The Czech team manager was asked to comment on Howard Webb's performance after tonight's Euro2012 loss to Poprtugal, but he couldn't think of anything to say. That's how good Webb was tonight.
It wasn't the most difficult match he'll ever ref, but these are top-level games that have to be refereed well. When he needed to be firm, he was, booking two Portugal players in 2 minutes after 26 minutes. For the rest of the time he was impressive, running a wider diagonal than usual that frequently saw him outside the touchline and surprising players with his positioning.
He carried a natural authority on the field, something like Collina used to do, smiling frequently and using body language and signals to advise players they'd better behave.
The Dutch assistant Sander van Roekel, drafted in for Peter Kirkup, also had a good match, making all the right decisions and proving himself a firm hand in separating a couple of players when they squared up to each other in the first half.
A top match for the England team, but it's out of his hands whether he appears again. If England qualify for the semis, he'll probably be on his way home.
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