KWANGJU (South Korea), June 22: Spain were incensed by the refereeing after they lost 5-3 to South Korea in a penalty shootout in their World Cup quarterfinal Saturday.
“I thought the referee would be fairer in a quarterfinal match like this,” said coach Jose Antonio Camacho after the game finished 0-0 at the end of extra time with two of their goals ruled out.
“We fought to the end and worked so hard but we went out because South Korea were luckier than us. I am just sorry we couldn’t go any further.
“I’m sad because the team worked hard for 120 minutes and we had our chances. We played football to win but we lost. We’re annoyed, indignant, a bit of everything.
“All that was missing was for the linesman not to have raised his hand and for the referee to award us the two goals. Games shouldn’t be decided by the referee but football will survive.”
Egyptian referee Gamal Ghandour disallowed two Spanish ‘goals’, including one by striker Fernando Morientes in extra time, which television replays clearly showed should have stood.
Ghandour ruled the extra time effort out when one of his linesmen flagged because he thought the ball had crossed the goalline before Joaquin crossed it for Morientes to head in at the far post.
Morientes said he had never seen refereeing like it before.
“It could have turned the game around and we are talking about the quarterfinals of a World Cup not a friendly match played just anywhere.
“Two goals disallowed — that has never been seen.”
Italy were also very angry about the refereeing after they were beaten by Korea with a golden goal in a second round match.
Goalkeeper Iker Casillas said: “We knew the referee would be like that. It is just what we expected.
“We hope there will be other opportunities to gain success, but now we will have to wait another four years and see if we qualify again.”
“There are players who know that this was their last World Cup and everyone is hurt and very sad. We haven’t lost a game and we are going home.
Casillas, hero of the second round penalty shoot-out win against Ireland, said he was deeply disappointed that he couldn’t reproduce his performance this time.
“Last week I said that penalties are a lottery and today I just couldn’t stop any of them.”
Soccer-Spanish press
MADRID: Spanish newspapers raged against the referee and his assistants after Spain’s dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat against South Korea in their World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday.
“Daylight Robbery,” ran the headline on the Internet edition of the best-selling sports paper Marca after Spain lost 5-3 in a penalty shootout.
“Football has received a fatal blow in the World Cup today in Korea,” it continued.
“The Egyptian referee Gamal Ghandour and his assistants... will go down in the annals of World Cup shame. He disallowed two perfectly legal goals.
“Spain deserved to win but the referee and his assistants wouldn’t allow it. Something has to be done about this.”
Spain twice had the ball in the net during the game in Kwangju, South Korea, but both goals were disallowed.
Sports daily As took a more reflective view.
“It was the same old story. We have been left stranded in the quarterfinal stages once again and we will remember the refereeing errors but Spain were incapable of winning the game and that is what really counts,” it said.
Ruben Baraja’s header was disallowed early in the second half and an extra-time effort from Fernando Morientes was ruled out when one of the linesmen flagged because he thought the ball had run out of play before Joaquin crossed.
The game went to penalties after the two sides remained deadlocked at 0-0 after 120 minutes of tense and absorbing football.—Reuters
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