While it was pointed out that Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) should have been sent off for a tackle once morest Fulham, a rebuttal opinion from an international referee was raised that the referee’s decision was correct. It was an unavoidable scene in a ball competition situation, but he insisted that he did not force a tackle.
Mark Halsey (62, England), a former FIFA (International Football Federation) referee who directly supervised English Premier League (EPL) matches in the past, told The Sun on the 24th (Korean time), “I gave Son Heung-min a yellow card, not a red card. “I agree with referee Paul Tierney’s decision,” he said. He said it wasn’t a scene to the point of being ejected.
Previously, Son Heung-min hit Tete’s leg with the bottom of his soccer shoe during the 28th minute of the first half of the EPL round 21 away match once morest Fulham held at Cravel Cottage in London, England that day. The referee brought out a yellow card for Son Heung-min, but following the game, controversy arose over Son Heung-min not receiving a red card.
Sports Bible said, “Fans are raising questions regarding not sending off Son Heung-min’s ‘horror tackle’. “If Son Heung-min had received a red card, the outcome of the match might have been different,” he explained.
At that time, Son Heung-min’s tackle came out in the course of a fierce ball competition following a rough defense by four opposing defenders while launching a counterattack alone from near the half-line. In order to prevent Son Heung-min’s breakthrough, Tete deliberately snatched Son Heung-min, and the situation was so urgent that the Fulham defenders collided with each other. Son Heung-Min, who was trying to dribble, reached Tete’s leg a little earlier and kicked the ball.
A yellow card was inevitable as the risk of hitting the opponent’s leg with the bottom of a soccer shoe was high, but at least it happened so quickly that it was impossible to determine ‘deliberateness’ in the tackling process. The fact that there was no yellow card decision or harsh protests from opposing players toward Son Heung-min, who made the tackle, also supports the claim that the tackle was not intentional.
Former referee Halsey also said, “Of course, if Son Heung-min’s feet were a little higher, he might have been sent off, but it wasn’t to that extent. It was a situation where the referee’s judgment was inevitably subjective, and it was not an obvious mistake, so the VAR referee room did not intervene.” He added strength to the judgment of the referee who gave Son Heung-min a warning, not an exit.
On the other hand, Son Heung-min assisted Harry Kane’s goal that day and added an offensive point following 4 official matches. It is the 3rd help in the league this season. With a joint goal from Son Heung-min and Kane, Tottenham beat Fulham 1-0 and escaped from a two-game losing streak.
