Dutch goalkeeper broke football law before Lionel Messi penalty – but star wasn’t fussed
Netherlands goalkeeper Andries Noppert broke a little known football law before Lionel Messi’s penalty in the shootout.
Not that it mattered to the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper who stroked home his second spot-kick of the day. Messi and his side came out on top in what was a truly astounding match at the Lusail Stadium.
Unfortunately, as so many great matches are, only a cruel penalty shootout could separate the two sides. And in an attempt to gain a slight advantage over the seven time Ballon d’Or winner, Noppert dug into his own box of sneaky tricks.
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As Messi was getting ready to take the penalty, Noppert began rattling the goalposts as hard as he could. It is something that has been done on a regular basis, particularly by the taller goalkeepers in the football world.
However, little did we know his mind games could have actually landed him into trouble with the referee. According to Law 14, “the ball must be stationary on the penalty mark and the goalposts, crossbar and goal net must not be moving”.
Of course, Noppert was not picking up and moving the goalposts as Messi was strolling towards the spot, but his antics still could have seen him receive a yellow card. Surprisingly, referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz chose, on the rare occasion, to not get his cards out.
Were you aware of this rule? Let us know in the comments section below
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
However, that may be because Messi expertly sent the Heerenveen goalkeeper the wrong way, stroking it into the side he was not at. It did not get any better for Noppert, who was not able to save a single penalty.
He did manage to guess right on Enzo Fernandez’s spot kick, which flew wide of the post and offered the Netherlands a glimmer of hope. This was completely squashed by Lautaro Martinez who lashed his penalty into the far corner to send Argentina into the knockout stages.
2018 finalists Croatia will be awaiting the Copa America champions in the semi-finals on December 13.
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