Yellow card that had everyone seeing red - Royal Grazette
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By Josh Ball
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The yellow card that wasn't: Referee Carlos Batres books Trinidad's Autris Whitley (9) and Bermuda's Damon Ming, in the second half of the game on Sunday. It was believed that this was Whitley's second card of the match but video evidence proves otherwise.
Photo Akil Simmons
Video evidence appears to have wrecked any chance that Bermuda might of had of getting the game against Trinidad and Tobago replayed.
The tape of the game has shown that contrary to popular belief Aurtis Whitley, the Trinidad captain, was not booked twice, with Makan Hislop, the defender, recieving a yellow card that was originally believed to have been shown to Whitley.
That was the only real grounds that the Bermuda Football Association would have had for an appeal with FIFA. Now any appeal would now have to be based upon the dispute surrounding Trinidad's second goal, and given the confusion surrounding that version of events, it is unlikely that, that appeal would be successful.
While the footage shows that Kwame Steede, who was in the process of being substituted for Jemeiko Jennings at the time of the goal, had not yet left the pitch, the referee does not appear to have authorised the substitution.
If he had done so, under the laws of the game, he would have to stop play until that substitution had taken place. However, there are no grounds for appeal if it was a mistake by the fourth official, as it now appears to have been.
Whatever route the BFA choose to take, they are running out of time if they wish to try and appeal. The statute of limitations on an appeal to FIFA is normally set at 72 hours, a deadline which would be reached tonight.
And an insider in the BFA is suggesting that instead of appealing, the association will simply lodge a protest, a course of action that would register anger, but not necessarily result in any meaningful action.
Even Kenny Thompson, the national team coach, is in the dark about what the BFA plan to do. "I'm not absolutely sure where the process is at the moment," he said. "Somone has told me that he (Whitley) wasn't booked twice, so I don't know. That's all I want to say about it."
For Thompson though the second goal, and the dispute surrounding it, is where the real issue lies. And 48 hours after game, the manner of his team's defeat still hurts.
"It's difficult, you don't ever get over a defeat, you accept it, but can't sat that you get over it," he said.
"Especially when you look at the situation, we were in a great position, and in the end the main difference was the goal that they scored when we were making a change.
"It makes it more difficult to swallow in those circumstances, it is difficult to get over, and it will be something that will stick in our minds for the rest of our lives. But it is important that we move on, it won't stop us in our quest to improve, and will actually motivate us to do better in the future.
"For me the main issue is the goal. It was a situation that was mismanaged and that is the contentious part for me. It had a direct impact on the outcome, and the mismanagement of the subsitution is the most important thing.
"With a double booking, there is no guarantee that you would go on and win against 10 men, but the substitution led to the goal, and that is a whole different ball game."
