Sydney FC were reduced to 10 men in their Semi Final second leg against Melbourne City after midfielder Max Burgess was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Marco Tilio.
In the 20th minute, Burgess lunged in late while Tilio had possession on the wing and caught him with the studs up.
Referee Shaun Evans initially handed out a yellow card, but was told to check the challenge once more by the VAR, and after review Burgess’ caution was upgraded to a red card.
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It came at the worst possible time, as the scores in the tie were still level following the 1-1 draw in the first leg.
The moment the replay was shown, the upgrade to red was inevitable.
Socceroos boss Graham Arnold’s reaction to seeing the replay, caught on 10 Bold’s cameras, summed it all up.
“Well, it’s a really stupid tackle from Max Burgess. Completely inexplicable,” Network 10 analyst Andy Harper said while watching the VAR decision unfold.
“Oh, that’s a bad challenge,” his co-commentator Simon Hill quipped back.
“I mean, it’s just stupid,” Harper said.
“And the apology afterwards, I’m afraid, won’t wash,” Hill replied.
Harper continued: “He’s gone. It’s stupid. It’s rank stupidity.
“And it was calculated. He’d slid in. He could have had a cup of tea by the time (he made the tackle). It’s stupidity. Rank and utter stupidity.
“It’s totally indefensible. It’s not a reflex action, there was no spite beforehand that we know of at least. It’s calculated.”
Sydney FC legend Alex Brosque was scathing at half-time, who agreed it was a “brain explosion”.
“A stupid moment, one he will look back on with a lot of regret,” he said on 10 Bold.
“Since going in there (the dressing room), he’d be feeling terrible for what he’s done. It’s a brain explosion, and he’s let the team down.
“I know what it feels like. I’ve been in that exact moment in a Semi Final (in 2007), getting sent off. I know what it feels like. There’s nothing you can do to take it back. But the boys just have to find a way to dig deep, try and get something now and hopefully save him.”
