England U19s women qualify for Euros in match which lasts 18 secs

Blackleaf

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I'm not normally interest in women's sport apart from its comedy value, and I don't think women should be playing men's sports. But I think this is worth a mention.

The England Women's U19s football team has qualified for the European Championships in Israel this summer in what must surely be one of the shortest and most bizarre football matches in history against Norway in Belfast......

It all started last Saturday in the original match between the two.

England's Leah Williamson scored a 96th-minute penalty to make it 2-2, but her England team-mate Rosella Ayane had encroached into the box when the penalty was being taken (only the defending goalkeeper and the player taking the penalty are allowed in the penalty area and the D during a penalty kick). Instead of ordering a retake, as she should have done, German referee, Marija Kurtes made a startling error (women referees.......) and gave Norway a free-kick.

So Uefa ordered all the players back onto the pitch on Thursday night for the penalty to be retaken - which Williamson scored, qualifying England for t
he 2015 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Israel.

England Women's U19s qualify for European Championships after 18-second rematch against Norway following UEFA order for closing stages to be replayed


Leah Williamson scores penalty as England earn 2-2 against Norway
UEFA ordered the final 18 seconds of the qualifier to be replayed after a refereeing mistake

The action lasted 65 seconds from point whistle was blown to full-time

Referee Marija Kurtes incorrectly awarded an indirect free-kick to Norway for encroachment after disallowing England's penalty on Saturday

England were 2-1 down to Norway at the time in the 96th minute

German Kurtes, 28, has been sent home following her error

Three Lions earn 3-1 victory against Switzerland meaning a 2-2 will be enough for European Championship qualification

Norway beat Northern Ireland 8-1 to keep things tight in Group 4

It is the first time ever that a decision like this has been taken by UEFA

Watch VIDEO below of the controversial penalty incident

READ: Graham Poll's expert verdict on UEFA's bizarre decision

By Riath Al-Samarrai for the Daily Mail
10 April 2015
Daily Mail

One penalty, a quiz answer-in-waiting and an extraordinary precedent that might just linger.

That was the surreal upshot of one of the shortest international matches in history on Thursday night, when 22 women from England and Norway’s Under 19 sides got together for a couple of minutes of football.

Leah Williamson stood up, a player for Arsenal Ladies but virtually anonymous in wider conversations about football. Not anymore.

England Women’s U19s controversial penalty decision against Norway on Saturday which led to the penalty being retaken on Thursday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2Lip-fOarKg



Leah Williamson (centre) stepped up again to take the penalty during the 18-second rematch against Norway at Seaview in Belfast


Williamson went the same way as her successful spot-kick last Saturday and found the net once again


Norwegian goalkeeper Oda Marie Hove Bogstad was unable to stop Williamson's brilliant effort


The England captain wheels away in celebration after handing her side a crucial 2-2 draw


The England players join the Arsenal star in celebration in front of a small crowd at the Seaview Stadium


England held on in the final moments to secure the draw and, with it, a place in this summer's finals in Israel


Williamson blows a kiss to the crowd as Mo Marley's side look ahead to this summer's tournament

ENGLAND BY NUMBERS

Number of seconds played: 65.18 after the players returned to the centre circle
Number of England players on the pitch: Norway were already down to 10 outfield players, but England brought on a sub to replace one injured in the game vs Switzerland
Days between spot-kicks: Five days between Saturday's clash and the controversial rematch
Number of goals scored: 1 - the infamous penalty

She found out on Wednesday that England would have to visit the Seaview Stadium in Belfast for a single penalty; she spent Thursday waiting as the frenzy grew and dragged her profile with it.

But, at last, a footballer of English blood who can take a penalty. She rode the storm and tucked it away for 2-2 and a place in the European Championships this summer.

Williamson said: ‘They were the longest 24 hours of my life, I hadn't slept. I went through so many emotions and just felt excitement.

‘We had a conversation just before I came out which was quite emotional. We have been through a bigger journey than some people go through in their whole careers because of what happened.’

The broader context here was the decision that led to this tiny portion of a match being repeated five days after it was first played.


England are awarded a penalty during their European U19 Women's Championships qualifier on Saturday


Referee Marija Kurtes points to the spot as England are awarded a penalty in the 96th minute


Williamson steps up to take a penalty in the closing stages of the match against Norway in Belfast


LAW 14 - ENCROACHMENT OUTCOMES ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF THE GAME

Infringment for encroachment..............Goal .....................................No goal

Attacking player.........................................Penalty is retaken..............................Indirect free kick
Defending player.........................................Goal .......................................................Penalty is retaken
Both..............................................................Penalty is retaken................................ Penalty is retaken



The details are famous by now, as is the protagonist. Williamson scored a 96th-minute penalty to make it 2-2 against Norway last Saturday, but her England team-mate Rosella Ayane had encroached the box. Instead of ordering a retake, a rising German referee, Marija Kurtes made a startling error and gave Norway a free-kick.

The possibilities that will arise from UEFA deciding to restage the game from the point of that mistake are fascinating.

