The match was seen as a very difficult one to referee. The Dutch were criticised for their rough play, and some thought Webb was generous for not showing any red cards to the Dutch players until ten minutes before the end of extra time. Webb later conceded that had he had a better viewing angle of a high challenge from Nigel de Jong he would have sent him off, and De Jong later admitted he was "lucky" to only receive a yellow card. FIFA president Sepp Blatter defended Webb, noting that it was "not easy" to control such a match. Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter said Webb "had a superb game" while Scotland's Alan Hansen condemned the Dutch, saying that, "Webb tried to make the game flow but on this occasion he was left with no choice." The British Referees' Association said "it would be almost impossible to disagree with any of the bookings he issued", while former FA Cup final referee Keith Hackett noted that "anyone who criticises the officials lacks the knowledge and experience of someone who has refereed" and called on FIFA to punish the Dutch players who castigated Webb to the press.