Soccer question from one who is ignorant about the sport.

[SixFive]

Why was Portugal only playing with 9 players? I watched the last 30 minutes or so of the Portugal/SKor. game while flipping back and forth between the USA/Poland game. The announcers kept talking about how the USA was backing in and how much of a shocker it was for SoKor to to be winning. I'd hope they could win 11 against 9??? What's up with that? Did it have something to do with red cards or something? Thanks for any replies.

 

[proline]

1 red card for a tackle and Beto 2 yellows in same game which is a red card and automatic ejection.

 

[Cartman88]

Here is the full report from the CNN website ....

Co-host South Korea reached the second round of the World Cup for the first time when it beat nine-man Portugal 1-0 and dumped it out of the tournament.

A 71st minute goal from Park Ji-Sung sent the stadium into raptures and put the Koreans in the last 16 with co-hosts Japan, the first time the two teams from Asia have made it through the first round.

Portugal, one of the pre-tournament favorites, went out of the competition with just one victory, while the United States scrambled into the second round despite losing 3-1 to Poland.

Portugal players left the pitch in tears.

The Portuguese campaign finished in disarray when midfielder Joao Pinto was dismissed in the 27th minute after crashing in from behind on Park in its final group D game.

Joao Pinto had to be calmed down and led from the pitch after arguing with Argentine referee Angel Sanchez.

Portugal defender and captain Fernando Couto held Sanchez by the face as the players argued with the referee over the decision, losing their composure in an intense atmosphere, fueled by the screaming of 50,000 Korean fans.

In the 66th minute defender Beto Severo was sent off for his second bookable offence, a foul on midfielder Lee Young-Pyo.

Portugal came close to equalizing on several occasions, late on through Nuno Gomes and Sergio Conceicao who hit the post.

Both teams came close to scoring in an electrifying last few minutes of the game.

Before the tournament began, Korea had not won a single World Cup game in its previous five finals and was expected to struggle to get past the first-round.

But a 2-0 defeat of Poland in its opening game, a 1-1 draw with the United States and Wednesday's victory has steered it towards a second-round clash with Italy.

Park took his goal well cutting in from the right to shoot through the legs of Portugal keeper Vitor Baia.

Portugal came to the tournament having scored more goals than any other European country in the qualifying.

 

[PerpetualCzech]

Portgual haveonly themselves to blame. Both fouls that led to the red cards were clear calls and their heavy protests were totally unfounded. Who knows what Pinto was thinking with a foul like that in midfield ... it looked like he was trying to break the Korean's freakin' leg.

 

[TheShrimp]

When you earn a red card in a soccer game, not only are you OUT the rest of the game, but your team plays shorthanded for that game.

You would think that playing 11/10 or 11/9 would be a MAJOR advantage, like a power play in hockey, but the advantage is no where near that great. Mainly because other players who remain on the short side can filll the roles of the sent off players and still play their role. Playing short fatigues a team more so it does have an effect.

Think about those times that a team is protecting a 2 goal lead. They don't drop all 11 men into the box. They still will only have 7 or 8 defenders back there.

That's a BIG simplification. Others could add more I'm sure.

Sometimes playing in a league, we'll only have 10 guys show up, and you can still hold your own even playing that way for a whole game.

In American football, where each player is assigned a very specific role, playing a man short would be much more disasterous.

 

[SixFive]

Thanks for the responses. I have always heard of red card being an ejection and 2 yellow equalling a red. I did not realize that a red card also meant the team was then 1 player short. I'm sure that's lead to some huge controversy over the years. That's seems to be major stupidity when the game means that much. Now, will these 2 Portuguese players be ridiculed by the people at home? Will they be ostracised (sp?). I know World Cup is HUGE in Europe. Didn't a Brazillian player actually have a family member killed one time when he screwed up a match?

 

[PerpetualCzech]

In 1994 in the Rose Bowl a Columbian defender scored into his own goal. His team lost 2-1 in a fairly major upset and a few months later he was shot several times and killed outside a nightclub in Columbia. It was reported that with every shot pumped into him his assailant screamed "GOAL!, GOAL!".

 

[TheShrimp]

In 1994 in the Rose Bowl a Columbian defender scored into his own goal. His team lost 2-1 in a fairly major upset and a few months later he was shot several times and killed outside a nightclub in Columbia. It was reported that with every shot pumped into him his assailant screamed "GOAL!, GOAL!".

That was in a loss to the US. Even more embarassing.

 

[nostromo]

Now, will these 2 Portuguese players be ridiculed by the people at home? Will they be ostracised (sp?).

No, they will blame the referee just like they did two years ago at the European Championship when they went out on a 120th minute penalty kick.