DOHA (Reuters) – New Zealand coach Danny Hay criticised the officiating after his workforce’s World Cup playoff defeat on Tuesday, saying he was shocked FIFA appointed a referee from the United Arab Emirates to deal with their intercontinental conflict in opposition to Costa Rica in Doha.
The central Americans gained 1-0 to take the final accessible World Cup slot however solely after a contentious VAR choice dominated out a Kiwi equaliser and the New Zealanders additionally ended the sport all the way down to 10 males following the sending off of Kosta Barbarouses.
“If I’m being trustworthy. I assumed a number of the officiating was completely atrocious,” Hay mentioned at the post-match press convention.
“The disallowed aim was two gamers battling for the ball. The foul might have gone to Matt Garbett to start out with. Obviously VAR obtained concerned and overturned that.”
A examine for a foul by the VAR determined Garbett had wrestled Oscar Duarte to the bottom within the build-up to his cross that led to Chris Wood placing the ball into the web after 39 minutes.
“I have never appeared carefully at the opposite one,” Hay mentioned of a second warning for Barbarouses, who was despatched off with some 20 minutes left.
“Our analyst, who was watching within the stands, wasn’t satisfied, however we may very well be confirmed flawed.”
Hay says he was surprised by the appointment of Mohammed Abdulla of the United Arab Emirates to deal with the one-off recreation.
“When we appeared at what Australia obtained in opposition to Peru final night time with good high quality European officiating, I assumed FIFA made a mistake in such an necessary recreation for us,” he added.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Toby Davis)
