Saíd Martínez
{{short description|Honduran football referee}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{family name hatnote|Martínez|Sorto|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football official
|name= Saíd Martínez
|fullname = Héctor Saíd Martínez Sorto
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1991|8|7|df=y}}
|birth_place = Tocoa, Honduras
| years1 =
| league1 = Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras
| role1 = Referee
|internationalyears1=2017–|internationalyears2=|confederation1=FIFA|confederation2=CONCACAF
|internationalrole1=Referee|internationalrole2=Referee}}
Héctor Saíd Martínez Sorto (born 7 August 1991) Also known as "The Mathematician" is a Honduran football referee who is a listed international referee for FIFA since 2017.{{cite web|url=https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/73018d1c158c1fd5/original/2021-FIFA-Refereeing-International-Lists.pdf|title=FIFA list of referees |publisher=resources.fifa.com |date=2021 |access-date=30 January 2021}} He is also one of the referees for the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras.
Biography
Saíd Martínez was born in Tocoa on 7 August 1991. At the age of ten, he began the dream of being a referee with the example of his father, and made the decision in becoming a referee. With dedication and determination, he was the youngest to make his debut in football matches in the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras at just 18 years of age.{{cite web|title=Said Martínez: El joven que soñó con ser árbitro|url=https://fidesdiariodigital.com/2017/08/04/said-martinez-el-joven-que-sono-con-ser-arbitro/|accessdate=28 May 2019}}{{cite web|title=Said Martínez: 'Con el jugador hay que ser ‘cara de tubo’ - Diario El Heraldo|url=https://www.elheraldo.hn/deportes/972880-466/said-mart%C3%ADnez-con-el-jugador-hay-que-ser-cara-de-tubo|accessdate=28 May 2019}}
With many hopes in his professional life, he decided to move to Tegucigalpa due to the lack of opportunities in Tocoa. He entered the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University, where in a few years he would become a professional in mathematics, which makes this promise of refereeing one of the most prepared in this career.{{cite web|title='Un maestro me descubrió el don de los números...': Saíd Martínez, tocapitos y matemático|url=https://www.elheraldo.hn/revistas/tic-tac/1142781-466/un-maestro-me-descubri%C3%B3-el-don-de-los-n%C3%BAmeros-sa%C3%ADd-mart%C3%ADnez-tocapitos|accessdate=28 May 2019}}{{cite web|title=Said Martínez, el licenciado en matemáticas que pitará la final en Honduras|url=https://www.diez.hn/futboldeprimera/motagua/909849-99/said-mart%C3%ADnez-el-licenciado-en-matem%C3%A1ticas-que-pitar%C3%A1-la-final-en-honduras|accessdate=28 May 2019}}
=Refereeing career=
Martínez became an international referee for FIFA and CONCACAF in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/73018d1c158c1fd5/original/2021-FIFA-Refereeing-International-Lists.pdf|title=FIFA list of referees |publisher=resources.fifa.com |date=2021 |accessdate=30 January 2021}} He had officiated at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States, Costa Rica and Jamaica,{{cite web|title=Concacaf Golden Cup - List Of Match Officials|url=https://gallery.mailchimp.com/78d3589fb61466b549ff752e5/files/15c8d73a-75b0-4767-a3b0-b860519e805a/19_GC_Referees_List_final.01.pdf|accessdate=28 May 2019}} the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, and the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.{{cite web|title=List of appointed Match Officials|url=https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/728311cd6a4bcde1/original/kvqoxni6cxaddiqqpuhi-pdf.pdf|accessdate=25 May 2019}}
Martínez had recently officiated the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup,{{cite web|url=https://www.concacaf.com/gold-cup/article/match-officials-appointed-for-2021-concacaf-gold-cup/|title=Match Officials Appointed for 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup|website=www.concacaf.com|publisher=CONCACAF|date=29 June 2021 |access-date=29 June 2021}} and had officiated the final between the United States and Mexico.{{Cite web|date=11 March 2021|title=Game Details|url=https://www.concacaf.com/en/gold-cup/game-details?matchid=568668|access-date=12 August 2021|website=Gold Cup}}
