On Wednesday night, the UNAM Pumas tied at home 2-2 in the first leg of the Concachampions against the Seattle Sounders; however, it was a result that tasted of defeat, since they were able to define the tie in the Universitario Olympic with at least 3-0, but they let the rival of the MLS live and, Circumstantially, the US team drew the tie in the last minute of the match.
And the fact is that the frustration began in the second half , when Pumas was up on the scoreboard 2-0 and the referee gave them a penalty against them . The marking was controversial, since the felines alleged that in the play prior to the defender’s hand in the area there was a push from a Sounders forward, so they considered that this infraction should be marked and not the penalty. The whistler resorted to VAR and, after analyzing the play, ratified his decision in the face of the Mexicans’ protests.
The mental game of the experienced goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera then came to want intimidate collector Nicolás Lodeiro, challenging him to shoot to the right side. The one from Seattle agreed and threw it there; the goalkeeper touched the ball, but could not deflect it due to the power he had.
In the final stretch of the match, when Pumas was close to scoring the third, in a counterattack that did not carry too much danger, there was another penalty against those from the League MX due to a light contact of the defender on the attacker’s knee, who made it dramatic and led the whistle to review the VAR.
The penalty was ratified again and again Talavera challenged Lodeiro, the same shooter, to collect on the same side. And so it happened, only this time the ball slipped into the net over the goalkeeper, who threw himself to the same side but did not reach the ball. Immediately after, the attacker who had just scored said something to Talavera that turned him on. In the transmission it can be seen that he moves his mouth, but what he says is not perceived. Later, the 10 from Seattle celebrated the goal against the college students.
A minute later, the referee ended the match and the brawl began, Talavera commanded her and was the first to argue, while he faced Lodeiro, with whom he exchanged words and shoves. Players then joined the discussion of the two teams, later others arrived, as well as the technical bodies, but they approached to calm things down, since any expulsion would harm them in the face of the final second leg.
Moments after this, Lodeiro wanted to end the controversy and declared at a press conference: “ It’s what happens when you’re playing a final. They are defending their jersey and their team. Once that’s over, it’s over and nothing happened”.
🎙 Nicolás Lodeiro talks about the discussion at the end of the match with Alfredo Talavera:
“When you are defending your team, it is logical to react, but they are things that remain on the pitch, you are used to it”#SCCL22 pic.twitter.com/9fnE550DdeC— PressPort (@PressPortmx) April 28, 2022
Dinenno denounced mockery by the refereeing body
For his part, Juan Ignacio Dinenno, the author of the two goals of the felines, attacked the arbitral body and denounced that the assistant referee laughed in his face after the second goal, behavior that could also help to heat up the spirits.
“You have to be aware that the referees are people who make mistakes, who have a tool that the player does not have; what does seem strange to me and it is not a criticism but a comment, is that the linesman after the second goal laughs in my face “, expressed the scoring leader of the competition.
“There is a video, I asked the commissioner, ‘did you see it? Because I see it, I’m not crazy’; seems totally out of place to me. Then they say that the players generate violence and for me what generates violence is something else, “he concluded.
Pumas and Seattle will collide at Lumen Field on May 4, in the duel that will define the tournament champion, who will represent Concacaf in the next Club World Cup.
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