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In football, substitutions are made for various reasons at the manager's discretion. It could be to change the shape of the match, take a few seconds off the clock or in the event of an injury to an on-field player.
In the course of history, we have seen coaches pull off effective substitutions, for instance, German boss Joachim Low who introduced Mario Gotze in the dying stages of the 2014 FIFA World Cup final. Gotze went on to score the winner as Germany became world champions. At times, coaches have made the bold decision of substituting goalkeepers in big match situations, which happened in Netherlands’ campaign in the last World Cup.
After easy wins over top sides Spain and Chile in their opening three matches, it was expected that the Dutch would make light work of Costa Rica in the quarter-final. However, things proved difficult and Louis Van Gaal brought on goalkeeper Tim Krul as an injury-time substitute after 120 minutes of an evenly contested match.
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Krul subsequently made two saves in the shootout as the Oranje won 4-3 on post-match penalties. Unfortunately, he could not replicate his heroics in the semi-final against Argentina as the Dutch were already out of substitutions. Argentina progressed to the final after emerging 4-2 winners on penalties.
Not all substitutions have proven to be fruitful. In fact, some teams have paid the ultimate price as a result of the manager’s decision to make the switch.
#5 Balotelli... being well, Balotelli
Mario Balotelli’s broad personality and no-nonsense approach has defined him for the better part of his career. This is the same player that on a good day, could turn a game on its head like the time when he strategically destroyed Germany in Italy’s 2-0 win in the 2012 European Championship semi-final. He is no stranger to being sent off as well. In Inter Milan’s 2009 Champions League clash against Rubin Kazan, Balotelli was sent off following a second bookable offence.
Talk revolved around how his then manager Jose Mourinho extensively spoke with him at halftime about avoiding a sending off as he had no recognised striker on the bench to replace him. 15 minutes into the second half, Balotelli made a late lunge on Christian Noboa which earned him the red card. Acts such as these have been as synonymous with the Italian striker.
On November 27, 2011, Manchester City played out to a 1-1 draw against Liverpool. City had opened the scoring through Vincent Kompany’s towering header in the 33rd minute. Liverpool was level through Joleon Lescott’s own goal two minutes later.
Given that City had only won once at Anfield in the previous three decades, manager Roberto Mancini decided to bring on Balotelli in the pursuit of a winner. In the space of 18 minutes, Balotelli had pulled back Glen Johnson for his first booking before being sent off in the 83rd minute for elbowing Martin Skrtel. This incident left the visitors exposed and switched to ultra-defensive mode just to salvage a point.
#4 Steven Gerrard
He is one of the most decorated players to ever don the Liverpool jersey. At one point, he captained both club and country. No bigger rivalry between clubs touched the very core of Liverpool hearts than the one they shared with Manchester United. The fact that the teams were the two most successful sides in English football just added fuel to the fire.
In March 2015, Liverpool trailed United 1-0 at halftime when they squared off at Anfield. This was Gerrard’s final encounter with United as his move to LA Galaxy was imminent. He was introduced at half-time oblivious that it would be a nightmare half for him.
In the space of a minute, Gerrard had already made a challenge on Juan Mata before contesting the loose ball with Ander Herrera that led to a nasty stomp on the Spaniard’s ankle. The referee did not hesitate when he brandished a straight red card. United went on to win the match 2-1 as Gerrard bowed out of this fixture in the most unceremonious manner.
#3 Lionel Messi
Many professional footballers have openly stated that nothing compares to representing their country. Lionel Messi is known for scintillating displays on the football pitch and his highly efficient goal-scoring ability. For a player who has scored over 600 career goals on top of admirable records, it is almost impossible to find any flaw.
However, on August 17, 2005, Messi (then aged 18) was sent off in a friendly match against Hungary. This occurred in his much anticipated senior debut following an impressive run in their FIFA World Youth Championship in June 2005.
Senior team manager Jose Pekerman brought on Messi in the second half to bolster the attack. In the 63rd minute, Messi made one of his trademark runs and was pulled back by Vilmos Vanczak.
In the process of trying to shrug off the defender, he smacked him clean on the face which resulted in the sending off just two minutes into his debut. Regardless, the incident did not deter the Argentine from evolving into the football genius he is today.
#2 Fosu-Mensah out, United out
Ever since Mauricio Pochettino took over as Tottenham Hotspurs’ manager in 2014, the club has since experienced steady growth in terms of performance and staking claim as one of the elite teams in England. Well, football may be an eleven man team sport but on April 10, 2016, Manchester United's performance against Spurs showed the difference that one man can make in a match.
18-year-old Timothy Fosu-Mensah was very instrumental at right back for United even as Spurs dictated play for over 65 minutes. Fosu-Mensah made five tackles, five interceptions and seven important clearances prior to being substituted in the 67th minute.
All of Spurs’ goals by Dele Alli (70), Toby Alderweireld (74) and Erik Lamela (76) in the space of six minutes were scored after Matteo Darmian was deployed at right back.
The three goals were direct crosses from the right flank that Darmian failed to deal with. Spurs won the match 3-0 to keep their title hopes alive.
#1 Juan Cuadrado
The stage was set as Juventus and Real Madrid clashed in the Champions League final on June 3, 2017. The Spanish giants were targeting back-to-back triumphs in the competition whereas the Old Lady looked to exorcise the demons of losing in four previous finals since lifting the cup in 1996. Despite an evenly balanced match in the first half, things did not turn out as planned for the Italian champions.
By the 65th minute, Juventus trailed 3-1 and were in desperate need of a boost offensively. This prompted Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri to replace central defender Andrea Barzagli with Cuadrado who is a naturally gifted winger. The writing was on the wall for the Colombian barely five minutes after he came onto the field as he committed a bad foul to receive a booking.
The defining moment was in the 84th minute when he was involved in a tussle with Sergio Ramos near the touchline. Cuadrado appeared to have stomped Ramos' foot during the exchange. He received his marching orders following a second yellow card. Marco Asensio rifled home the final goal at the stroke of full time for an emphatic 4-1 Madrid win.
