Video: Was Neymar's disallowed goal against Real Sociedad legitimate?
Barcelona’s match at Real Sociedad was a shocker for all the fans of Barcelona. The match kicked off with both Neymar and Lionel Messi sitting on the bench, and the club were unable to convert the host of chances they created, thus losing the match.
Neymar was introduced in the second half and had the ball in the back of the net, after stealing the ball from keeper Geronimo Rulli as he went to clear. The Sociedad keeper was shocked and appealed for a free-kick and was visibly relieved when the referee complied.
It’s a trick that Thierry Henry tried several times, during his career at Arsenal, but he was always penalised for doing so. There is no rule in the books which penalises the trick but the referees follow the tradition of giving the yellow card.
However, if there is negligible contact between the outfielder and the goalkeeper, should it be considered as a goal?