By Andrew Warshaw
July 4 – The hoodoo is over but not without considerable controversy. As England fans revel in World Cup progress after their team finally banished decades of heartbreaking penalty shootout eliminations in the most nail-biting of circumstances, Colombia’s coach has refused to go quietly.
In what smacked of sour grapes, Jose Pekerman pointed the finger squarely at the England players following the niggly last-16 tie that saw Gareth Southgate’s team reach the quarterfinals at the South Americans’ expense.
Millions who watched the game, not only in the UK but across the globe, saw Colombia use every trick in the book to try and intimidate Southgate’s young team. England, it has to be said, were by no means blameless but the way Pekerman reacted afterwards suggested his team were the ones on the end of most of the unsavoury antics.
“I know they weren’t happy with us before this match because there were lots of remarks, serious comments and unfounded comments. I don’t think this is fair,” an angry Pekerman told a news conference following the 1-1 draw in Moscow.
“I don’t think that people in England or other countries should think of Colombia players like this. England has a great weapon in aerial play and we have seen that in all their matches. There were lots of penalty incidents with Panama and Tunisia. Players fall in the box, they collide and fall.
“And that hurts, you have to try and stand in the shoes of these players. They are subject to situations which shouldn’t really be present in football. These interruptions are bad.
“Sometimes you have to repeat a free-kick or whatever, but when there are so many fouls we have to try and find the balance so football can happen and the two sides can play the match with good intentions, not only looking at Colombia players, but England players.
“I wish I was wrong, but as from the next match I think England will be much more careful. Today we were on the receiving end of this but I hope this won’t happen again. It has been obvious, too obvious.”
While it’s one thing to defend your team’s approach (justifiably or not), it’s quite another to ignore a string of infractions which, on another day, could (should?) have resulted in far worse punishments than the flurry of yellow cards handed out to Colombia.
Pekerman seems to have conveniently forgotten Wilmar Barrios’ relatively tame yet pre-meditated chin-butt on Jordan Henderson. Or, at half-time, Raheem Sterling appearing to be on the end of a deliberate elbow from one of the Colombian coaching staff. In both cases, American referee Mark Geiger erred on the side of leniency.
In the last few days FIFA have made it clear that more scrutiny has be given to attackers being hauled down in the penalty area. Some referees have been reluctant to heed that advice but when Harry Kane was clearly impeded (as he was almost every time he received the ball), Geiger was brave enough to award England the penalty. Inevitably a fierce South American protest ensued, lasting over three minutes and continued after the game by striker Radamel Falcao who accused Geiger of bias for handing out six yellow cards to his teammates yet only two to England.
“He always made calls to favour England,” declared Falcao. “I found it peculiar that they put an American referee in this instance. This situation was undermining us. He didn’t act with the same criteria for both teams. When in doubt he always went to the England side. It’s shameful that this happens in the round of 16 of a World Cup.”
More shameful in what was a predictably tight game were the antics used by Colombia’s players to try and influence the officials and gain whatever advantage they could. In a World Cup full of thrilling unpredictability, the only downside has been some of the appalling indiscipline. England, as I say, were by no means faultless in their conduct in Moscow but to suggest they were the main culprits is laughable.
Ultimately, Colombia got what they deserved much to the anguish of thousands of their fans who had turned the occasion into a home game.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713463303labto1713463303ofdlr1713463303owedi1713463303sni@w1713463303ahsra1713463303w.wer1713463303dna1713463303