Aussie Match Officials Secure Key Appointments
Australia’s match officials at the FIFA Confederations Cup Germany 2005 and the FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands 2005 have been appointed to key matches over the coming days.
Referee Matthew Breeze (pictured right), along with assistant referees Matthew Cream and Jim Ouliaris, will control the 3rd place match at the FIFA Confederations Cup to be played in Leipzig on Tuesday a few hours prior to the final. It will be the second consecutive such appointment for Ouliaris who also did the same match at the 2003 version of the event in France. Similarly Breeze and Cream were involved in the 3rd place match at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. Sydney-sider Breeze has also been handed the role of fourth official for Sunday's semi final between Mexico and Argentina in Hanover.
The Australian trio at the FIFA World Youth Championship - referee Mark Shield, and assistant referees Nathan Gibson and Ben Wilson - will be the match officials for tonight's quarter final between Germany and Brazil in Tilburg. The Australian representatives having previously been in charge of three first round matches at the tournament.
Both Breeze and Shield have been short-listed by FIFA as part of a 46-strong group competing for the final 30 positions at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Brisbane-based Shield was the only Australian to officiate at the 2002 FIFA World Cup where he was the youngest referee appointed at the tournament.