‘Are we stupid now?’ – FIFA slammed over ‘insane’ take on controversial World Cup moment
· Yahoo Sports
Former England youth international Nedum Onuoha has criticised FIFA for a decision that favoured the Three Lions.
England beat Norway 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-final, but many believe their first goal should have been disallowed.
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The ball appeared to hit a camera wire in the build-up to Jude Bellingham’s goal, meaning the referee should have stopped play.
Instead, the referee did not notice the deflection off the wire and allowed play to continue until Bellingham scored.
The balls at the World Cup have sensors that should detect any touches, but they did not detect anything from the wire.
Therefore, Bellingham’s goal stood, and the Norway players, coaches, and supporters were furious at the harsh decision.
Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty ImagesFIFA’s response to the controversial World Cup moment sparks backlash
Nedum Onuoha insists that the players’ reactions prove that the ball hit a camera wire overhanging the pitch in Miami.
The England defenders were preparing to deal with Orjan Nyland’s goal-kick before the ball dropped to Elliot Anderson.
The referee missed the incident, but the VAR probably should have taken a closer look and disallowed the goal.
Onuoha cannot believe that football has found itself in a situation where the officials’ eyes are ignored in favour of technology.
“They’re saying there’s no proof, but what is the video then? Does the video not exist? The only way to see if it’s hit a wire is the snickometer,” Onuoha said.
“Elliot Anderson has had the ball drop down to him in the middle of the field when he was not expecting it. There were people behind jostling for a header, and then it went 15 yards short.
“It’s either touched something, or it’s the biggest gust of wind you’ve seen in all your life. For the players who saw it, it’s going to be very hard to say it didn’t matter.
“So many people have the point: FIFA is telling you not to believe what you’ve seen because they’ve got something else instead. That is an insane position to be in. Are we stupid now?”
Although Norway can feel hard done by, they still had more than enough time to prevent Bellingham’s goal.
England did just enough to deserve the victory, reaching their second World Cup semi-final in eight years.
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