An Argentine fifth-division match between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas turned into an awful day at work for the match official as play devolved into fights and gangs of people chasing after each other that resulted in 36 red cards.
The match started off normal enough, but emotions slowly got more intense and soon, dust was literally everywhere (skip ahead to 2:12 into the video). 101 Great Goals explains the chaos:
During the game, which was constantly halted as scuffles between the sides broke out, the match official sent off two players before the second half had even kicked-off. The latter was dismissed for bad behaviour during the half-time break itself.
Then, towards the end of the match, things descended into farce as a mass brawl erupted. Not only players and coaches got involved, but fans also raced onto the pitch to give a helping hand in the dust-up.
Following the match, referee Rubino filled out his match report in which he stated that 36 people, including all the players, the substitutes and coaches, had all been served with red cards for their part in the unruly mess. Reports in Argentina however have now said that the local Football Association are looking to alter the referee’s verdict believing it sets a dangerous precedent moving forward.
Despite all that, the match ended 2-0 to Claypole. Still, I'm not sure about those "dangerous precedent" fears. Do they actually think this will encourage referees to start handing out red cards 36 at a time? That sounds like the fast track to needing rotator cuff surgery.
Video via Ted Williams Head
No comments:
Post a Comment