Sweden’s Marcus Danielson was shown a straight red card during his side’s clash with Ukraine – but was it justified?
With the two sides in extra-time, with the scoreline having finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, they knew they had 30 minutes to get a winning goal before the dreaded penalty shootout would commence.
The prize for the victor, a Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with England, so it’s not as if the players required any further motivation.
Unfortunately for Sweden, their efforts to find a winning goal were stunted after the referee sent off Marcus Danielson after a review on the pitchside monitor.
Danielson’s challenge was high and into the knee of his opponent, but there will be those who argue that there was nothing he could have done about it.
Just because “he got the ball first” doesn’t mean it’s not a red card for how dangerously high the foot waspic.twitter.com/mT63mjW40R
— Has the Referee or VAR made a poor decision? (@PoorEPLreferees) June 29, 2021
Pictures courtesy of TRT1
I will never understand why this type of soccer play is a red card.
He makes contact with the ball, and because of physics his leg just happens to be there and the opponent runs into it? What is supposed to do? It’s a loose ball, he’s not even making a tackle! pic.twitter.com/p815gdp5l6
— Lucas Dolengowski (@LDolengowski) June 29, 2021
Pictures courtesy of ESPN
Gary Lineker’s stance on the matter is clear – that is not a red card. The England legend took to Twitter while the action was ongoing to say the following. What do YOU think?
That’s not a red card. He’s perfectly entitled to clear that ball. Slow motion once again turning an innocuous challenge look more than it was. Ridiculous.
— Gary Lineker ? (@GaryLineker) June 29, 2021
When you kick a football it’s almost impossible not to follow through (not that kind of follow through btw). Just because a player gets injured because someone kicked a football and accidentally catches him on the follow through doesn’t make it a foul, let alone a red.
— Gary Lineker ? (@GaryLineker) June 29, 2021
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The red card should get Ukrainian player because he left his brain in a changing room.
When defender or goalkeeper should give up clearance a ball before a stricker because the last one rushes without seeing the goalpost.