go throughDoug McIntyre
Fox Sports Football Writer
Editor’s Note: From now until 2022 FIFA World Cup first match starts Every day of the ball On November 20th, we will unveil a different story from the history of the World Cup memory. Countdown continues from 101
In in The kind of flying, pinned-from-the-chest kick that Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong played against Xabi Alonso in any game, anywhere A clear red card.
Except this is not any old game. It happened to be the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands, and De Jong was shown just one yellow card after committing one of the worst fouls in World Cup history. Referee Howard Webb then explained that his view of the challenge was hampered; because he was behind Alonso, unlike the billions of TV viewers around the world, he couldn’t see the violence of the tackle from his vantage point.
With eight years to go before VAR, De Jong stayed on the pitch. Still, justice was finally served: Alonso was uninjured and continued to play, and Spain, who won their first World Cup with an extra-time goal from Andres Iniesta, will remain trophyless ORANGE Their third championship loss.
De Jong set off a booking boom
Habi Alonso kicks Nigel De Jong in the chest.
One of North America’s leading football reporters, Doug McIntyre has covered the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining Fox Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer for ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @
ByDougMcIntyre .
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