David Moyes dismisses the reason behind West Ham’s late penalty controversy in their 1-0 defeat away at Freiburg on Thursday night.
Moyes found himself baffled when his West Ham team was not awarded a penalty in the dying moments of stoppage time during the 1st leg of their Europa League last-16 clash against Freiburg.
West Ham will now have to play catch-up in the return leg at the London Stadium next week, as they currently trail 1-0 following Michael Gregoritsch’s goal from close range which secured a narrow victory for the home team in the first leg.
West Ham should have had an opportunity to level the scoreline in the closing stages of the game, after Tomas Soucek’s effort to get back possession inadvertently hit the outstretched arm of Freiburg winger Noah Weisshaupt within the penalty area.
As a result, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened and initiated a lengthy review process, which lasted for over four minutes.
Ultimately, referee Alejandro Hernandez upheld his initial ruling, which left West Ham reeling.
West Ham are denied a penalty in injury time ❌
Should VAR have given the handball?#UEL pic.twitter.com/aKYDC6oWZj
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 7, 2024
Please could everyone involved get in touch immediately
— Specsavers (@Specsavers) March 7, 2024
There's an exemption within handball which states if a defender deliberate kicks the ball and it hits his arm – even if above his head, there should be no penalty.
So the ref is saying that because Freiburg's Noah Weißhaupt kicks the ball onto Tomás Soucek, there is no offence.
— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) March 7, 2024
Compare it to the VAR penalty Rangers conceded at Benfica.
It's a clear case of John Souttar deliberately heading the ball and it hitting his own arm.
This kind of situation is specifically in the IFAB's video exemptions. It should not be a penalty.https://t.co/7oEdbbtTcf
— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) March 7, 2024
The only logical explanation for the Souttar handball is that the VAR has told the referee that Souttar is trying to block a cross at the near post, and the ball hits his arm.
A block isn't a deliberate play, so hitting the arm would be handball.
Nonsense, of course.
— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) March 7, 2024
“If we’d had it given against us, we’d probably think it was harsh, but ultimately I have to say what are you doing with your hands above your head?” Moyes said.
“They are trying to claim there might have been a slight push and that’s why it wasn’t given – but they should have restarted the game with a free-kick if they said it was a push.
“It certainly wasn’t enough of a push to warrant a free-kick, so that shouldn’t mean that it should even come into consideration. The boy has two arms above his head.
“In the Premier League, I am not sure that would be given, but in UEFA competitions in Europe they’re normally given by the referees. I watch Spanish football and German football and nearly every handball is seen.
“If you think of the one we had against Kurt [Zouma at Everton] the other day, but we just have to take it and move on.”
“I’ve had the chance to look at it and I think it is a penalty kick. My reasons aren’t biased, but nowadays if you lift two hands above your head then it’s an unnatural position. I think the reasons for his hands being there was because it was a free-kick, but if that was his reason, then the referee never restarted the game for a free-kick.
“If it was because the player kicked it on to his own arms, then technically he made a really poor clearance attempt. So for all of those points, I can’t see why the referee didn’t choose to give a penalty kick.
“However, if it was us on the other side then I think it would be very harsh, But I would have to say the minute that arms are above the head, especially in Uefa [competitions], the referees tend to give penalty kicks.”
On West Ham’s performance: “We didn’t have our shooting boots on. Jarrod [Bowen] had one good chance at the back post in the first-half but apart from that we didn’t play well in the first-half. But I have to praise Freiburg, they started very brightly. I thought the give away from us to their goal was terrible and we gave the ball away in midfield too easy. We turned the ball over too much.
“It’s not a terrible performance and this is what two-legged games are about. We will do everything to try and turn it around. We’ll know what we have to do and hopefully we’ll have our crowd and atmosphere behind us to back us.”
🏁 FT: Freiburg 1-0 West Ham
Late drama but it’s Freiburg who prevail victorious as the tie heads to the London Stadium next week…
🖥️ @julesbreach and @sjsidwell review the late VAR decision against West Ham… #UEL pic.twitter.com/ZMmXnGOACm
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 7, 2024
“I believe it’s a penalty kick… It’s very difficult to see why not.”
David Moyes expresses his opinion on the controversial VAR decision that refused West Ham a penalty in the dying moments of the game…
🎙️ @archiert1 | #UEL pic.twitter.com/LEEmDSCDWY
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 7, 2024
West Ham’s Kurt Zouma, who took issue with the referee after the decision, refused to be drawn on the late penalty decision when he spoke to TNT Sports after the game.
