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Gent won 2-1 against KV Kortrijk at home. However, the game could look completely different if Tsuyoshi Watanabe’s (25) goal was not disallowed in the first half. One minute after Cuypers’ goal, KVK’s Japanese defender pushed the ball against the ropes. The VAR prevented the party from happening. “I don’t want to make excuses, but the ref ruined our game.”
Elian Coussement
KV Kortrijk went down in the Ghelamco Arena, but the topic of conversation of the evening remains Watanabe’s rejected goal. The defender seemed to score from a free kick by Selemani, but the VAR ruled that Messaoudi was offside. The Algerian seemed to be dueling with Gent defender Ngadeu. “How can that goal be offside? It is unbelievable”, said Bernd Storck. “Watanabe has nothing to do with the situation the ref allegedly whistled for. Messaoudi didn’t bother Ngadeu at all. It’s just a regulation goal. I don’t want to make excuses, but the ref ruined our game. In Belgium, some situations are judged strange. Take that goal from Watanabe, but also that mistake from Christophe Lepoint last weekend. Why was this only yellow? Lepoint had no intention of playing the ball anyway. Why didn’t VAR intervene? Didn’t everyone see that this was a red card?”
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Disbelief in squad
Some KV Kortrijk players shared the same opinion about the disallowed goal after the match. “That goal should never be disallowed,” said Wasinski. However, the referee decided otherwise. We are not in control of these matters.”
“None of us actually understands it,” says De Neve. “I myself do not know why the goal was not valid.”
“We are disappointed because the referee also went to check the goal,” said Avenatti. “He saw the same as everyone else, didn’t he? And everyone thought it was a goal. For me, the goal is 100 percent valid. This has completely changed the game image. We weren’t good in the first half, but that goal would have helped us. We do not accept this decision, but eventually it will have to. The referees can also make mistakes, I’m not talking about that, but maybe it’s easier to disallow a goal when a team like Kortrijk plays in a stadium of a big club. When we play at home, it’s a different situation. We won’t be doing this then. When in doubt about a goal, you should always give the advantage to the attacking team, right? Messaoudi never intended to play the ball and the defender of Ghent also pushed him. Our player is not participating in the game. He doesn’t get in anyone’s way, not even the keeper. I think it’s a strange decision.”
© BELGIUM