I must say it was gratifying to see that Sunderland beat Liverpool 1-0 in the English premier league on Saturday. It was even more amazing to discover that they did it with what may be the weirdest goal ever scored in the history of organized soccer. There was a giant red beach ball sitting on the six yard line inside the Liverpool penalty area minding its own business until the game ball, coming from the other side, landed at Darren Bent's feet. Bent thereupon lashed the ball right at the goalkeeper, but with the beach ball in the way, the soccer ball went one way, the beach ball the other, and the Liverpool goalkeeper looked on helplessly as the only one that counted went in the net. Amazingly, the referee let the goal stand. But see for yourself...
OK, so youtube took down the video, but here's a still of the goalie's dilemma - big red beach ball or black and white soccer ball? D'oh! Too late!
"Amazingly" and, so far as I understand, contrary to the rules.
Posted by: AKMA | October 18, 2009 at 11:16 PM
Ah, but referees have a lot of discretion, and in this case he must have decided that the "correct" thing to do was wrong.
Technically he should have stopped play and awarded a dropped ball (50-50) somewhere around the beach ball area. That would have been a travesty of justice and would only have encouraged fans to throw stuff on the pitch any time their goal was threatened.
So in the end I think he did the right thing, even though he will be punished for it in the media and by only getting to ref a lower division game this coming week.
Posted by: dave paisley | October 19, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Sad to say, the video is no longer available for copyright reasons.
Posted by: David Coburn | October 20, 2009 at 06:39 PM