Daniel Geey, a sports lawyer at FieldFisher, told Sportsmail: ‘Many would see this as a dangerous precedent because UEFA are intervening in an on-field refereeing mistake.

‘UEFA need to make clear in any judgment what powers they have in extraordinary circumstances like this.

There’s effectively a Pandora’s Box opening to clubs questioning even blatant refereeing mistakes in matches that may, for example, determine promotion or relegation.’

A UEFA spokesman said: ‘It hasn’t happened so far and we have no reason to suspect leading referees would be capable of such basic errors. It is mostly a matter of experience. Some of the referees at Under 19s level will be just starting out themselves.’

Williamson probably experienced more than most.

According to the laws of the game, a penalty should be retaken if it entered the goal after encroachment by team-mates of the player taking the kick.


Williamson runs forward to strike the ball but team-mate Rosella Ayane (circled) has entered the box


Williamson turns and celebrates as she slots the ball into the goalkeeper's bottom-right corner

Ahead of the 18-second rematch, a UEFA statement read: 'The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has ordered the match to be replayed.

'The replay of the match should be carried out as follows:

'The match will be replayed from the minute the penalty kick was awarded to the Football Association at the European Women's Under-19 Championship 2015 match between England vs Norway played on April 4, 2015, and extended according to the discretion of the referee.


German referee Marija Kurtes officiating a women's Bundesliga match in Munich last month


England players celebrate after they thought they had equalised against Norway


But referee Kurtes awards an indirect free-kick and the celebrations are cut short


Williamson has the ball back in her hands ready for what she thought would be a retake


But Williamson then realises the referee's decision and two Norwegian players are seen celebrating


German referee Kurtes is understood to have been sent home following her error on Saturday

GROUP 4 TABLE

Pos.......Team............ Pld ....W ...D... .L ....GD...... Pts
1........... England.......... 3...... 2.... 1.... 0... +10 .......7
2.............Norway........ .3 ......2 .....1.... 0 ....+9 ....... 7
3............ Switzerland.. 3 ......1..... 0 ....2..... -3 ........3
4 ...Northern Ireland..... 3...... 0..... 0 ...3..... -16 ......0



'The penalty kick shall be retaken by the Football Association.

'According to the Laws of the Game (Law 14), a team-mate of the player taking the kick infringes the Laws of the Game:

- the referee allows the kick to be taken

- if the ball enters the goal, the kick is retaken

- if the ball does not enter the goal, the referee stops play and the match is restarted with an indirect free kick to the defending team from the place where the infringement occurred

'As the ball entered the goal, the kick should have been re-taken. Thus the CDEB ordered that the remaining time of the match should be replayed in accordance with article 6 (e) and 7 (2) of the disciplinary regulations.


Williamson scored from the penalty spot during England's 3-1 victory against Switzerland on Thursday


Jenna Dear (right) scores with a header as England inched closer to European Championship qualification

'Teams must field the same players which were on the pitch at that moment. Any of these players can take the penalty kick.'

An FA spokesperson said: 'After England Women U19s' match against Norway on Saturday, April 4, the FA lodged an appeal to UEFA following a disallowed penalty.

'Due to an incorrect application of the game's laws by the match referee, UEFA have ordered the match to be replayed from the point of the penalty.

'The remainder of the match will be played on Thursday at 9.45pm at the same stadium – Seaview, Belfast.'


Williamson is congratulated by her England team-mates after scoring past Swiss goalkeeper Tania Chassot


Former Everton and England captain Mo Marley is head coach of the national women's U19 team


The 2-2 draw against Norway means England have qualified for the 2015 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Israel


Although it only lasted around 50 seconds, officials, stewards and paramedics were all required to attend and admission was free for fans.

England, coached by former national captain Mo Marley, were 2-0 down to Norway on Saturday before substitute Ayane pulled one back in the 87th minute to give her side hope of claiming a point.

However, Wiliiamson's penalty was disallowed and the match ended in defeat. England brushed off the disappointment on Monday, though, with a 9-1 win against Northern Ireland.

Both England and Norway had to start the match with the same players who finished Saturday's match and both teams had completed what should have been the final round of Group 4 matches just hours earlier on Thursday.

Marley's side defeated Switzerland 3-1 as Jenna Dear scored twice at the Seaview Stadium either side of another Williamson spot-kick as she scored past Swiss goalkeeper Tania Chassot from 12-yards.

The controversial decision further complicated the already complex qualification process for July's finals after UEFA had announced that Norway had sealed their place regardless of the result in Belfast.

After an initial qualifying round last year, the Elite Round is comprised of six groups of four teams playing at locations across Europe.

The six group winners and best-placed runner-up (Norway) - decided by the best record against the first and third-placed teams in the groups - went through to join hosts Israel at the showpiece event in July.

England women's senior head coach Mark Sampson tweeted: 'Difficult circumstances for our @england U19. I have been proud that in challenging circumstances you have conducted yourselves superbly & represented your country with great pride.


'Regardless of final outcome you should be very proud. We are very proud of you.'
 
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