One of the moments that set the tone for the game was the referee’s decision regarding the intervention of Lisandro Martinez in the penalty box. Do you remember the match between Man United and Newcastle? According to sources. Let’s go over the events and the different interpretations given by the experts.
The Main Issue: Was it A Penalty or Not for Lisandro Martinez?
Now, the situation goes like this. A player from Newcastle was sprinting toward the goal, and the Man United defender Lisandro Martinez was trying to intercept him. They both went for the ball, and while the Newcastle player was going down, the referee was already signaling the stoppage.
That was the source of the argument, basically! Some believed that Martinez had indeed unleashed the Newcastle player, while others argued that the Newcastle player fell as a part of the ball’s motion.
What the Experts Said: Keith Hackett Weighs In
If we want to know what really happened, we could go by the experts’ opinions. Keith Hackett is one former referee whose voice always carries weight, knows the rules thoroughly, and thus gives solid arguments. He saw the incident from different angles and commented on it.
According to Hackett, this was a very tricky decision for the referee to make. He introduced the mental process of the referee on the field, who was practically tasting the bitterness of the dilemma: Was Martinez guilty? Did the player interact? Or was it a normal challenge? This entire incident is telling in a couple of ways. Firstly, Lisandro Martinez is a hard player who never lacks effort. He is constantly battling for the ball and contributing to the team’s offense. Secondly, it reveals the difficulty of refereeing. Referees are under pressure, and sometimes they have to make and enforce very difficult decision instantlys.
Authors Opinion
In the long run, the referee ruled on the matter. No matter whether you agreed with the ruling or not, it is still advisable to bear in mind that referees are humans and sometimes they make mistakes. It’s all part of the game!
As featured on ManUNews.com
