12-man mix-up on pitch draws Van Persie’s fury
Amsterdam: Robin van Persie simply could not believe it. The former Arsenal and Manchester United great, who now coaches Heerenveen in the Dutch league, was left furious this weekend after his side was held to a 2-2 draw by a rival that played with 12 men.
Football — when it’s played normally — pits two teams of 11 players taking on each other.
The mix-up happened with two minutes left and Heerenveen leading Fortuna Sittard 2-1. Following a double substitution, Jasper Dahlhaus remained on the pitch for a moment, creating the illegal extra-player situation.
Dahlhaus eventually left the field of play before Fortuna was awarded a corner, with defender Rodrigo Guth heading home an equalizer for a 2-2 draw.Teams do not play every other nation within the two-year cycle, and an excess of two-Test series has skewed standings.
“I find what preceded that goal very special,” Van Persie said after the match. “Fortuna Sittard had 12 men on the field for a minute... Apparently that is allowed and possible. You can’t imagine that? That it is simply allowed.”
According to media reports, the Dutch soccer federation will ask FIFA’s rule-making panel for advice on the decision to be taken following the substitution error.