Byron Moreno, Quite Possibly the Most Hated Ecuadorian in the World
Last summer, during the World Cup in Korea and Japan, Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno became famous for all the wrong reasons: his questionable decisions may well have decided the outcome of a crucial game. In this case, it was the round of 16 match between South Korea and Italy; his calls during the contest, in which Korea upset a tournament favorite, made him a reviled figure in Italy.
And then last September, he was suspended by the Ecuadorian domestic league for signaling 6 minues of injury time but then allowing the players to continue for 14 more, during which time one of the squads rallied from two goals down to win the match.
Well, I saw Moreno perform yesterday. And let me tell you this: he’s a poor referee.
The local pro team, Deportivo Cuenca, took on Deportivo Quito in an important league game. During the course of the 1-1 tie, Moreno handed out seven yellow cards and three reds; his calls were erratic, and he never assumed control of the game. (Of course, it didn’t help that he was mercilessly jeered all the while by the Cuenca fans–the result of the notorious 20-minutes-of-injury-time game last year was that Deportivo Cuenca didn’t qualify the championship; they needed the other team to win.)