Alan Shearer slams ‘terrible decision’ not to award Scotland a late penalty and questions why VAR didn’t intervene on ‘clear and obvious error’… before Hungary hit 100th minute winner
- Scotland have been eliminated from the 2024 European Championship after a 1-0 defeat to Hungary
- The Scots were denied a penalty before the Hungarians grabbed a late winner
- Listen to It all starts! Would Portugal be better off without Cristiano Ronaldo?
Alan Shearer believes Scotland were denied a stonewall penalty before their hopes of qualifying for the Euro 2024 knockout stages were crushed by Hungary in the final seconds.
Kevin Csoboth’s breakaway goal with virtually the last kick of the match saw Hungary win 1-0 and finish third in Group A with three points, while the Scots were eliminated.
Scotland’s wait to reach the knockout stages of the European Championship or World Cup continues, but things could have been different if a controversial 79th minute decision had gone their way.
There were huge calls for a penalty after Stuart Armstrong went down in the penalty area under a challenge from behind by Willi Orban.
The referee allowed play to continue, but replays showed that the Hungarian defender made a lot of contact with the Southampton man.
Scroll down for video
There was a huge shout for a penalty when Willi Orban (R) challenged Stuart Armstrong (L).
Replays showed Orban making clear contact with Armstrong, but no penalty was given
VAR didn’t intervene and Shearer can’t believe it didn’t.
Speaking on BBC One after the match, he said: ‘I thought the referee made a terrible decision when Scotland should have had a penalty. For me it was a penalty all day long..’
‘A clear punishment for me. I think the assistant had a great view. It’s a terrible challenge. He gets caught and takes him away. His right knee against his calf. Clearly.
“That to me is a clear, clear punishment. I think this is a clear and obvious mistake. Obviously he took him down.
Alan Shearer said it was a terrible decision by the referees not to award a penalty
Scotland manager David Moyes agreed, labeling it a ‘reckless challenge’ from the defender
Scottish manager David Moyes sat next to the Newcastle icon in the studio and agreed.
“I think this is also a penalty,” he said. ‘That’s a reckless challenge from the defender. We all shouted here that the VAR will at least check that.’
Hungary must wait to see if it will qualify for the last 16 in one of the places reserved for the best four third-placed players.
Scotland’s heartbreaking defeat means they are eliminated from the tournament
Their progress now depends on the results of other groups who will follow their path over the next three days. For now, though, Marco Rossi’s side will bask in their dramatic win, which saved their hopes just when they thought they were on their way home.
The match was a scrappy affair, with both teams struggling to exert any form of control despite each being desperate for a win to continue their stay in Germany.
Steve Clarke’s Scotland dominated possession in the opening 25 minutes but were unable to create clear-cut chances. They had no shots at all in the first half despite having 61% of the ball. They finished the match without a shot on target.