Duarte Gomes analyzes the arbitration between Portugal and Sweden

Excessive disciplinary kindness from the Spanish referee in the match held in Guimarães

Ricardo Burgos officiated yesterday's friendly match between Portugal and Sweden. Spaniard Jose Luis Munera was also VAR.
The basic spirit of these games is different and this is reflected in the way players compete for each move. Referees also tend to deal with contacts more friendlyProvided that there are no violations. The problem is that this good intention (which I have practiced myself in similar circumstances) can often betray intent, revealing itself as a kind of open bar For harsh interventions or conflicts between players. Fortunately, this did not happen yesterday, largely due to the enlightening result. However, it is important to emphasize that the Six Movements benefited from the discipline's enormous breadth.

Below is a technical analysis of the most important moves relevant to the match:

14' Joao Palinha handled the ball under pressure from Victor Guerques and then collided with Rui Patricio. Both were temporarily injured, without the Swedish striker committing any violation.

16' Rafael Leao made no mistake by Isak Henn as he prepared to enter Sweden's penalty area. The central defender had the upper hand and used his body (legally) to protect possession of the ball.

23' Evidence of the 'friendly' nature of this match was the failure to warn Nuno Mendes, after seizing and ostensibly stopping Kulusevski's lead. A yellow card, in an official match, will be mandatory for this offence. It is also fair to assume, in this context, that the full-back would not behave in this way.

24' A legal goal for Portugal was scored by Rafael Leao after a rebound from the right post of Olsen's goal. All very good.

27' Bruno Fernandes missed Kulusevski's feet, causing his opponent to fall near the Portuguese area. The direct free kick was awarded well by the Spanish referee.

40' Rúben Dias, who was marking Gyokeres, touched the opponent without doing enough to foul. The Swedish striker's downfall was somewhat easier. A well analyzed show in the Portuguese region.

40' Mateus Nunes was also not warned (after bringing down Elanga in an unsportsmanlike manner) because the encounter with Dr. Afonso Henriques was friendly.

48' Matheus Nunes has received a new disciplinary credit, following an apparent unsportsmanlike approach in a row with Isaac Haen. The contact (shoulder to opponent) was intentional and unnecessary.

57' The fourth goal for the Portuguese national team was wonderful: when Bruno Fernandes made an assist, Roma was slightly behind the ball line.

58' Here too, the (un)offside that led to Sweden's first goal was well analysed: when Emil Holm crossed from the right flank, Gjokeris was behind the ball line.

66' Pallinha and Svanberg's heads collided, clearly injuring the Swedish midfielder. The Spanish referee took a few seconds to stop the match, but he wasn't supposed to. In these “more obvious” cases, the most important thing is the physical health of the athletes, especially in such a sensitive area.

74' João Palinha's entry was extremely negligent (to the point of using excessive force), even in the spirit of “anything goes”. This is the problem of facilitation. Everyone likes it so that someone doesn't get hurt (or seriously injured). For some reason they are officially appointed as referees.

75' When Isaac Henn put his left arm on Jota Silva, both were outside the Swedish area. In these cases, of continued absence, penalties will be imposed for the alleged violation at the beginning of the procedure. However, the way the Portuguese striker went down revealed the obvious: contact was not enough to decide that result. The presentation was well analyzed by the judging team.

90' Gustav Nilsson was in a legal position when Kulusevski crossed from the left flank. Ruben Dias was legitimizing the Swedish striker's position. Well verified goal.

Rating – 5