The pre-match build-up seemed to all be about one controversy or another, and Brazil’s opening World Cup fixture against Croatia has prompted more conjecture thanks to the refereeing of Yuichi Nishimura.
While Neymar was the name on the lips of every Brazilian fan funnelling out of the Arena Corinthians, the Croats in attendance were echoing the words of coach Niko Kovac in fingering the Japanese in charge as the game-changer.
The award of a penalty to Fred for falling under the slightest of contact from Dejan Lovren was the decision which drew the greatest ire from Kovac, while his players were also unhappy with an elbow from Neymar on Luka Modric which earned him only a yellow card seconds before he grabbed the first of two goals to equalise.
Former World Cup referee Urs Meier was clear in his opinion that Nishimura should not have been handed such a huge assignment when speaking on ZDF after the game.
“Mistakes like this do not happen with referees that are used to refereeing in matches like this. When you are involved in Champions League matches on a regular basis, you can evaluate situations like this better,” Meier claimed. read more
