I saw the Camden and AJ game. My impression was that the officials were trying to control the game from the start but never really were able to get the players to play under control. I wonder if the officials could have had better success if they had spent more time cautioning players 'privately'. Knowing that the referee is watching will make some players temper their aggression.
I thought that some of the fouls committed were pointless and hurt the players' teams. As an example, in the waning minutes of the game a player was red carded for running into the keeper, who clearly had possession of the ball. At that time in the game the outcome was clear and to commit that type foul only hurts the team in the games to come because the player is ineligible for at least one game. Also, it makes no sense to me that a player would think that berating the official after a foul has been called will in any way improve the situation.
