Matthew Christopher Breeze (born 10 June 1972) is an Australian association football referee. He is also a barrister and a former

police prosecutor In certain jurisdictions, police prosecutors are employed by the police, as counsel for the prosecution, to present cases in court. Australia In Australia, all States and Territories (other than the Australian Capital Territory) employ Police Pros ...

Refereeing career

Domestic career

He officiates in the Australian A-League football competition. On 28 February 2009, in the

2009 A-League Grand Final The 2009 A-League Grand Final took place at Telstra Dome in Melbourne, Australia on 28 February 2009. It was the final match in the A-League 2008–09 season, and was played between premiers Melbourne Victory and runners-up Adelaide United. M ...

, Breeze sent off

Adelaide United Adelaide United Football Club is a professional soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The club participates in the A-League Men under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was founded in 2003 to fil ...

striker Cristiano after his arm made contact with

Melbourne Victory Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victor ...

defender Rodrigo Vargas. The red card was rescinded after the game and the FFA chose not to sanction Cristiano.

Awards

A-League Matches

*2005/2006 Season: 22 Matches (Including: 2 Pre-season; Major Semi-Final 1st Leg; Preliminary Final) *2006/2007 Season: 25 Matches (Including: 3 Pre-season; Minor Semi-Final 2nd Leg; Preliminary Final) *2007/2008 Season: 18 Matches (Including: Major Semi-Final 1st leg) *2008/2009 Season: 19 Matches (Including: 1 Pre-season; Major Semi-Final 2nd Leg; Final:

) *2009/2010 Season: 20 Matches (Including: Minor Semi-Final; Semi-Final)

International career

Breeze presided in his first international between Fiji and

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

on 11 April 2000, which Fiji won 4–1. Breeze made the short-list of 44 referees to preside at the

2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...

, but missed the final cut. His highest honour remains officiating at the 2005 Confederations Cup in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

where he refereed the Third Place Playoff. He was one of two Australian referees who officiated at the

2007 Asian Cup The 2007 AFC Asian Cup was the 14th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held from 7 to 29 July 2007. For the first time in its hi ...

, the other being Mark Shield. He was preselected as a referee for the

2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

. However, he was not chosen to take part in the Event.List of prospective 2010 FIFA World Cup referees
/ref> Breeze refereed the Third Place Playoff at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

International Matches:

World Cup Qualifier 2002 *13-6-2001

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

(1st Stage)

OFC Nations Cup The OFC Nations Cup is an international association football tournament held among the OFC member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name ...

2002 *5-7-2002:

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

(1st Round) *7-7-2002:

Auckland City FC Auckland City Football Club is a New Zealand professional football club based in the suburb of Sandringham in Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. Auckland City have established themselves as a major force in bo ...

(1st Round) *12-7-2002:

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

(semi-final) FIFA Under 20 World Cup 2003 *29-11-2003: Saudi Arabia - Ireland (group stage) *2-12-2003: Japan - Colombia (group stage) *5-12-2003: USA - Korea Republic (group stage) *19-12-2003: Colombia - Argentina (3rd Place Play-off)

2004 *10-5-2004:

*15-5-2004:

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

*19-5-2004: Fiji -

World Cup Qualifiers 2006 – Oceania *10-5-2004:

(1st Stage) *15-5-2004:

(1st Stage) *19-5-2004: Fiji -

(1st Stage) FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 *16-6-2005: Japan -

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

(group stage) *29-6-2005:

(3rd Place Play-off) Asian Cup 2007 *9-7-2007: Japan -

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

(group stage) *16-7-2007:

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

- Japan (group stage) *25-7-2007: Japan -

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

FIFA Under 17 World Cup 2007 *19-8-2007: Honduras - Spain (group stage) *25-8-2007: Nigeria - Haiti (group stage) *29-8-2007: Peru - Tajikistan (round of 16) *2-9-2007: Argentina - Nigeria (Quarter Final) AFC Final Round (Olympic Teams) *28-2-2007: Uzbekistan - United Arab Emirates (2nd Stage) *14-3-2007: Lebanon - Oman (2nd Stage) World Cup Qualifiers 2010 – Oceania *21-11-2007: New Caledonia - Fiji (2nd Stage)

2008 *21-11-2008: New Caledonia - Fiji AFC Champions League 2008 *23-4-2008: Al Karama -

Al Sadd SC Al Sadd Sports Club ( ar, نادي السد الرياضي, lit=Dam Sports Club) is a Qatari sports club based in the Al Sadd district of the city of Doha. It is best known for its association football team, which competes in the ...

(group stage) *7-5-2008: Kashima Antlers -

Krung Thai Bank FC Krung Thai Bank Football Club ( th, สโมสรฟุตบอลธนาคารกรุงไทย) was a Thai professional football club based in Bangkok. History Krung Thai Bank F.C. was a football club from central Bangkok establishe ...

(group stage) *17-9-2008: Al Karama -

Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Gamba'' comes from the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to s ...

(Quarter Final) World Cup Qualifiers 2010 – Asia *26-3-2008:

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

*14-6-2008:

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

(3rd Stage) *15-10-2008:

Korea Republic South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...

(4th Stage) *28-3-2009:

Korea DPR North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

AFC Champions League 2009 *11-3-2009:

Shanghai Shenhua Shanghai Shenhua F.C. () is a Chinese professional football club that participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The term ''shen hua'' literally translates as "the Flower of Shanghai" in ...

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MIND ...

(group stage) *8-4-2009: Piroozi Athletic - Al Gharafa (group stage) *5-5-2009: Al Shabab Al Arabi -

Sepahan Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan Sport Club ( fa, باشگاه فرهنگی ورزشی فولاد مبارکه سپاهان اصفهان, ''Bâšgâh-è Varzeši-ye Fulâd-è Mobârake-ye Sepâhân''), commonly known as Sepahan S.C., are an Iranian spor ...

(group stage) *20-5-2009:

- FC Seoul (group stage) *7-11-2009: Al Ittihad - Pohang Steelers (final) FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 *17-6-2009:

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

(group stage) *28-6-2009:

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

(3rd Place Play-off) 2009 Club World Cup *19-12-2009: Pohang Steelers -

Atlante FC Atlante Fútbol Club, is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. Founded in 1916, Atlante were original members of the Mexican Primera División when it began in 1943. Atlante has won three national league championships, t ...

(3rd Place Play-off) Asian Cup 2011 Qualifier *22-11-2009: China -

AFC Champions League 2010 *24-2-2010: Suwon Samsung Bluewings -

(group stage) *13-4-2010: Pakhtakor - Al Ain (group stage) *5-10-2010: Al Shabab -

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma Seongnam () is the fourth largest city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province after Suwon and the 10th largest city in the country. Its population is approximately one million. Seongnam is a satellite city of Seoul. It is largely a residential city ...

(Semi Final) 2010 Sydney Festival of Football Sydney Festival of Football 2010 *28-7-2010: Sydney FC - Rangers *31-7-2010:

AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...

- Rangers The QANTAS Challenge *27-11-2010:

Newcastle Jets Newcastle United Jets Football Club, commonly known as Newcastle Jets, is an Australian professional soccer club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier competition, the A-League, under licence from The Australian ...

Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Breeze, Matthew 1972 births Australian barristers Australian soccer referees Living people A-League Men referees AFC Asian Cup referees