Scoring on an Injured Keeper: Péter Kovács Won’t Make the FIFA Fair Play Award Shortlist

By: Daryl | August 9th, 2009

Odd Grenland are through to semi-finals of the Norwegian Cup after beating SK Brann 5-1 at home yesterday. But that scoreline wasn’t the big story in Norwegian football today. The big story was Odd’s second goal, scored by Hungarian striker Péter Kovács.

You can see in the video above that Brann keeper Håkon Opdal’s knee gives out as he tries to clear the ball upfield. And so Kovács found himself in a cup quarter-final, with the ball at his feet, the keeper in a heap, and the goal gaping wide. And so he rolled the ball into the back of the net.

Protests inevitably followed, but since everything was within the rules, the referee had no reason to disallow Kovács’ goal.

Here’s what Kovács told TV2Sporten (via Google Translate, of course):

The referee blew not, so I just followed the rules and scored.

It is a difficult situation. I understand the frustration of course, but – as said – I play only to blow the judge.

I am a tip [which I'm pretty sure means "striker"] and will score goals. The situation was an opportunity to do it.

Let’s ignore the bit about blowing the judge, or at least put it down to Google Translate, and move on to the merits of Péter Kovács argument.

It’s very easy to condemn the striker, but in Kovács’ defence you can see him stop and check to see if there’s been a whistle before he rolls the ball home. There hasn’t, so he does. That doesn’t make it right, but it does make it legal. Or, as Whitney Houston once said: “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay.”

And while it’s easy to watch this game as a neutral and say that Kovács should have stopped play… I can definitely see how – if Kovács is in a competitive mindset and wants to go to the Norwegian Cup semi-final – it makes sense to score when you get a chance.

If all that has left the taste of bad sportsmanship in your eyes, please feel free to refresh them with this video of Paolo di Canio, doing the exact opposite of Péter Kovács while playing for West Ham against Everton in December 2000:

Di Canio won the FIFA Fair Play Award for that act of kindness. Péter Kovács definitely won’t.

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Category: World Football

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mb

let's see Kovac is in on goal alone, he's already beat the keeper when out of the blue he trips on a root and hurts his ankle. are the defenders and goalie going to stop play, give the ball back to him if he gets back up, and let him score?
steven

Yea, you can't fault Kovacs, even if the keeper was really hurt(which he was). There is just so much diving in the game today that you never know when someone is actually hurt or faking.
Al

yeah- De Canio- what a great sport! I mean who cares that Il Duce is tattooed on his arm and that he gives fascist salutes. He loves everyone so long as part of the master race and reich wing. I cannot believe you would put a video of him as an example of something positive- but you did. What does this choice imply- I simply do not know.

Antifa per sempre- Welcome back to Serie A Livorno!
Eirik

Yes, the keeper was substituted shortly after and reserve one had to finish the match. So it was a pretty legitimate injury.

Oli: Di Canio certainly didn't try to score on his opportunity.
Finnegan

I would have stuck it in the back of the net and not thought twice about it. I mean, yeah it sucks that the goalkeeper injured himself and it ended up in a goal. But that's not the striker's fault. It's the striker's job to score goals. He gets paid to do it. So he should do it. Sorry if that's blunt.
JC

was the goalie stretched off?
Oli Davies

I don't think anyone can honestly say tha they wouldn't have rolled the ball in to that net, given the circumstances.

I also think that Kovacs is right to point out that he should always play by the whistle. he can't be put in the blame for this, although, perhaps the ref can be.
Yevy

This fair play business is getting taken too far. There is already too much incentive for a keeper who gets caught out of position to go down and hope the referee or a gullible opponent will bail him out. This certainly looked like a legitimate injury, but you know what? Tough luck bro, now pick the ball out of the net and get on with it.
OhYes

He wasn't even close to giving it away. Seems like a legit injury to me. And he tried to block with the leg that wasn't injured.
ar126

blowthejudge.theoffside.com
Jack

Dustin yes I watched the clip. Did you watch the clip yourself? If he was really hurt why was he trying to block using the left leg? Watch the clip again.
Laurie

Just two points:

1) I love google translate, and

2) I think "blow the judge" should be a new Offside tag. (Because you just never know when it might come up again.)
Dustin

Jack, Ryan, you did watch the clip right?
Jack

I agree with Ryan. The keeper may have faked injury after he realized that he gave the ball away. Fair Play for muscle clamp? Are you kidding me? Why are players given yellow cards for diving?
Ryan

I don't know, to me that's a tough one. The keeper could have been faking it. Like say a keeper miskicks right to you and begins holding his leg? Do you stop playing?
Dustin

Wow, this guy is a jerk, the way to fix that is easy, let the other team score on you.
chris

Di Canio was merely on the way down from a double fascist salute when the ball landed unknowingly in his arm.