Frustrated Adelaide United coach Carl Veart will seek an explanation after referee Daniel Elder’s controversial red card brandished to Hiroshi Ibusuki cast a long shadow over the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
His side up 1-0 thanks to an early goal, Ibusuki was immediately shown a red for fouling Anthony Caceres as he slid for the ball in the 40th minute of Sunday’s game at Allianz Stadium.
Closer inspection showed only minor contact with Caceres’ foot but the video assistant referee upheld the on-field ruling and the Reds were reduced to 10 men with more than a half to play.
“I’m sure everyone that was watching the game will have a very similar opinion to me,” Veart said post-match.
“That’s something we don’t want in the game. We’re trying to attract a lot of new supporters to the game and decisions like that might put people off.
“I think everyone in the league will want an explanation because they’ll be getting worried if we’re going to have red cards for challenges like that.”
The A-Leagues warned coaches in the pre-season that referees would take a dim view of tackles where players’ studs made contact with their rivals.
By full-time, Football Australia head of referees Nathan Magill had issued a statement confirming the incident would be reviewed by the Elite Referee Coaching staff on Monday.
Sydney FC coach Steve Corica conceded his rivals had been hard done by.
“(Ibusuki) did have his studs up as he slid in,” Corica said.
“(But) when you look at it again, it probably was a little bit harsh.”
Reds captain Craig Goodwin added to Veart’s perplexion when speaking to Paramount+ post-match.
“I don’t want to speak about it too much, because I think overall (the referee) had a decent game,” Goodwin said.
“But for those decisions, we have to look at changing the rule because it’s week in week out that were sitting here (and) opposition players are going: ‘That’s not a red card’, and then we’re seeing red cards given.
“If we get the ball first, we’ve got to look at it because I think it’s ruining the overall game – and experience for the fans as well.”
Sydney FC legend Alex Brosque was sat in the Paramount+ studio watching the action unfold – and expressed his bemusement both at half-time, and at the end of his former side’s 2-2 draw with the Reds.
“It’s for me one of the worst red card decisions I’ve ever seen,” Brosque said at the break.
“I don’t see that there’s any intent there. I think for me the VAR should have called Daniel Elder to the sidelines to see if it was as bad as he originally thought – but the fact the VAR also thought it was a red card, for me is beyond belief.
“I can’t understand how between the VAR and the referee they thought it was. I’m sure we will get some explanation, but really Adelaide are being hard done by there. They’ve wrecked what was looking like a good game.”
At full-time Brosque added: “It was interesting to hear Goodwin’s comments after the match. I think for me personally, the rules are being interpreted poorly by the referees.
“You understand the new rule is trying to take away serious foul play against creative players. It doesn’t mean every sliding tackle is a foul, or every sliding tackle is a yellow or red card. I just think the way we’re interpreting it at the moment is terrible.”
Sydney only had one shot on target prior to Ibusuki’s dismissal but wasted little time taking the lead after halftime, scoring twice in four minutes.
They equalised through ex-Nottingham Forest winger Joe Lolley and took the lead thanks to youngster Patrick Wood, who replaced striker Adam Le Fondre (hamstring) in the first half.
But just as the Reds appeared on the brink of collapse, captain Craig Goodwin crossed to defender Harry Van Der Saag, who headed in the equaliser in his first game against his old club.
Unsurprisingly, given their numerical advantage, the Sky Blues continued to enjoy the bulk of chances.
Most notably, Luke Brattan’s free kick from just outside the box flew above the crossbar in the 84th minute as the Reds held on for an entertaining draw.
Sydney are now winless in their first two games at the revamped Allianz Stadium but Le Fondre’s first-half injury will be of greater concern.
Wood replaced the Englishman and will be on stand-by as an option to fill in again when the Sky Blues meet Macarthur on Saturday.
“We’ll have to see how (Le Fondre) goes in the next couple of days,” Corica said.
“Obviously we’d miss his experience but we do have players to come in in that position if he’s out next week.”