“I don’t know [if it was the right decision]. The decision took a bit of time and the referee took a lot of time. It is what it is. The game is over. I don’t want to go back to it now.”
On the match itself: “It was a tough game today, we didn’t play well throughout the whole game. We didn’t have many chances.
“There is another game next week and hopefully we can play better. There are many things [which could be to blame], we didn’t start the game the right way, maybe physically but no reason. There are days like this in football.”
Tomas Soucek: “It’s disappointing, because after every loss you have to be disappointed.
“I’m happy that it’s only half-time – we beat them twice in the group and we wanted to do the same today.
“Our performance wasn’t enough, but still we had a couple of chances. At home, we need to do much better to go through to the next round.
“I remember that game [against Sevilla] and we were very good in the second leg. I just hope we can do the same now because we want to play more in this competition.
“At home it was a perfect performance and I hope with the fans and everybody it will be the same and will be all good [in the end].”
Soucek was bemused as to why the official didn’t overturn his original decision but says his team have to take that on the chin and move on to a vital three home match-week.
“I think it should have been a penalty,” he added. “The referee told me the defender kicked the ball onto his hand on his own, but it was me who played the ball.
“I think it’s the wrong decision, but I’m not on the pitch to make those decisions. It’s unlucky for us, it could be 1-1 but it’s not, so we have to deal with it.
“We were not as sharp [tonight as in the last two matches]. We have to see what we did wrong and get ready for the next week.”
Freiburg: Atubolu, Sildillia (Kübler 82), Ginter, Gulde, Günter ©, Höfler, Dōan (Muslija 82), Eggestein, Höler (Gregoritsch 70), Grifo (Weißhaupt 70), Sallai (Röhl 88)
Subs: Müller (GK), Uphoff (GK), Szalai, Keitel, Adamu, Philipp, Makengo,
Goal: Gregoritsch 81
Booked: Sildillia, Sallai
West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Zouma ©, Mavropanos, Emerson (Cresswell 68), Álvarez, Souček, Ward-Prowse (Phillips 81), Paquetá (Antonio 90+1), Kudus, Bowen
Subs: Areola (GK), Anang (GK), Johnson, Ogbonna, Casey, Earthy, Orford, Ings, Mubama
Booked: Paquetá
Referee: Alejandro Hernández (ESP)
This is how fans reacted after David Moyes dismisses reason behind West Ham’s late penalty controversy in defeat at Freiburg…
@Tom_Coughlan: Hand above his head, ball hits hand. Please explain how this is not handball @UEFA
@Palmerlona14: How did this take nearly 5 minutes only to be not given! The arm is so unnatural it’s almost laughable it hasn’t been given 🙊 #Westham #UEL
@jack_seabrook1: What the fuck is this? Arms are obviously in an un natural position… don’t let this controversy take away the absolute shambles of a performance, tactical genius 🤡🤡🤡.
@TomBarrett97WHU: How isn’t this a penalty his arms are so high and he stops the ball going towards the goal 😂
@Reaps11: I genuinely have no idea what the handball rule is anymore 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
@tomWHUFC_: i’m not even angry i just feel sick what’s the point in even playing if decisions are so blatantly going to go against you
@JimMunro: West Ham shouldn’t have needed a late VAR penalty to save that game, it should have been put to bed much earlier. Instead we saw again just how far off his game Kurt Zouma is. A rapid decline. Immobile, knees shot to pieces, defensive radar has run out of batteries #whufc #coyi
@WhufcSloth: This is such a bad decision, it’s honestly unbelievable….
@Callum_McA4: Stonewall handball that
@danwestham1: why do West Ham always seem to get fucked consistently… i’ve never seen a ref go to a monitor and not give it…. Done at Frankfurt, done at Sheffield United…. what a joke
@TheVillaPolls: Dreadful decision
@westhamtransfer: Corrupt Spanish cunt
@SirMonkeySuit: They gave a penalty to PSG against Newcastle for the exact same thing. They just change the rules when they want.
@WHU99: Cheating ref 😡😡😡😡
@chesterfc1960: The ref bottled it!! How can you look at something for 4 mins and still come to the wrong decision. Poor
@Whuollyhx: Ref completely bottled it

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