The Controversial Match Between Panama and Mexico
An egregious mistake in referee Mark Geiger's criteria led to the events that occurred last Wednesday in the match between Panama and Mexico. The American referee called a penalty that was not, changing the course of the game. However, this is not the first time he has made a poor decision. There have been precedents of his major errors.
Mexico's History Against Panama
The match between Mexico and Panama was just another example of the mistakes accumulated by Mark Geiser throughout his career. The referee is known for being the first American to officiate in the Round of 16 of a World Cup and for overseeing the Final of the 2011 U-20 World Cup. However, in 2012, he started gaining attention for his errors, with the most recent one being in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Geiger witnessed from a few meters away as Ogenyi Onazi suffered a tibia and fibula fracture caused by French player Blaise Matuidi. The PSG player delivered a terrible kick to the Nigerian player less than four meters away from the referee, who only decided to give him a yellow card. As a result, Nigeria lost one of their key players, while France continued to play with a full team.
But what Geiser did on Wednesday has a very similar precedent, although in a friendly match. In 2012, Colombia and Brazil faced each other in New Jersey. With only 10 minutes left in the game, Geiser awarded a penalty to the 'Canarinha'. However, it became a minor incident as Neymar missed the penalty, and the match ended in a draw. Did he intentionally send it to the skies? We will never know.