| What
is the point? I mean, a man does his best to carve out a reputation, gradually
picking up merits throughout a long hard season, a yellow card here, a well
placed insult to a referee there, pushing to get to the top of the leader
board. And then along comes some guy in a suit and takes it all away from you!
The appeals committee were at their most forgiving this week, pardoning four
yellow cards and a red to some of our leading villains. Well alright, Caminero
didn't dive in the area, he was clearly pulled down, but what good does that do
bringing it up now? The match is over, and you can't wind the clock back and
give a penalty. So Samways didn't touch the guy? Fine time to mention it, with
Kresic banned for a game for protesting his player's innocence. Likewise
Arzeno, who was heading up our villains' chart until they took away his
livelihood. How do you think he feels being told he didn't kick the man?
López Rekarte likewise. Let's have some respect for people's feelings,
guys. Another six red cards this week to keep up the average over the last four
weeks or so. Well, that's at the time of going to press. Maybe they'll all be
let off again. Deportivo's Naybet was the first to go, a little harshly as he
was just trying to shake off Javi Moreno. Then went Valencia's Ayala, probably
justified as he wiped his boots on Canabal's back. The other four were sent for
the early bath for two bookable offences, and as happened last week, they were
often victims of the referees' overzealous desire to pull out a yellow card
everytime someone is fouled. Real Madrid's Hierro couldn't believe he was being
asked to leave the pitch after he was ruled to have handled the ball in the
penalty area. The ball hit his arm at point blank range from Posse's cross, and
there was little he could do to avoid it. The other three, Real Sociedad's
Julio César, Racing's Tais and Zaragoza's Jamelli can also feel hard
done by to be shown the red. By our reckoning eight more players will be banned
next week as well for acumulation of yellow cards, including Madrid's
Iván Helguera, Valencia's Baraja and Jarni from Las Palmas. Or maybe
not. Osasuna's Palacios could also be in trouble after the referee reported him
for calling him a sh*t in the tunnel after the match with Racing.
(14.05.01) |
