Blackpool1-0 West Brom: West Brom Sees Red Again

In the 29th minute, West Brom have had yet another man sent off, taking them down to nine men. The first red card was controversial, but there should be no debate about the second one. Blackpool’s Luke Varney found himself struggling in the corner during an attack due to a poor first touch. Even though Varney posed no immediate danger, Gonzalo Jara went flying into Varney with a wild two-footed challenge, giving Michael Oliver no choice but to sent him off.

Between his team already being down to ten men and Varney having ruined the move with a poor touch, it was silly for Jara to make any kind of physical challenge. His physical challenge was no ordinary physical challenge, though. It was the kind of tackle that defies belief or description, the kind of tackle that professional footballers should never make. It was wild, flailing, reckless, and above all, stupid. Luckily for all parties, he didn’t strike Varney with significant enough precision or force to cause a serious injury.