In a game full of drama and with huge implications for both the top and bottom of the English Barclays Premier League between Aston Villa and Chelsea, referee Lee Mason and his refereeing crew had their hands full. The game witnessed three goals, two of these were historic and record setting goals by Frank Lampard, one controversial no-goal cleared off the goal line, seven yellow cards and two red cards.
Given the high stakes of this game – for Chelsea Championship League spot and Aston Villa relegation from the league - it was not surprising that Mr. Mason was called to action very early in the game. Indeed, he issued his first caution in only the 4th minute of the game. The caution was issued to Nathan Baker for a hard foul on Chelsea’s Juan Mata. In fact, Baker should have considered himself very lucky because his lunging tackle completely missed the ball, violently upended Mata and came from behind. Truth to be told, Mr. Mason could have easily – and should have - sent him off for serious foul play. Under FIFA Laws of the Game, “any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.” Baker’s foul easily met these criteria.
As it often happens with the Cup fixtures, the Swansea City v. Chelsea game was hugely entertaining and did not lack suspense and drama. Late in the game in this semi-final cup match, the ball went out of play over Swansea’s goal line for a goal kick. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was the closest to the ball and, his team being down 2-0 on the aggregate and out of the Capital One Cup at that point, rushed to the ball with the intent to put it back into play as quickly as possible. The ball, however, had rolled into the possession of one of Swansea’s ball boys who appeared very reluctant (or too slow to Hazard’s liking) to release the ball. Not being in the mood to waste any of the remaining precious time, Hazard toppled the boy over who fell on top of the ball but continued to hold on to it. In an attempt to get the ball from the ball boy’s possession, clearly frustrated Hazard pushed and pulled the boy in order to roll him over and off the ball but - having failed to do so - Hazard lifted his leg and appeared to kick the boy in the ribs. At this point, even though the ball rolled from underneath the boy’s body, the boy was now clutching his side in agony and pointing angrily at Hazard. As if nothing happened, Hazard picked the ball up and set it up for Swansea’s goal kick. By this time, however, Swansea’s players were swarming around Hazard and tending to the "wounded" ball boy. While the video footage was not completely conclusive, Hazard appeared to concede that he kicked the boy and stated in his brief statement after the game that “he was attempting to kick the ball and think he got the ball and a little bit of the boy too.”
Luis Suárez was at it again, this time by scoring a winning goal with his arm to ensure Liverpool’s victory at Field Mill against fifth division Mansfield Town and securing his team’s place in the FA Cup fourth round.
In the last week’s English Premier League game between West Ham and Everton, the referee Anthony Taylor sent off West Ham’s Carlton Cole and Everton’s Darron Gibson for what he apparently perceived to be dangerous high-foot challenges that put the safety of their opponents at risk. The first red card was awarded in the 67th minute of the game to Carlton Cole after he challenged for the ball with his leg fully extended and studs up while Everton’s Leighton Baines was challenging for the ball with his head. Mr. Taylor almost immediately pulled the red card from his pocket and dismissed Cole. However, even though the replays showed that Cole’s foot was dangerously high and close to Baines’ head, he was going for the ball and there appear to be no intent on his part to injure or intimidate the Everton player. What’s more, Baines was barely grazed by Carlton’s foot and, to his credit, he did not embellish any injury from the contact. The second red card was awarded in the 90th minute of the game to Darron Gibson for a similar high-footed challenge on West Ham’s Mark Noble. Like the Cole’s challenge, Gibson’s tackle did not appear malicious or retaliatory in nature and he did not appear to intentionally target his opponent. (See the video below.)
In the 28th minute of the Manchester United v. Newcastle match that took place on December 26, 2012, Newcastle’s fullback Danny Simpson drove a ball from the upper corner of Manchester United’s penalty area toward his teammate Papiss Cissé. At the time of the shot, Cissé was clearly closer to the goal than the second to last Manchester United defender Jonny Evans and therefore was in an offside position. Both players were at the top of the goal area but out of the line of sight of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea who could clearly see the shot hurdling toward him. As Evans attempted to turn and face the field to have a better chance of clearing the incoming ball, he appeared to slip on the wet pitch and went down to the ground. While Evans was falling to the ground, the ball ricocheted off his foot and into the goal without ever making its way to the intended target, Cissé.
seems that the suspension that the Football Association (the FA) levied against Liverpool's striker Luis Suarez did not have the desired effect and the Suarez-Evra hostilities burst into the open once again last week. Recall that in December 2011, the Football Association suspended Suarez for eight games and fined him £40,000 for allegedly hurling racist insults at Manchester United's defender Patrice Evra. At the time, the FA's statement said that:
