Backup Haiti-Scotland referee selected for Brazil-Haiti match

NEW JERSEY — Three days before the highly anticipated match between Brazil and Haiti, another key player has been added to the lineup: referee Alejandro José Hernández Hernández. His addition is more notable than usual because it comes even as an online petition, stemming from referee complaints about the Haiti-versus-Scotland match, is making the rounds.

Here’s what to know about Hernández Hernández and to expect as the match approaches. According to Spanish newspaper MARCA:

• Hernández Hernández has been a referee since 2012 and a full international referee for FIFA since 2014. 
• He has worked in some of the biggest games in the world, including the matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona, commonly called ‘El Clásico.’
• He is widely regarded as one of the top referees in Spain and known for not shying away from cautioning players for rough challenges.
• He was voted as the best referee by the Spanish Football Association’s technical committee in 2017. 
• While commended for officiating as cleanly as possible, he has also been heavily criticized for calling fouls too often. During an El Clásico match, for example, he disallowed a Real Madrid goal against FC Barcelona because Gareth Bale made contact with Jordi Alba while heading the ball into the net.
• Haiti’s game versus Brazil on June 19 will mark Hernández Hernández’s first time officiating a World Cup match. 
• He served as the fourth official in Haiti’s opener against Scotland.

Here are some statistics about Hernández Hernández, according to Stats Hub, a site specializing in soccer statistics globally.

• 🏟️ Games officiated: 322
• 🟨 Yellow cards given: 1,759 (5.46 per game) 
• 🟥 Red cards given: 88 (39 straight red cards, 49 second-yellow red cards)
• 🥅 Penalties: 129 (0.40 per game)

Here is what you need to know about Hernández Hernández’s officiating style:

• He is very strict: He does not like rough play. On average, he gives out more than 5 yellow cards every game. If players foul too much, they will get in trouble fast.
• He watches the penalty box closely: he is very good at using the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to make more accurate decisions. He gives out a lot of penalty kicks, so defenders must be very careful inside the box.
• He doesn’t care about big stars: He has worked with the greatest players in the world. He will not let anyone bully him or complain too much.

For Haiti, this means they must play very clean defense. If they tackle too hard to stop Brazil’s fast players, the referee will likely give them cards early.

It is unclear whether FIFA had already planned to select Hernández Hernández for Haiti versus Brazil or if the ire of Haiti fans had some bearing on their choice. In Haiti’s opener with Scotland, Les Grenadiers lost 1-0. Thousands of fans felt the referee in that game, Mustapha Ghorbal, made poor choices that disadvantaged Haiti, including missing a clear penalty kick and a handball against Scotland. 

The fans launched petitions asking FIFA to review the game and some went so far as to call for a rematch. One page garnered over 100,000 signatures in just two days.

The post Backup Haiti-Scotland referee selected for Brazil-Haiti match appeared first on The Haitian Times.