Referee Manning expresses sincere regret over decision
The South Korean national soccer team won its first match at the Asian Cup, but struggled with the officiating of referee Manning (China).
Jürgen Klinsmann’s South Korea won 3-1 against Bahrain in their first match of Group E at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Asian Cup on Friday (July 15) at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Lee Kang-in recorded a multi-goal performance, including the game-winner, while Hwang In-beom chipped in with a goal and an assist.
Meanwhile, South Korea were handed a hefty five bookings, signaling a tough group stage ahead.
The warnings came not long after kickoff. In the ninth minute, Park Yong-woo was cautioned for a collision with Ali Madan. Four minutes later, in the 13th minute, Kim Min-jae was also cautioned for interfering with Mohamed Marhoun’s counterattack. In the 28th minute, Lee Ki-jae was shown a yellow card for blocking a counterattack by Ali Madan.
Warnings continued in the second half. In the 15th minute, Cho Kyu-sung collided with an opponent during a contest for an aerial ball, and the referee pulled out his card. Even Son Heung-min was cautioned in second-half stoppage time.
Referee Manning, meanwhile, was sparing with his cards for Bahrain’s fouls. Bahrain only received two warnings in the first half and none in the second.
In particular, referee Manning remained silent when Son Heung-min was punched in the face. In the 39th minute, Son went down after colliding with Ibrahim Al Wali. Al-Wali intentionally used an elbow to hit Son in the face during the contest. The referee saw exactly what happened, but didn’t even call a foul.
Manning is known for his tendency to give both yellow and red cards. However, a one-sided warning is bound to raise suspicions of bias.
Manning’s unfortunate decision has left South Korea struggling to manage their warnings. In the Asian Cup, cautions accumulate until the quarterfinals. South Korea will not be able to actively fight key players beyond the group stage until the quarterfinals.
South Korea will now face Jordan in their second Group E match on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see what kind of game South Korea will play after their troubles with the officiating in Bahrain.