Historic moments – including this one – could’ve been changed by video technology
#5 Helguera and Morientes’ disallowed goals for Spain in the 2002 World Cup
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Two questionable refereeing decisions cost Spain against South Korea in 2002
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Arguably the most questionable result in any modern game, the 2002 World Cup quarter-final saw host nation South Korea upset Spain via a penalty shoot-out to reach the semis. Realistically though it should never have happened.
Firstly Ivan Helguera headed in during the first half, only for the referee to disallow the goal due to apparent shirt pulling in the box. The decision was questionable at best – reminiscent of the Campbell incident in the previous World Cup – but worse was yet to come.
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As the game headed into extra time – still under Golden Goal rules – Spain thought they’d won it again as Fernando Morientes headed in from close range, only for the referee to again disallow the goal. The reason this time? Apparently the ball had gone out of play before Joaquin fired in the cross. Only the replays confirmed it hadn’t. Spain were unable to get the crucial goal and ended up losing the penalty shoot-out to the hosts.
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Was this match fixing? Or was it just an example of a really incompetent referee? We’ll never know, but video technology would’ve changed the result for certain and may have handed Spain their first World Cup eight years early.
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About the author
Scott Newman
Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.
Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.
Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.
His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.
Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.
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