though one of the previous was", which would contradict his press conference statement.[145]

France vs Nigeria

After the Round of 16 match between France and Nigeria, American referee Mark Geiger was accused by multiple Nigerian players, most notably midfielders Ogenyi Onazi and John Obi Mikel, forward Peter Odemwingie, as well as by Nigeria's coach Stephen Keshi, of having bias towards France. Geiger was criticised for several calls throughout the game. This included a goal by Nigerian striker Emmanuel Emenike being cancelled for offside (although television replays suggest this may have been the correct decision); no red card for an apparent attempt by French striker Olivier Giroud to elbow Nigerian midfielder Mikel, no penalty being called against French left-back Patrice Evra for holding Odemwingie during a corner, a general lack of protection from the referee for persistent rough play and, most notably, only a yellow card being issued for a studs-in tackle by French midfielder Blaise Matuidi, which resulted in midfielder Onazi's left leg tendon being torn apart and requiring surgery, and forced to be substituted for midfielder Reuben Gabriel.[146][147] Several commentators noted that the decisions significantly impacted the match, especially the forced substitution of Onazi, which changed the complexion of the game, depriving Nigeria of its most influential midfielder.[148][149]

Brazil vs Colombia

"I think they made a great choice with the referee, especially in those crucial moments when Colombia had the better chance in winning the game. David Luiz was systematically trying to injure James Rodríguez by fouling him six times and the ref never once pulled out a card. This is the worst ref I have seen in the last 10 years... When I saw FIFA congratulating the referee because he had such a great game, I asked myself, ‘What the f---? What game were they watching?’ They probably mistook this game for a baseball game or a bullfight because they didn’t watch this [Brazil-Colombia] game."

— Diego Maradona criticizing the refereeing of the game.[150]

Filled controversy, this match saw a record number of fouls in a World Cup match (54 and only 4 yellow cards), including one committed by defender Juan Camilo Zúñiga on forward Neymar in the 88th minute, which resulted in the striker's withdrawal from the match. Subsequent medical evaluation discovered a fractured vertebra, forcing the Brazilian to miss the remainder of the tournament.[151] After the match, which Colombia lost 2-1, Zúñiga insisted that he had not meant to injure Neymar.[152][153] Neymar's teammate Thiago Silva defended Zuniga, stating that he's not the type of player who would purposely cause an injury to any player.[154] On 5 July, it was revealed that Zúñiga had sent a letter of apology to Neymar, saying that he was "deeply sorry and sad" for unintentionally causing the injury.[155]

Many media and football figures such as Diego Maradona, criticized FIFA and Carlos Velasco Carballo, clamming 'favoritism' towards Brazil, wrongfully disallowing a goal from Mario Yepes (as shown by replay)[156] and allowing too many fouls by the Brazilians to occur without punishment, leading Colombians to play aggressively as well.[157][158][159][160][161][162][163] There has been arguments that had Carballo properly controlled the game, less fouls (as well as Neymar's injury) would have less likely to have occurred.[164]

Safety and health

Within the venues

Construction

A fire broke out at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá in October 2013

Stadium construction for the 2014 FIFA World Cup was plagued by accidents, cost overruns and delays, with eight workers dying in various accidents while building the World Cup's 12 arenas.[165] In late October 2013, a fire during construction of the Arena Pantanal at Cuiabá in Mato Grosso state came 24 hours after the state governor warned the stadium might not be 100 percent complete in time for the deadline.[166] Footage also emerged of football fans climbing what appeared to be an unstable staircase made with scaffolding leading to the Maracanã Stadium, before the Argentina–Bosnia and Herzegovina match.[167]

Breaches into stadiums

The Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro

At Chile's Group B match against Spain on 18 June, about 100 Chilean supporters who had gathered outside Maracanã Stadium forced their way in. They broke through security, after one fan pretended to be sick to distract the guard. They proceeded into the media centre, smashed the glass door, knocked over two partition walls and entered the stadium. Military police reported that 85 Chileans were detained during the events, while others had reached the stands. Earlier, on 15 June, about 20 Argentinians made a similar breach during the Argentina–Bosnia and Herzegovina match.[168][169]

Supporter's ear bitten off

On 19 June during England's match against Uruguay in São Paulo, an England football supporter was assaulted and had a piece of his ear bitten off by another England fan, British police reported. Brazilian officers started an investigation after the attacked fan made a complaint, but the assailant could not be identified. The confirmation of the incident came after former English striker Stan Collymore tweeted that he had seen footage of a "fan attacked". The Association of Chief Police Officers issued a statement, following Collymore's tweet, with Chief Superintendent Rachel Barber of South Yorkshire Police saying "Efforts are ongoing to identify the suspect and bring him to justice either in the UK or, if possible, back in Brazil where the offence occurred".[170]

Outside the venues

Monorail collapse

On 9 June, three days before the World Cup started, a concrete support beam collapsed during construction of Line 17 of the São Paulo Metro, killing one worker and injuring two others.[171] Completion for the line, which would connect Congonhas-São Paulo Airport to three other lines in the monorail network, was scheduled for the start of the tournament, but construction was delayed as it did not receive environmental approvals, and was expected to be completed by the second half of 2015.[172][173]

Bridge collapse

Main article: Belo Horizonte overpass collapse

On 3 July 2014, an overpass under construction in Belo Horizonte as part of the World Cup infrastructure projects collapsed onto a busy carriageway below, leaving two people dead and 22 others injured. One witness blamed the accelerated construction schedules and the "incompetence" of the authorities and businesses for the disaster.[174][175]

Ramadan fasting

There have been reports that state that players who are fasting could be negatively affected in various ways, including an affect on their sleeping patterns, slower thinking and reaction times, dehydration, hand to eye coordination, muslce fatigue, reduced speed and agility, and the extra length of the fasts during summer.[176]

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  166. ^ Tony Jimenez, Andrew. "Soccer-Cuiaba fire adds to Brazil's World Cup woes". http://sports.yahoo.com/. Reuters. Retrieved 29 June 2014. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  167. ^ Davies, Wyre. "World Cup 2014: 'Rickety' staircase leading to Maracana stadium". BBC News. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  168. ^ Wilson, Jonathan (18 June 2014), "World Cup 2014: Chile fans invade Maracanã before Spain game", The Guardian
  169. ^ "World Cup Chile Fans Storm Rio Stadium And 85 Detained".
  170. ^ "England fan has piece of ear 'bitten off' at World Cup". BBC News. 29 June 2014.
  171. ^ "Fatal accident on flagship Sao Paulo monorail". BBC News. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  172. ^ "Parte de estrutura do monotrilho cai e deixa um morto na Zona Sul de SP". O Globo (in Portuguese). 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  173. ^ Manfred, Tony (10 June 2014). "One Dead After Part Of Unfinished Monorail Being Built For World Cup Collapses In São Paulo". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  174. ^ "Flyover collapses in Brazil World Cup host city". BBC News. 4 July 2014. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  175. ^ Cawthorne, Andrew (3 July 2014). "Overpass collapses in World Cup city, crushes vehicles". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  176. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ramadan-fasting-affect-world-cup-players/story?id=24380986#6
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