Preventing a Goal Scoring Chance - Red Card or Not?

After a very long lay off, our beloved Champions League is back with a bang. The last 16 has thrown up some highly anticipated matches with a couple of very controversial issues. 

On Tuesday night, Manchester City's Martin Demichelis was sent for an early shower after denying Lionel Messi a goal scoring opportunity. This was replicated last night by Wojciech Sczezesny of Arsenal, when he fouled Arjen Robben.

I was watching the coverage on RTE Sport and the panel were all very critical of the current ruling. The current rules state that the perpetrator must be sent off and either a penalty or a free kick awarded. It was evident that Sczezesny disagreed with the decision, and at first I did too. On the first appearance, it seemed as if Robben had lost control of the ball and, if Sczezesny had not touched him, it would have rolled harmlessly out of play for a goal kick. On the other hand, the decision against Demichelis was justified.

"The red card changed the complexion of the game."

I am highly critical of some of the laws in the the rule book and an advocate for referees to use their initiative instead of going by the letter of the law. Personally, the red card heaps more misery upon the team, particularly if the penalty is scored. As witnessed last night, the red card changed the complexion of the game. For the dying minutes of the first half and the majority of the second half, Arsenal were devoted to protecting their own goal, rather than trying to attack in order to score. Effectively it ruined the game as a contest for the neutral - Arsenal could only manage 12% possession and complete 38 passes in the second half. Not what we want to see in the Champions League. Fortunately for Arsenal, David Alaba hit the post with the penalty and the teams went in level at half time. 

"The referee refused to use his initiative and followed the letter of the law."

Another high profile example was the sending off of Jens Lehmann in the 2006 Champions League Final (sorry Arsenal fans!). The match yesterday was a replica of that Final.  Back in '06, Samuel Eto'o was brought down by the German keeper in a challenge which was a stonewall foul. Whether it was inside or outside the box, that's open to interpretation. While the rule book states that the penalty must be awarded and the red card shown, the ball had rolled on to Ronaldinho who nestled the ball in the back of the net. In this case, the referee refused to use his initiative and followed the letter of the law. The neutral, (and Arsenal fans), would have much rather seen the goal awarded and Lehmann booked. At least that way, the game would still have 22 players on the pitch.

Unlike Bayern, Barcelona were able to convert the penalty through Lionel Messi. With both a man and a goal down, the Manchester side had a colossal mountain to climb. The dismissal of Demichelis ignited a flurry of attacks from Barcelona as they continued to probe the City defence for any signs of weakness. While Arsenal could barely get a touch of the ball, City were able to muster a few shots target.

"A red card is brandished if the penalty is missed, and a the yellow produced if it is scored."

Many FIFA critics would argue that by awarding a penalty, it replicates the goal scoring chance that was taken away from the attacking side, therefore the red card would not be necessary. I agree with this opinion completely, as the red card handicaps the side for the rest of the game. John Giles of RTE Sport agrees with them. In the heat of the debate, Giles proposed a solution to this contentious issue. He suggested that the red card is shown if the penalty is missed and the yellow is shown if the penalty is scored.

It is a logical solution to this ongoing debacle, however their is one glaringly obvious problem with this answer - Would some players, under orders from the manager, purposely miss the penalty in order to see the red card waved? This scenario is particularly true if, the 'victims' were overwhelming the opposing team to the point where a goal is inevitable, regardless of the colour of card produced. I could bet by life savings that we would observe this happening. 

"I don't agree with the introduction of the sin-bin system, but, if drastic action is required, then I view this as the only plausible answer."

Personally, my solution, if one was required, would be to introduce a timeout where the offender would be off the pitch for around 12 minutes. Similar to the sin bin system used in Rugby Union, the attacking team would have the penalty and the player of the pitch, while the defending team, would not have to spend the rest of the game a man down. It benefits both teams, and also the spectators as the spectacle would not be ruined. However, the die-hards would not be pleased about the similarities between rugby and football. As stated in previous posts, I don't agree with the introduction of the sin-bin system, but, if drastic action is required, then I view this as the only plausible answer.

While, this issue seems to be a growing concern, I do not see, or expect, this issue to be challenged in the coming future. Whatever the rules of football, UEFA and FIFA are not able to keep all sides happy. It is undoubtedly a sticky issue that may feel, some sides feel agrieved, particularly if the red card and penalty were unwarranted for a dive.