Bizarre red card helps Cruz Azul book prize date with Real Madrid

The Ivory Coast referee's decision to send off a second Wanderers player amid baffling scenes helped to ensure the Mexicans the fixture of a lifetime By Kris Voakes at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah

It took a late penalty and then a baffling sending-off for a first yellow card offence to help them on their way, but Cruz Azul came from the brink of despair to book a semi-final date with Real Madrid in the Club World Cup
.
Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Asian champions Western Sydney Wanderers was a hard-earned one to say the least, and one which will forever leave a foul taste in the mouths of those who had travelled the thousands of miles from Australia to witness it.
Pre-match, the pitch at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat had already taken quite a beating during the early quarter-final between Setif and Auckland City. And with rain pouring down heavily for a full three hours before the second set of teams took the pitch there were serious concerns as to whether the game would be played.
And all this came after FIFA had refused to allow the four teams to train on the pitch on the eve of the game as is the usual custom, such were their concerns about the state of the playing surface even before the heavens opened on Saturday afternoon.
Yet for Luis Fernando Tena’s side, things only became more complicated when Iacopo La Rocca drilled a magnificent effort beyond Jose Corona from 30 yards in the 65th minute. For a time, it appeared that the Australians’ sensational 30-month journey from formation to the top of the world game might just reach a golden conclusion.

Torrado | Twice kept his cool to net from the spot

But Matthew Spiranovic’s sending-off 10 minutes after the goal for a second bookable offence opened a door. And when a clumsy 89th-minute foul by substitute Shannon Cole sent Marco Fabian tumbling, skipper Gerardo Torrado converted from the spot.
Worse was to come with the bizarre red card shown to Nikolai Topor-Stanley for a second yellow card. The baffling part was that nobody in the stadium believed the Wanderers captain to have been previously been booked, not even the player himself nor his coach Tony Popovic.
The former defender was left to fight a losing battle as he attempted to argue the case with any FIFA official he could get close to. But referee Noumandiez Doue from the Ivory Coast was not to be moved, and Popovic had to look on as Topor-Stanley begrudgingly headed for the tunnel.
Despite their best efforts, the nine men couldn’t hold on, with Hugo Pavone slotting home unmarked after Ante Covic had kept out Ismael Valadez’s initial effort.
The soggy pitch became a mudbath, and the 11 versus nine nature of the game became something of a non-contest, in spite of an admirable show of determination from the Australian side. Another late penalty from Torrado made 100 per cent sure of the Mexicans’ victory.
By fair means or foul, Western Sydney Wanderers are out. But for Cruz Azul, the greatest prize of all awaits.
Tomorrow they begin preparations for the game of a lifetime against Real Madrid.