ESPN2's English commentators at the Germany-Serbia match (now at halftime) are whining about the "card-happy" referee. There have been many times when I have agreed completely with that complaint, but this time, not entirely.
The first yellow card went to Miroslav Klose. A Serbian player had taken the ball and was running with it, full-tilt. He was just about at mid-field; Klose was chasing, and don't you know he just accidentally, unintentionally just barely touched the runner's foot.
That happens all the time. It happened a second time in the first 20 minutes of this match, and another card was shown. These expensive international players just don't have sufficient control of their limbs to avoid that sort of incidental contact, if you believe the commentators.
But what I saw was, in the 40th minute (after Klose had been sent off for a second yellow), the German defender chasing the Serbian runner was very careful to avoid the runner's feet, and a breakaway went ahead. Only led to a bad pass, but this referee's eagerness to go to his pocket is already paying dividends in the excitement of the match.
