Bizzare match in the U-20 World Cup

[Son of L8]

At the end of the Chile - Portugal game tonight, with Chile leading 1-0, a Portuguese player (Mano) went charging into a Chile player with his arms up in the lad's face and bashed him over. The referee came over to show the red card to the Portuguese kid, but was surrounded by several Portugal players who stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the ref while Mano hid a few yards behind them so the ref couldn't see him.

 

The ref tried to show the card over their heads, but one of the Portuguese lads grabbed hold of the ref's wrist and wouldn't let him raise his arm, holding it down by his hip. The ref pulled his hand away, took a step back and tried to show the red again, but another Portuguese player (Zequinha) nipped in from behind and nicked the card right out of the ref's hand as he was lifting it over his head!

 

So the ref turns around, snatches his card back and sends off Zequinha, leaving Portugal with nine men.

 

A minute later, one of the linesmen starts kicking up a fuss on the touchline. The fourth official comes over, the referee comes over and they're all jabbering away at each other. Apparently the linesmen says Portugal have too many men on the pitch, but they've not -- there's just the nine they're supposed to have after two being sent off. But he won't believe anyone who tries to tell him, so this little Latino linesman marches right out onto the pitch and pretty soon all the officials are milling around the field after him while he tries to count the players, shouting "Nine! Nine!" over and over again.

 

Shortly after that was sorted out, in extra time, the Chilean goalscorer (Vidal) is set up to take a freekick just outside his own penalty area, and just stands there staring at the ball without making any move to put the ball back into play. So the referee comes dashing over and shows him a second yellow and sends him off for time-wasting... Vidal promptly starts sprinting off after the referee (who runs away), bellowing and waving his fist like he wants to crack the ref one in the jaw. He gets dragged off by his teammates, as he apparently has no intention of leaving the pitch of his own free will. And in the post-match celebrations the camera periodically catches glimpses of him being dragged around the ground by large men in suits still shouting and swearing.

 

Don't you just love youth football?