In June 2023, Martínez was chosen to referee the CONCACAF Nations League final between Canada and the United States.{{cite news |title=Said Martínez pitará la gran final de la Nations League de Concacaf entre Canadá-Estados Unidos |trans-title=Saíd Martínez will referee the great final of the Concacaf Nations League between Canada and the United States|url=https://www.diez.hn/laseleccion/said-martinez-pitara-gran-final-nations-league-concacaf-2023-estados-unidos-canada-NO13951682 |access-date=18 June 2023 |work=Diez Honduras |date=18 June 2023|language=es}}
In July 2023, Martinez was chosen to referee in some 2023 Leagues Cup games, this include Lionel Messis first match for Inter Miami against Cruz Azul.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-22 |title=Carlos Salcedo pide uso del VAR en la Leagues Cup tras supuesta falta sobre Messi en el Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul |url=https://www.marca.com/mx/futbol/leagues-cup/2023/07/22/64bb73e422601d325e8b459c.html |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=Marca México |language=es-MX}}
=Controversy=
On 20 March 2025, Martínez was the referee for the 2024-2025 CONCACAF Nations League semi-final game between Mexico and Canada. In the 9th minute of the game, Mexico's Edson Álvarez kicked Canada's Derek Cornelius in his foot inside Mexico's penalty box, but Martínez did not award a penalty kick to Canada or caution Álvarez in any way.{{cite web |last=Callaghan |first=Joe |date=2025-03-21 |title=Raúl Jiménez puts Mexico into Nations League final, and Canada into US clash |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/21/mexico-canada-concacaf-nations-league-raul-jimenez |website=theguardian.com |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=2025-03-29 |quote=How Canada weren’t awarded a spot-kick on nine minutes was a mystery. Captain Edson Álvarez swung a boot at a ball which Derek Cornelius got to first. SoFi’s giant infinity screens signalled that VAR was checking just as Martinez signalled a restart.}}{{cite web |date= |title=Técnico de Canadá apuntó contra Said Martínez por no pitar penal ante México: "Es imperdonable que no lo mire" |url=https://www.diez.hn/internacionales/canada-tecnico-said-martinez-arbitro-penal-mexico-jesse-marsch-conferencia-liga-naciones-EG25011014 |website=diez.hn |publisher=Diez |access-date=2025-03-29|quote=El momento de mayor controversia se dio apenas en el minuto 9, cuando Edson Álvarez intentó despejar un balón dentro del área, pero terminó pateando a Derek Cornelius, quien había ganado la posición y tocado el balón antes.}}{{cite web |date=2025-03-20 |title=¿Concacaf quiere al Tri en la FINAL? Aficionados reaccionan a la PATADA de Edson Álvarez en el área en Canadá-México |url=https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2025/03/20/concacaf-quiere-al-tri-en-la-final-aficionados-reaccionan-a-la-patada-de-edson-alvarez-en-el-area-en-canada-mexico/ |website=foxsports.com.mx |publisher=Fox Sports |access-date=2025-03-29 |quote=El Canadá vs México no se salvó de la polémica arbitral pues Edson Álvarez pateó a Derek Cornelius dentro del área, pero no se marcó penal.}} According to the Laws of the Game, "A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play."{{cite web |date= |title=Law 12 Fouls and Misconduct |url=https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/fouls-and-misconduct/#disciplinary-action |website=theifab.com |publisher=IFAB |access-date=2025-03-29}}
References
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{{succession box
|title= 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final referee
|before= 2019: {{fbaicon|GUA}} Mario Escobar
|after= 2023: TBD
|years=}}
{{s-end}}
{{2022 FIFA World Cup referees}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Said}}
Category:Honduran football referees
Category:People from Colón Department (Honduras)
Category:CONCACAF Champions Cup referees
Category:CONCACAF Gold Cup referees
Category:2022 FIFA World Cup referees
{{Honduras-footy-bio-stub}}
https://canadiansoccerdaily.com/2025/03/21/canada-in-disbelief-over-clear-penalty-that-wasnt-given-in-mexico-nations-league-defeat/