The referee chosen for the Group C match between England and USA - Brazilian official Carlos Simon - was suspended for the final month of the domestic season by the Brazilian FA last season after making a number of errors.

In 2009, club side Flamengo wrote to FIFA demanding Simon not be put forward for the World Cup after he sent off one of their players for diving. They said that he was guilty of ""unambiguously inconsistent, unfair and inequitable technical performances"".
The president of Palmeiras subsequently described Simon as ""a crook, a scoundrel and a shameless bastard ... if I met him in the street, I would slap him. He should be driven out of football.""
Simon is one of the most experienced FIFA officials and refereed at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. In the last tournament he was criticized for allegedly grinning when he sent off Sweden's Teddy Lucic against hosts Germany.
(Source: Sportinglife)