ROY KEANE, Gary Neville and Ian Wright believe Argentina were WRONGFULLY awarded a penalty in their World Cup semi-final clash with Croatia.
Manchester City ace Julian Alvarez, 22, honed in on Croatia’s goal and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
The Keeper cleaned Alvarez out and the ball was swept clear before it could cross the line.
Referee Daniele Orsato then awarded a penalty and booked Livakovic for the challenge.
Lionel Messi stepped up and converted from the penalty spot to hand Argentina a semi-final lead.
It took Messi’s World Cup goals tally to 11, making him the South American’s all-time top scorer at the tournament.
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Alvarez then got a goal of his own to hand Argentina a two-goal lead heading into half-time.
However, ITV’s punditry team consisting of Premier League legends Keane, Neville and Wright, believe Argentina’s penalty shouldn’t have been awarded.
The trio believe Livakovic had nowhere to go and Alvarez in fact ran into the keeper.
Neville fumed: “No (it should not have been a penalty), not at all. We’re right above it here, this angle is a little further away but the ‘keeper comes out, he basically just makes a movement to his right, stops himself before the actual shot is about to be taken and Alvarez just runs into him and takes his leg away.
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“This is not a penalty. What else can he do? He has to make that motion to try and save the ball, he plants his feet.
“If he’d carried on running out and taken out Alvarez then fair enough, but he stops before it and I don’t know if that’s a penalty.”
Wright added: “When you look at it, the centre forward, he’s actually mis-kicked it to be honest. If he hits it and it goes into the goal, the goalkeeper can’t do anything like you say, he’s stopped.
“Alvarez miskicks it, it’s not going into the goal, the goalkeeper can’t do anything else but stand his ground and he runs into him. The referee didn’t have a look, I can’t understand it.”
While Keane said: “Poor defending overall to let him get a run in on goal, but I agree with the lads I don’t think it’s a penalty, where else are you supposed to go?”
Former referee Peter Walton, however, agreed with the decision to award the spot-kick.
Walton says if the situation was flipped and the incident involved an outfield player, a foul would be given, so it shouldn’t be any different when involving a goalie.
Keane could be heard saying “wow”, as Walton gave his reasoning.
Alvarez got his second of the night in the second 45, finishing off a well-worked move orchestrated by Messi, booking Argentina’s place in their sixth-ever World Cup final.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
