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Vietnamese goalkeeper and captain banned for two years following bizarre penalty protest

Soccer and protest often go hand-in-hand: just look at the “Wenger Out” banner that made an appearance at a recent anti-Trump march in central London.

However, protests on the field are rarely as farcical as the events of a recent game in the Vietnamese top flight.

Ho Chi Minh City were hosting V. League 1 rivals Long An on Sunday evening and the score was tied at 2-2 as the final 10 minutes approached approached. Just as it seemed as if the points would be shared, the referee awarded the home side a penalty for what appeared to be an innocuous challenge.

Long An’s goalkeeper Nguyen Minh Nhut was extremely unhappy with the decision. In fact, he was so unhappy that when the time came to take the spot kick—nearly 10 minutes after the initial decision was made—he turned his back on play as it flew towards the net.

Goalkeeper Nguyen Minh Nhut refuses to acknowledge a penalty decision by turning his back on it (YouTube)
Goalkeeper Nguyen Minh Nhut refuses to acknowledge a penalty decision by turning his back on it (YouTube)

From there, the situation became even more bizarre.

Taking a lead from Minh Nhut’s refusal to face the penalty, the entire Long An team protested by immediately giving the ball back to Ho Chi Minh City at kick-off and standing completely still.

The home side’s number nine was able to casually jog the length of the field to score once again. Minh Nhut added some flair to the insurrection by doing a front-flip as the ball rolled into the net to make it 4-2.

Still, the protest wasn’t over.

At the next re-start, the visitors did exactly the same thing, allowing yet another undefended goal to slip into their net. The referee finally ended the absurd situation with the scoreline at 5-2.

This deliberate capitulation did not go unnoticed by the Vietnamese FA: according to The Washington Post, the irate goalkeeper and Long An captain Huynh Quang Thanh have both been given two-year bans from the game for their display of disrespect and lack of sportsmanship.

And for failing to avert the situation, Long An’s manager and president have both been handed three-year bans.

Vietnamese FA Secretary-General Le Hoai Anh said:

“The Long An players’ unsportsmanlike behavior in reaction to the referee’s decision is unfortunate. [The behavior] affected the image of soccer in Vietnam, not only on the local level, but also internationally.”

Furthermore, club chairman Vo Thanh Mission resigned in the wake of the spectacle, apologizing for “creating an ugly incident” in a press conference.

So, thanks to a rather severe disagreement with the referees’ decision, Long An now find themselves without their captain, goalkeeper, president and chairman.

Oh, and they’re rock-bottom of the league.

The lesson here? Play to the whistle, even if you don’t like the person blowing it.