Pedersen’s name not on list of 40 “potential candidates” for 2015 WWC ref assignments

The 40 candidates pose with FIFA president Sepp Blatter. PHOTO: FOTONET

On Wednesday, FIFA released the names of 40 referees who are “potential candidates” for inclusion in the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Canadian referee Carol Anne Chenard’s name is on the list. Norwegian official Christina Pedersen’s name is not.

The 40 officials are in Zurich this week, attending medicals and a seminar that begin the planning stages for the Women’s World Cup, which opens in Edmonton and closes with the final game at Vancouver’s B.C. Place.

“This is an incredibly important seminar,” Sonia Denoncourt, Head of Women’s Referees at FIFA, was quoted in a release. “It is the first real step towards choosing candidates for the Women’s World Cup 2015 in Canada. The event is two-and-a-half years away and we are starting off with a large group of female referees. We’ll be testing them and then selecting the best at the end.”

Pedersen, 32, reffed at the last World Cup and, more infamously, at the 2012 Olympics. She was in charge of the Canada-U.S. semifinal, and was the target of rage by Canadian players and supporters after the controversial match. With Canada up 3-2 in the second half, Pedersen called Canadian keeper Erin McLeod on a rarely enforced delay of game; it was the equivalent of an NBA ref deciding he’s going to call traveling with two minutes left in Game 7 of the finals. On the ensuing free kick, she whistled Canadian Marie-Eve Nault for a hand ball in the box, another controversial call as the free kick was blasted and deflected into her, and wasn’t a clear case of hand to ball.

The Americans tied the game with the penalty and Alex Morgan won it late in extra time. The 4-3 result enraged Canadian star Christine Sinclair so much, that she questioned Pedersen’s character after the match. After the Olympics, Sinclair was suspended for four international matches.

Pedersen didn’t work the bronze or gold-medal games in England.

Now, it looks as if she won’t be working in Canada, where she would likely have been under the magnifying glass. While we don’t know the reason for the omission (health, personal issues, FIFA decision) it’s likely for the best. If Pedersen got a Canada or U.S. game assignment, any call she’d make would have been unfairly scrutinized.

But the key word is “unlikely,” not certain. FIFA has confirmed Pedersen could not attend the seminar due to “personal issues.” In a statement to The 11, Denoncourt said the door is open for other refs to fight their way back into contention for selection: “The referees, who are not here this weekneed know that they can still make it, while others can always drop out of the group. We want to have the best referees available at the Women’s World Cup 2015.”