Wellington Phoenix defender Ben Sigmund has been suspended for one week with his red card standing, while Adelaide’s Jeronimo Neumann is free to play.
Wellington Phoenix defender Ben Sigmund has failed in his bid to have his red card rescinded, with the Hyundai A-League Match Review Panel ruling that he did make sufficient contact with Adelaide United attacker Jeronimo Neumann, thus denying a goalscoring opportunity.
The independent Match Review Panel (MRP) – consisting of Simon Micallef (Chair), Alan Davidson and Alan Contini reviewed the incident after an Obvious Error Application was submitted on behalf of the player.
The MRP determined that there was no Obvious Error within the meaning in the A-League Disciplinary Regulations (Regulations), Obvious Error being “a decision by the Referee to…..issue a Red Card when no card was warranted….being a decision that no referee in the possession of all the facts, including all Broadcast Footage, could reasonably have made.”
At the time the decision from referee Jarred Gillett drew the ire of Phoenix captain Andrew Durante, who in a fiery post-match interview intimated that if Jeronimo did indeed take a dive he was a “cheat”
Due to the decision that there was no obvious error made, the panel then did not have to review the actions of Jeronimo and he is free to play for the Reds when they take on Brisbane Roar.
Had Jeronimo been cited he would have joined only two others to be cited for simulation in the history of the league.
In 2010/11 Perth Glory striker Michael Baird and Central Coast Mariners import Patricio Perez were both banned for two weeks for their own acts of simulation, with no player suspended since then.
Joining Sigmund on the sidelines in round five will be Perth Glory defender Steve Pantelidis who was issued a straight red card for denying Sydney FC midfielder Brett Emerton a clear goalscoring opportunity in Perth’s 2-1 loss to the Sky Blues.
