As some of you know International Tournaments have a few phases. 1) The First round 2) Quarterfinals 3) Final set of matches. We started with 50 officials, but the group will be significantly reduced by the the 3rd phase (as there are less matches to officiate).
We had the first set of "releases" announced yesterday and we had 6 referees and 12 assistant referees return to their home countries today. There are many factors for the decision but it is nearly impossible to predict. The best course of action for any referee is to do their very best and hope the "ball rolls in your favor."
We have now officially moved on to the next phase of play - Quarterfinals. Where every game must have a winner.
As you may know by now the US referee team was not assigned a quarterfinal, however Veronica will be serving as the 5th official (reserve AR). We'll have Veronica explain her participation following her match on Saturday - Germany v Japan.
Following the Quarterfinals, is the last phase of play. We'll have one more "release" and those that remain would have the possibility to work one of the 4 final matches.
Keep your fingers crossed for us. Regardless of the outcome, we've had a wonderful experience and THANK EVERYONE for all your support.
GO USA.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Augsburg
Sorry for the lack of posts the past few days, things have been really busy. As VP mentioned, we started out the Fourth of July with a journey from Wolfsburg to Frankfurt. After a quick recovery session and changing laundry out real fast, Carol Anne, Kari and I were back on the train to Augsburg to officiate England v Japan. The weather was great in Augsburg. In Wolfsburg, the weather was a little less lovely as you can see in this photo Kari took on our VW tour. 
Augsburg is a lovely place, but because the matches were so close together, we spent a lot of time resting and reading. Every game at this tournament is important and this match determined who got first and second place in the group. The game isn't just physically demanding, but it requires a huge amount of concentration and multi-tasking. There are more cameras watching the field than referees and we have to vigilant not just during the match, but in our preparation and even after the game as we walk off the field.
The game was really enjoyable and, even though we missed VP, it was great to have another opportunity to work. One of the cool things about visiting Augsburg was the chance the catch up with Jen Bennett. Just like back home, we get assessed on every game and in Augsburg, Jen was our assessor. Because there are only a few referee types at each of the venues, we end up hanging out with our assessor for meals so it was nice to spend some time with a familiar face from home.
As we were warming up, I thought back to all the games and the work, and time that went into getting here and how fortunate we've been to get the chance to work with fantastic people in lovely venues, and with really enthusiastic crowds. How often do you get applause when you warm up for a game? I can't be 100% sure, but I think they were actually cheering for us.
So, now we're back in Frankfurt. We went and watched the entertaining game between Brazil and Equatorial Guinea at the stadium and other games on tv.
The assignments have just been handed out for the quarterfinals. Veronica will be traveling back to Wolfsburg to be the fifth official (back up assistant referee) with the Mexican crew and Carol Anne (fourth official) for the game between Germany and Japan on the 9th at 11:45 am west coast time. Beginning with the quarterfinals, they've begun assigning a fifth official to be prepared to jump into the game if an assistant referee gets injured during the game. Fourth officials are referees and at this level, referees and assistant referees are very specialized. Many of the referees have not been an assistant in years and with the importance of each decision, having someone who knows the position is critical. We are looking forward to watching what should be some exciting quarterfinal matches.
Augsburg is a lovely place, but because the matches were so close together, we spent a lot of time resting and reading. Every game at this tournament is important and this match determined who got first and second place in the group. The game isn't just physically demanding, but it requires a huge amount of concentration and multi-tasking. There are more cameras watching the field than referees and we have to vigilant not just during the match, but in our preparation and even after the game as we walk off the field.
The game was really enjoyable and, even though we missed VP, it was great to have another opportunity to work. One of the cool things about visiting Augsburg was the chance the catch up with Jen Bennett. Just like back home, we get assessed on every game and in Augsburg, Jen was our assessor. Because there are only a few referee types at each of the venues, we end up hanging out with our assessor for meals so it was nice to spend some time with a familiar face from home.
As we were warming up, I thought back to all the games and the work, and time that went into getting here and how fortunate we've been to get the chance to work with fantastic people in lovely venues, and with really enthusiastic crowds. How often do you get applause when you warm up for a game? I can't be 100% sure, but I think they were actually cheering for us.
So, now we're back in Frankfurt. We went and watched the entertaining game between Brazil and Equatorial Guinea at the stadium and other games on tv.
The assignments have just been handed out for the quarterfinals. Veronica will be traveling back to Wolfsburg to be the fifth official (back up assistant referee) with the Mexican crew and Carol Anne (fourth official) for the game between Germany and Japan on the 9th at 11:45 am west coast time. Beginning with the quarterfinals, they've begun assigning a fifth official to be prepared to jump into the game if an assistant referee gets injured during the game. Fourth officials are referees and at this level, referees and assistant referees are very specialized. Many of the referees have not been an assistant in years and with the importance of each decision, having someone who knows the position is critical. We are looking forward to watching what should be some exciting quarterfinal matches.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Several Days of Travel & 3rd Assignment
These last few days have been extremely busy, so there is much for us to fill you in. On Saturday, we traveled by train to Wolfsburg, which is 367 kilometers north of Frankfurt (tournament headquarters). The next day, since the match did not kick off until 6 pm, we had plenty of time to explore our surroundings. The city of Wolfsburg was established to manufacture the VW Beetle and the VW factory is located right next to the hotel. Also located next to the hotel is the Autostadt, an automobile museum. We spent the morning in awe of beautiful cars, learning about their design, and spent the afternoon relaxing in the hotel preparing for our match.
