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News
McCoist labels Rodrigo Bentancur challenge in Uruguay loss crazy
Ally McCoist (broadcast on 28/11; 19:12) that the challenge Rodrigo Bentancur made on Ruben Neves during Uruguay’s World Cup clash with Portugal was crazy considering that the Tottenham Hotspur star was already on a yellow card.
Monday proved to be a frustrating occasion for the two-time champions. They were beaten 2-0 to leave themselves with an uphill climb to reach the knockout stages.
Events may have played out differently had Bentancur taken the best chance of the first-half after producing an ‘unbelievable’ run through on goal. Unfortunately, he failed to beat Diogo Costa.
Bentancur makes crazy challenge while already on yellow
But perhaps Bentancur was a little fortunate to still be on the pitch at that stage. The Spurs star had already been booked after six minutes when he knocked Neves over a few moments later.
Neves had his back to the Uruguay goal when Bentancur went to press him as he received possession. The Tottenham midfielder was too forceful and seemed to push the Wolves captain to the floor.
Quickly, it became clear that some of the Portugal players saw an opportunity to get Bentancur sent off.
McCoist felt that Neves made the most of the challenge. However, he could not believe that Bentancur left the referee with a decision to make – and did not help himself with his reaction afterwards.
“That’s crazy actually, isn’t it,” . “I don’t think there’s an awful lot in it. But why put your hands there in the first place when you’ve received a yellow card?
“It looks like the referee is just trying to calm him down a little bit, for his own good.”
The 25-year-old did well to remain disciplined during the rest of the game. It was a disappointing night for his country. They gave away an incredibly controversial penalty in the second-half.
Having said that, Uruguay still have an opportunity to get through. A win against Ghana will be enough should Portugal also beat South Korea.
Bentancur has been impressive so far. And clearly, it is a big boost for Uruguay that he will be available for their final game.