Was Istra Robbed of a Clear Penalty?
An Exciting 2:2 at Poljud Was Marked by a Controversial Incident in the 90th Minute, After Which the Pula Side Equalized in the Fifth Minute of Stoppage Time.
An Exciting 2:2 at Poljud Was Marked by a Controversial Incident in the 90th Minute, After Which the Pula Side Equalized in the Fifth Minute of Stoppage Time.
Hajduk and Istra 1961 played out a dramatic 2:2 draw at Poljud in the second round of the SuperSport HNL. However, the main talking point after the match was not the final score, but referee Mateo Erceg's decision in the 90th minute, which sparked heated reactions on the pitch and on social media.
With the score at 2:1 to the home side, Istra were looking for a penalty in the closing stages of the match. After a cross into the box, Hajduk's center-back Van Hoorenbeeck and the visitors' striker Jaganjac collided in an aerial duel. Van Hoorenbeeck caught Jaganjac in the head with his elbow, but referee Erceg deemed it not worthy of the harshest punishment and waved play on. The VAR room also remained silent.
Istra coach Javier Cabello's reaction was furious. The Spanish tactician protested vehemently to the fourth official, earning a yellow card from Erceg. His anger did not subside even after the final whistle, although he was more restrained in his post-match press conference, focusing on the character of his team.
What makes the situation particularly interesting is the reaction of the Split club's fans. On Hajduk's official Facebook page, the majority of comments were in favor of the visitors, with fans openly admitting that Istra were hard done by. The most-liked comment read: "Let's pay Erceg for a night's stay and some lamb... the 12th man. Pathetic, but true..."
The irony is even greater given that Istra managed to score in the fifth minute of stoppage time to make it 2:2, thus avoiding a greater injustice, but the debate over the officiating shows no signs of abating.
Hajduk coach Gonzalo Garcia was visibly unhappy with the way his team let the win slip away, repeating a pattern from the first round. "Yes, we conceded again in the final minutes. Stupid goals... That's part of the problem we have. We scored the second goal, suddenly we stopped pressing, we let them get to our 16-yard box too easily, and then we got into trouble. We need to change that. If we're leading 2:1, I want to win 3:1, I don't want us to drop back," said the Argentine tactician.
On the other hand, Cabello was proud of his team's comeback. "An exciting match. We're very happy with the final part of the game because we managed to come back from a difficult situation," he stated. When asked if Hajduk were predictable with their setup, he replied: "I wouldn't say they were predictable, but during pre-season we played some matches against opponents who played that way. I think we did a really good job because Hajduk are very quality and mobile, and we managed to cope with that."
Hajduk took the lead through goals from Rokas Pukštas and Marko Livaja, while the scorers for the visitors were Emil Frederiksen and Dukan Ahmeti, whose goal in the 95th minute earned the Pula side a valuable point on the road.