(Carol Ann, Marlene, Kari & Veronica at the Frankfurt train station)
Below are a few pictures from the Autostadt...
It had rained the entire day, so went into the match knowing and expecting that the wet conditions could have a potential impact on the match. The match between Brazil and Norway turned out to be very exciting with a final score of 3-0. Luckily for us, even though it is was a bit chilly, the field surface drained pretty well and the wet conditions did not have too much of an impact.
Sunday, immediately after we completed our match we heard the news about the appointments for the 3rd round of matches. Kari and Marlene will be joining Carol Ann (Canada) and Ivonne (El Salvador) to work the match on Wednesday between England and Japan, in Augsburg. Kari will be working as a 4th official.
Some of you may be wondering why this assignment is not being officiated as a trio. In fact, in women’s refereeing we do not have a true trio system. As the tournament progresses, we may be asked to work with other officials again.
Today has been very hectic as we began our day in the northern part of Germany, in Wolfsburg. We traveled for over 3 hours back to Frankfurt. Upon arrival, we had lunch, had a recovery training session, and attended the debriefing for Sunday’s matches. Kari, Marlene, Carol Ann, and Ivonne then had to grab their bags and head right back to the train station to travel for their assignment in Augsburg, which is another 3+ hours, and is located in the southern part of Germany. So in total, the majority of the crew for the next match traveled close to 7 hours and covered 614 kilometers. What a day!
I know I will be glued to the TV on Tuesday. Please join me in wishing them luck in their next game.
(Carol Ann, Marlene, Kari & Veronica at the Frankfurt train station)
Below are a few pictures from the Autostadt...
It had rained the entire day, so went into the match knowing and expecting that the wet conditions could have a potential impact on the match. The match between Brazil and Norway turned out to be very exciting with a final score of 3-0. Luckily for us, even though it is was a bit chilly, the field surface drained pretty well and the wet conditions did not have too much of an impact.
Sunday, immediately after we completed our match we heard the news about the appointments for the 3rd round of matches. Kari and Marlene will be joining Carol Ann (Canada) and Ivonne (El Salvador) to work the match on Wednesday between England and Japan, in Augsburg. Kari will be working as a 4th official.
Some of you may be wondering why this assignment is not being officiated as a trio. In fact, in women’s refereeing we do not have a true trio system. As the tournament progresses, we may be asked to work with other officials again.
Today has been very hectic as we began our day in the northern part of Germany, in Wolfsburg. We traveled for over 3 hours back to Frankfurt. Upon arrival, we had lunch, had a recovery training session, and attended the debriefing for Sunday’s matches. Kari, Marlene, Carol Ann, and Ivonne then had to grab their bags and head right back to the train station to travel for their assignment in Augsburg, which is another 3+ hours, and is located in the southern part of Germany. So in total, the majority of the crew for the next match traveled close to 7 hours and covered 614 kilometers. What a day!
I know I will be glued to the TV on Tuesday. Please join me in wishing them luck in their next game.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Watching the Matches
As you may imagine, officiating at the World Cup is special for many reasons aside from actually officiating matches. As a group we watch each and every match of the tournament. It is an incredible experience to be able to watch matches with other high level referees and be able to discuss situations as they occur. We watch and study each game as way to prepare for our next match by observing the teams, tactics, and game situations. And of course, we enjoy watching beautiful football!
We have very strong camaraderie amongst the referees, so every time we see our colleagues make good decisions we cheer and applaud for our teammates.
Nine different venues are being used for the World Cup, which means it is not possible to watch the majority of the games live. Thus, up until this point, we have only been able to watch matches on TV. Yesterday we had a special treat. We went to our first match as spectators, to watch Germany vs. Nigeria at the Frankfurt Stadium. The atmosphere at the game was absolutely incredible! The sold out stadium had more than 49,000 spectators cheering loudly for their team--particularly, for the host country team.
Tomorrow we travel to Wolfsburg for our second match. Please wish us luck!
We have very strong camaraderie amongst the referees, so every time we see our colleagues make good decisions we cheer and applaud for our teammates.
Nine different venues are being used for the World Cup, which means it is not possible to watch the majority of the games live. Thus, up until this point, we have only been able to watch matches on TV. Yesterday we had a special treat. We went to our first match as spectators, to watch Germany vs. Nigeria at the Frankfurt Stadium. The atmosphere at the game was absolutely incredible! The sold out stadium had more than 49,000 spectators cheering loudly for their team--particularly, for the host country team.
