Long-serving referee Matthew Breeze became the first match official to control 100 Hyundai A-League matches when he took charge of Saturday’s match between Sydney FC and the Central Coast Mariners at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The Sydneysider, who made his senior debut in the middle over a decade ago in the National Soccer League, featured in the opening round of the Hyundai A-League in 2005 with a match between Queensland Roar and New Zealand Knights at Suncorp Stadium.
Since the inception of the competition, Breeze has been involved in all five Hyundai A-League finals series and refereed the Hyundai A-League 2009 Grand Final between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United.
“Like a player, these achievements are nice at the time and I-m sure I will look back on moments like this with fondness,” said Breeze.
“Doing 100 games is right up there with the other achievements I have in the game like the Hyundai A-League 2009 Grand Final and 2009 AFC Champions League Final in Tokyo – but to think that it-s 100 games, they-ve gone unbelievably quickly.”
Breeze-s CV puts him alongside the all-time elite of Australian referees and includes numerous international matches and FIFA tournaments.
Breeze, who works as a police prosecutor, obtained his FIFA International refereeing badge in 2001, and has since officiated at two FIFA Confederation Cups, last year controlling the third-place play-off between Spain and host nation South Africa.
Other notable appointments include the 2007 AFC Asian Cup semi-final match between Japan and Saudi Arabia in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the 2009 AFC Champions League Final between Al-Ittihad and Pohang Steelers in Tokyo.
