Gary Neville has hit out at the decision to award Argentina an early penalty in their World Cup semi-final against Croatia after Julian Alvarez was tripped over by Dominic Livakovic – saying the keeper could do little else about it.
Argentina took an early lead in the pivotal tie as Lionel Messi converted the spot-kick after Croatia’s Livakovic had come charging forwards with Alvarez in the clear – only to clatter the forward as he attempted to go round him.
The referee Daniele Orsato had no hesitation in pointing to the spot to hand Argentina the early advantage with Livakovic failing to get the ball and instead took out the man.
Gary Neville has criticised the decision to award an early penalty for Argentina against Croatia
The referee pointed straight to the spot after Dominik Livakovic clattered Julian Alvarez
The Man City striker was tripped as he dinked the ball over the head of Livakovic
However, Neville believes Alvarez ‘ran into him’ and that there was not much else he could do
However, some have suggested that the decision was harsh because the ball had been lifted over the goalkeeper by Alvarez while he was trying to block it – a view taken by pundit Neville.
‘I didn’t think it was a penalty,’ he told ITV. ‘The keeper comes out, he stops himself and Alvarez runs into him. What else can you do?
His fellow pundits Roy Keane and Ian Wright were in agreement after watching back the incident.
Ex-Arsenal man Wright said: ‘The centre-forward has miskicked it, because if he kicks it it goes into the goal, the keeper can’t do anything else but stand his ground. It wasn’t a foul.’
And Keane added: ‘Poor defending overall, but I don’t think it’s a pen.’
Lionel Messi stepped up to dispatch a brilliant penalty to put Argentina in front on the night
Roy Keane agreed with Neville, but Alan Shearer (right) thought it was the right call
But in the BBC Five Live studio, Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer was in no doubt about the decision made – saying it was a clear penalty.
Shearer said: ‘What a run from Alvarez, he find himself clear. It’s wide open for him. He dinks it over the goalkeeper and Livakovic trips him. For me, it was the right decision.’
Former England goalkeeper Rob Green – also on commentary duty for the station, was in agreement – saying the referee was left with little choice.
‘The ref had to give as soon as Livakovic commits. Once Alvarez gets that nick, Livakovic knows he hasn’t won the ball. It was a clear contact, there’s not a lot he could do.
‘Brilliant penalty from Messi, almost Shearer-esque. He did go the same side as we saw against the Netherlands but he went a lot higher.
Commentator Ally McCoist says he is ‘convinced’ it was a penalty because ‘anywhere else on the pitch it’s a free kick’
‘From that as a goalkeeper, as soon as you commit to the dive, you can’t get up, you can’t get high. You run the risk of it going over the bar but if you get it right, unstoppable.’
Commentators Ally McCoist and Lee Dixon also believed it was a penalty – as the former made the point that it would be a foul anywhere else on the pitch.
‘My initial reaction was that it was a penalty, and having seen the replays I’m convinced it’s a penalty. I can’t understand why they don’t think it’s a penalty to be honest with you, because anywhere else on the pitch it’s a free kick without doubt.
‘What the goalkeeper does, it prevents Alvarez from being through on goal, so I think the referee has got it spot on, I really do.’
Dixon added: ‘I can’t understand it all, obviously everyone has a different opinion, the fact that he’s just standing there and he runs into him, that’s not because he’s challenging for the ball.’
And former referee Peter Walton – who often gives his expert opinion from a TV studio – backed the referee and said Livakovic failed to get the ball.
When asked what else the keeper could do, he replied: ‘Well win the ball, if he’s challenging for the ball and misses it completely and catches the player, he’s impeded his progress and it has to be the foul.
‘If its an outfield player its aways a foul, with the goalkeeper it has to be the same thing. He needs to make sure he gets some contact on the ball, or he’s impeded the progress of the player. His forward motion has meant a collision happens, it may seem harsh but that is a foul.’