There's not much to interpret or "gray" about the decision if this is indeed the rule. It doesn't matter why the player leaves the field of play or the fact that the player was injured. He kept van Nistelrooy onside even if the circumstance is terribly unlucky for the Italians.
UEFA officials are due to comment about the issue tomorrow morning during their press conference and will hopefully put the issue to rest.
That being said: This was a much more enjoyable game than watching the French. I'm glad Holland is starting out strong.
Article 11.4.1. of the refereeing code that states "an opposing player cannot be offside when one of the last two defenders has left the field of play."
KiwiGKfanatic: Dida01: On another note I really cant understand why Buffon didnt just clear it for a corner I've only seen the goal once before rushing off to work, but in my book he punched it with the wrong (right) hand. Had he used his left the ball would have gone either out for a corner or wide of the 18 yard box, instead of back into the mixer.
Dida01: On another note I really cant understand why Buffon didnt just clear it for a corner
On another note I really cant understand why Buffon didnt just clear it for a corner
I've only seen the goal once before rushing off to work, but in my book he punched it with the wrong (right) hand. Had he used his left the ball would have gone either out for a corner or wide of the 18 yard box, instead of back into the mixer.
Great minds think alike Mac
KiwiGKfanatic: KiwiGKfanatic: Dida01: On another note I really cant understand why Buffon didnt just clear it for a corner I've only seen the goal once before rushing off to work, but in my book he punched it with the wrong (right) hand. Had he used his left the ball would have gone either out for a corner or wide of the 18 yard box, instead of back into the mixer. Great minds think alike Mac
Its just common sense though really Geno, but who are we to critisise one of the worlds best Goalkeepers?!
For me though Cech is ahead of him and the best in the world................
UEFA 'B' Licence Goalkeeper Coach
Courtesy of BBC Sport's Andrew McKenzie
Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's opening goal in the win over Italy was legitimate, says Premier League referees' chief Keith Hackett.
Van Nistelrooy looked yards offside when he prodded home from close range.
But it appears he was played onside by defender Christian Panucci, who was lying off the pitch.
"The fact is the assistant was correct; the defender who slid off the field is still regarded as active," Hackett told BBC Sport.
"Christian Panucci went off through contact with his own goalkeeper (Gianluigi) Buffon. He is still considered part of the game."
Uefa general secretary David Taylor said at a media briefing on Tuesday that the officials had made the right decision.
He told a news conference: "There is a lack of understanding as to why this particular goal was awarded. In fact some television commentators have insisted the goal was clearly offside, but that is not the case.
"The player was not offside because in addition to the goalkeeper there was another Italian player in front of the goalscorer. Even though he had fallen off the pitch his position was still relevant for the purposes of the offside law."
Van Nistelrooy stuck out a leg to poke home a Giovanni van Bronckhorst shot, after Italy had initially cleared the ball.
Italy's players were furious with the decision and even the Dutch delayed their celebrations until they were sure the goal had been given.
Italy striker Luca Toni, who was booked for protesting the goal, said: "I looked at the replay during the match and it looked to me as if it was offside.
After the game Netherlands forward Dirk Kuyt admitted he was waiting for the goal to be chalked off for offside.
But Hackett's comments back up the chairman of Austria's refereeing commission Gerhard Kapl, who said the decision was "100% correct".
We take joy by taking the joy from players and spectators.....
there you go then.
on a brighter note, a commanding performance by van der sar capped by a fantastic save. the dutch have to be one of the favourites now after a comprehensive victory, and their counter attacking is simply amazing.
Yeah they remind me of Manchester Untied the way they play, absorb the pressure and then hit them on there break with there pace.
They were fantastic to watch last nite and Van der Saar was excellent and made a good stop before the free kick save also.
update time!
casillas has been a virtual spectator in goal for spain while akinfeev has beaten away several fierce drives from torres and the impressive david villa. villa has notched both goals to put spain 2-0 up at half time.
akinfeev is wearing vapor grips and umbro xai boots, while casillas is sporting an interesting new neg cut reebok glove in white and blue, with matching rbk strikezone boots:
the gloves remind of me an old sondico model, the interna pro roll WGP. i still have a pair.
akinfeev has made some very good saves in this match, but almost all of them have been straight at him
akinfeev changed his gloves at half time in that game, from the current model vapors to the old white/ginger ones. wonder why?
cardiffkeeper: update time! casillas has been a virtual spectator in goal for spain while akinfeev has beaten away several fierce drives from torres and the impressive david villa. villa has notched both goals to put spain 2-0 up at half time. akinfeev is wearing vapor grips and umbro xai boots, while casillas is sporting an interesting new neg cut reebok glove in white and blue, with matching rbk strikezone boots: the gloves remind of me an old sondico model, the interna pro roll WGP. i still have a pair.
the left hand of casillas's glove appears to have the middle fingers fused together, possible finger injury?
good spot.
the evergreen nikopolidis is wearing the new v-konstrukt for greece against sweden, whose keeper isaksson is another keeper sporting vapors.
it's interesting that nikopolidis is also wearing the black F50 kit, and is the 5th keeper so far in the tournament to play in black - the others being van der sar, lobont, ricardo and lehmann. benaglio of switzerland was also in navy blue. so almost every game in the tournament has had a keeper wearing black/almost black.
cardiffkeeper: good spot. the evergreen nikopolidis is wearing the new v-konstrukt for greece against sweden, whose keeper isaksson is another keeper sporting vapors. it's interesting that nikopolidis is also wearing the black F50 kit, and is the 5th keeper so far in the tournament to play in black - the others being van der sar, lobont, ricardo and lehmann. benaglio of switzerland was also in navy blue. so almost every game in the tournament has had a keeper wearing black/almost black.
They must not know about the 'scientifically proven' properties of bright tops.
i dunno about that, but cech wore another bright number the other day so he's obviously sticking to the science!
It wasn't opti-bright tho, it was just yellow.
I can see why he would be excited about his opti-bright orange top. He wore it twice and lost two major trophies.
Awesome cracker by Ibrahimovic!