Tomorrow we travel to Wolfsburg for our second match. Please wish us luck!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Day of Debriefing
Today, following training we had our debriefing session. For all you non-referee types this is when the referee instructors show us the positive and negative video situations from our matches. All the referees (who aren't on a game for that day) are in attendance. During the debriefing session the instructors show video clips from the last 4 games, as opportunities for all the referees and assistance to learn. From the moment the meeting kicks-off you are pretty much crossing your fingers that what you saw in the match in real-time is exactly what all 16 cameras picked up, including in slow-motion. As a referee we only get one chance and it is a split second at that. It is all on video, so no excuses only learning for the next time. Needless to say the USA ref crew did well, with a few learning points. And for all you referees out there, there is ALWAYS something to learn or improve upon - always.
Overall the games so far have been good as well as the officiating. Some points of emphasis that we discussed today include taking care with elbows and good use of cautions for breaking up a promising attack.
Other News: we received the second round of appointments and the good news is that the USA referee crew has been assigned a second match. July 3rd, 9am PST on ESPN Brazil v Norway. Should be an amazing match. Set your DVRs :)
And of course the final great news from today - USA WNT beat North Korea 2-0. A great start for both USA teams at the Women's World Cup 2011
Overall the games so far have been good as well as the officiating. Some points of emphasis that we discussed today include taking care with elbows and good use of cautions for breaking up a promising attack.
Other News: we received the second round of appointments and the good news is that the USA referee crew has been assigned a second match. July 3rd, 9am PST on ESPN Brazil v Norway. Should be an amazing match. Set your DVRs :)
And of course the final great news from today - USA WNT beat North Korea 2-0. A great start for both USA teams at the Women's World Cup 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Beyond Words
Okay, before I forget, there was a really cool article featuring Kari that came out today. If you have some time, it really is worth reading. http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/news/newsid=1461006/index.html
Wow, first Women's World Cup game in the books for me and VP. This really is an experience beyond words, but I'll try my best.
After a leisurely morning spent mentally preparing for the match, we were driven to the stadium by a fellow FIFA referee from Germany who we knew from previous tournaments. It was really nice to catch up and travel with someone who understands the pressures of the referees.
We also lucked out in having one of the closest venues possible which allowed us to spend the night at "home." Along the way to the field, we picked up a police escort for the last leg of the journey. 
Since we had done our pre-game meeting last night, we had plenty of time at the stadium to take care of all the details like checking the field, checking the ball pressures, working out a few logistics of the stadium, and warming up.
We had a great fourth official who seemed to always be one step ahead and anticipated what we would need as a team. It was really nice to work with someone who was so on top of things and it gave us the luxury of spending all of our time focusing on the actual match.
When we were warming up, we noticed that the temperature was quite a bit warmer than during the training sessions since we arrived. I lucked out, and just as the game was getting going, the shade shifted just enough so that I was always in the shade. For a good portion of the game, the fourth official and I had a different climate from the rest of the team. We estimated that Veronica's side was probably 10 degrees warmer than we're used to (Fahrenheit, don't worry, we haven't allowed ourselves to be lured over to that whole Celsius thing completely yet).
It's strange how time seems to play tricks on you. When were getting ready for the game and driving to the field, and even a little bit while warming up, time seemed to move slowly. We were all looking forward to this match and it's kind of like Christmas morning when you can't wait for the moment to arrive. Things started to change when we were in the tunnel and during the walk out to the field. Somehow, time seemed to move both quickly and slowly. It seemed like each moment was experienced fully, the sounds of the crowd, the excitement of the players lining up behind us, the swell of emotion as the music behand to play and we stepped out onto the field, the national anthems, shaking the players' hands, and the coin toss. Everything was a full experience in and of itself, but suddenly it was over and we were running towards the nets for one last check. Then the game began.
For me, the match flew by. Like with the opening, each individual moment of the match seems so clear and crips in my head, but I couldn't believe it when the clock suddenly said 81:26. How could it have gone by so quickly? I remember the feel of that first run down the field, talking over the communication system to discuss match situations, and so many other things, but it felt like the game was over in a flash. When the final whistle blew, there were dualing emotions. Partly there was the thrill of successfully completing a match at the Women's World Cup. At the same time, there was this feeling of never wanting this to end. Even hours later, reliving the experience, I have goose bumps. 
After the match, we caught up reading all the wonderful emails of support on our ride back home to the hotel. It's a special feeling to know there are so many people back home with us in spirit as we step onto the field.
Of course, this was not Kari's first game at the Women's World Cup. In fact, we have been told that by officiating this match, Kari has now officiated at more World Cups than any other referee. Other officials have done three World Cups, but this is Kari's FOURTH WOMEN"S WORLD CUP!!!!!!!!! It really is a privilege for me and Veronica as rookies to work our first game with her and share this experience.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Sinsheim Here We Come!
The first assignments were announced today and we are working Nigeria v France! Officially, this is game number 2 of the tournament, but it actually kicks off a few hours before the opening match. If you want to watch, the game will be showing at 9am eastern time (6am west coast time) Sunday on ESPN 2 and ESPN3.com. We're so excited and looking forward to what should be a great match. Thank you to everyone for your support so far. We really appreciate it and will do our best to make you proud.
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