a linesman scored a phantom goal, the president entered the field and the referee changed his decision

The promotion tournaments of Argentine football could easily be a book by Roberto Fontanarrosa. Every week they leave some situation that goes viral and not just because they stand out in sports. This Saturday, the duel between Ituzaingó y Yupanqui for the fifth date of the First C left a completely unusual sequence: a linesman scored a ‘phantom goal’, the president of the injured club went onto the field and the referee – who had first validated it – retracted after several minutes of deliberation.. The match ended 0-0.

At 13 minutes into the second half at the Carlos Alberto Sacaan stadium, a cross into the area by the Villa Lugano team sparked controversy: first because the entire local team called for a penalty for a grab, but the worst came when linesman Luciano Cabral He raised the flag and ran towards the middle of the field, signaling a ‘ghost goal’.

The thing is that the ball had clearly been rejected by a Yupanqui defender when it was one meter to the side of the left post of the goal, where it had arrived driven by a header from a teammate, which went over the goalkeeper. In the midst of all the players’ surprise at that signal, referee Mariano Seco marked the middle of the field and blew his whistle.

Ituzaingó’s substitutes, who were warming up behind lineman Cabral, were the first to notice the goal and began to celebrate. The León fans joined them with a shout that was heard through the party broadcast “The Voice of the Lion”.

Obviously, the reaction of the Yupanqui footballers and coaching staff was instantaneous against the referee and the linesman, who seemed immutable in his decision. At one point, coach Facundo Ledesma began to call his players one by one, spoke in their ears and began to take them towards the tunnel, as if he had received the instruction to leave the field. Even the goalkeeper took his gloves off his hands.

Five minutes had already passed since that unusual episode occurred and a new actor appeared on the scene. Dante Majorthe president of Yupanqui and the Executive Board of the First C, went onto the field – something that is prohibited by AFA regulations – and tried to speak with the referee team.

What followed was a summit between the refereeing body and, almost 15 minutes after the play, the main Mariano Seco decided to rectify the decision and hit the ground inside the Yupanqui area as if nothing had happened: not even the ‘goal’. ghost’ nor the possible penalty for Ituzaingó.

“It’s a nonsense. He scored a goal, then he didn’t score it, if he didn’t score it it was a clear penalty because he pushed him from behind. Honestly, it’s embarrassing”said Leonel Córdoba, one of the Ituzaingó soccer players.