Referees in the spotlight
Referee: Valentin Ivanov
Country: Russia
Highlight match: Portugal versus Holland
After the Portugal-Holland foul-fest, Ivanov is being hailed as Moscow's answer to Merk and Poll.
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The 44-year-old Russian referee sent four players off in the bitter Round Two match and flashed 16 red cards, beating Spanish referee Antonio Lopez Nieto's 16 yellows and two reds issued in the 2002 World Cup group match between Cameroon and Germany.
Ivanov failed to see through the footballers' trickery and completely lost control of a match that was an insult to the World Cup motto -- 'a time to make friends.'
Ivanov, who has been a referee since 1997 and is a teacher by profession, lists volleyball and music as his interests. This is also his first World Cup finals stint.
The Portuguese and the Dutch probably agree on only one thing right now -- that Ivanov should stick to his other interests.
Image: What I don't see doesn't happen: Ivanov in action in the Portugal-Holland battle.
Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images
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