Wales Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey is Sent Off for WILD Kung-Fu Kick on Iran Star Mehdi Taremi
- last year
Wayne Hennessey was sent off in Wales' heartbreaking defeat by Iran for a horrendous kung-fu kick on his Iran opponent.
As Mehdi Taremi was running through on goal, the Welsh keeper came racing off his line to clear the ball. However, the Nottingham Forest star missed the ball completely and instead made high contact with the striker's face.
Guatemalan referee Mario Alberto Escobar Toca initially brandished a yellow card in the 35-year-old's direction, before VAR advised him to take a look at the incident again on the pitchside monitor.
Upon further inspection, he overruled his original decision and sent Hennessey off, leaving Rob Page's side down to 10 men for the remainder of the game.
The Wales boss hauled Aaron Ramsey off the pitch and replaced him with back-up stopper Danny Ward, and will be left with a selection headache for their final Group B clash against England.
Hennessey's red card makes him the first player to be sent off at the 2022 tournament, and the third goalkeeper in World Cup history to be dismissed.
And there was late heartache for Gareth Bale & Co as the Iranians scored two late goals to all-but dump the Welsh out of the competition.
Wales opened the tournament with a tentative performance against the United States on Monday, with captain Bale scoring a late penalty to rescue a point.
But the two dramatic goals from Iran leaves Wales on the brink of elimination, with Page's side requiring an unlikely victory over England and results elsewhere to go their way to qualify for the knockouts.
'It's gutting. We're gutted,' Bale said. 'We fought until the last second. difficult to take but we have to recover and go again.
'We have to pick ourselves up straight away. It is going to be difficult but we still have to try and enjoy the occasion.'
Reflecting on Hennessey's dismissal, he said: 'I haven't seen it but the red card changes the game. we let the first one in and the second one doesn't matter.
'We have to recover and go again.'
As Mehdi Taremi was running through on goal, the Welsh keeper came racing off his line to clear the ball. However, the Nottingham Forest star missed the ball completely and instead made high contact with the striker's face.
Guatemalan referee Mario Alberto Escobar Toca initially brandished a yellow card in the 35-year-old's direction, before VAR advised him to take a look at the incident again on the pitchside monitor.
Upon further inspection, he overruled his original decision and sent Hennessey off, leaving Rob Page's side down to 10 men for the remainder of the game.
The Wales boss hauled Aaron Ramsey off the pitch and replaced him with back-up stopper Danny Ward, and will be left with a selection headache for their final Group B clash against England.
Hennessey's red card makes him the first player to be sent off at the 2022 tournament, and the third goalkeeper in World Cup history to be dismissed.
And there was late heartache for Gareth Bale & Co as the Iranians scored two late goals to all-but dump the Welsh out of the competition.
Wales opened the tournament with a tentative performance against the United States on Monday, with captain Bale scoring a late penalty to rescue a point.
But the two dramatic goals from Iran leaves Wales on the brink of elimination, with Page's side requiring an unlikely victory over England and results elsewhere to go their way to qualify for the knockouts.
'It's gutting. We're gutted,' Bale said. 'We fought until the last second. difficult to take but we have to recover and go again.
'We have to pick ourselves up straight away. It is going to be difficult but we still have to try and enjoy the occasion.'
Reflecting on Hennessey's dismissal, he said: 'I haven't seen it but the red card changes the game. we let the first one in and the second one doesn't matter.
'We have to recover and go again.'