Fulham took on Manchester United in a high-tension quarterfinal match at Craven Cottage. The game was marred by a dark incident that garnered widespread criticism – the spat between Leny Yoro and Calvin Bassey. The situation arose during a United corner when Yoro appeared to have both hands on Bassey’s back, leading to claims of a foul from both Bassey and Fulham’s head coach, Marco Silva. Video assistant referee Chris Kavanagh’s key call was to not make the foul. This was ultimately enough for the following goal to stand after a long VAR check.
The attack happened just moments before United netted their first goal. It was a big part of the short passage of play that led to Rodrigo Muniz’s own goal. Bassey took to X to express his frustration over the no call, arguing that Yoro obviously fouled him. Silva took to Twitter after the game, condemning the action as a “clear foul.” Regardless of the controversy, VAR official Darren England upheld the goal following a quick check.
The Incident That Sparked Outrage
As the corner kick was delivered in, Bassey noticed Yoro’s two hands on his back–shoving him. The contact led to a frenzied tap dance among attackers and defenders in the penalty box. While Bassey continued to battle to get back on his feet and make a play, the ball rolled into the net, forcing Muniz’s calamitous own goal.
Bassey addressed the media and did not mince words in his frustration with the officiating. He continued, “It’s a foul, he pushed me to stop me getting to the ball. When the ref thinks about it, he’ll be upset.” His comments underscored just how angry both players and fans should be over Kavanagh’s decision. Silva further underlined that the incident should have been flagged, supporting Bassey’s claim of an obvious foul with backup.
Gary Neville, the pundit who was commentating on the action that night, said he simply could not believe that Yoro’s tackle was not punished. He added, “If I’m Fulham I’m suing the two hands in Bassey’s back.” Yet his comment only served to strengthen the notion that Yoro had just gotten away with something.
Referee Decisions Under Scrutiny
The officiating in this match was rightfully criticized even outside of the foul on Bassey. Bassey picked up a rather harsh yellow card for shoving Mason Mount in the first half. This foul gave Manchester United a penalty kick. Bruno Fernandes missed the resulting spot-kick, wasting an opportunity that might have turned the match’s momentum.
Bassey reflected on his own foul, stating, “There’s a fine line between giving a foul away and getting away with it. On another day, maybe the ref doesn’t look at it.” Such comments indicate that the players are painfully cognizant of how small the margins can be that decide a match’s fate.
Kavanagh’s decisions were the subject of heightened scrutiny in the wake of the match. Under such circumstances, many commentators—including Neville—argued that he would have been justified in accidentally missing Yoro’s foul. Neville noted, “Two hands on the back. Yoro is fortunate to get away from that one, but it doesn’t matter.”
Lessons Learned from Controversial Calls
When the game ended in a scoreless draw, Bassey started thinking about what he could take away from the experience. He mentioned that players need to be more astute during set pieces to avoid situations where fouls might go unnoticed by referees. So I’m just trying to let the ref know because I could see the block developing. I warned him at each intersection, ‘mind the blocks,’ but he chose his path,” Bassey stated.
This incident is a cautionary tale for real-time officials on the ground at matches. This is why players like Bassey understand the challenges ahead and, more importantly, why they know they need to play differently to succeed.
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