In a truly bizarre incident at Wembley Stadium, Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte was shown two yellow cards by referee Sven Jablonski but astonishingly not sent off with a red card during England's 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay. This officiating blunder occurred as Federico Valverde's stoppage-time penalty meant England failed to win for only the second time in Thomas Tuchel's eleven matches in charge, conceding for the first time since losing to Senegal in a friendly last June.
A Calamitous Night for Referee Sven Jablonski
The strange sequence began when Ugarte was initially booked during the second half for a late challenge on Cole Palmer after the ball had gone. Merely minutes later, the Manchester United midfielder was pictured arguing vehemently with referee Sven Jablonski, who promptly brandished another yellow card. Yet, inexplicably, this second booking was not followed by the mandatory red card, allowing Ugarte to continue playing until being substituted soon afterwards by Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa.
It was later clarified that Ugarte's second yellow card had been officially "rescinded," although it remains entirely unclear why the card was withdrawn and whether this crucial information was ever communicated to the player during the match. This was just one glaring mistake in what proved to be a calamitous night for referee Jablonski, who also missed an appalling tackle on Phil Foden by Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo.
England's Fury Over Missed Red Cards
Foden limped off the field a few minutes after the rough challenge, and England manager Thomas Tuchel was visibly furious with the dangerous tackle that went unpunished. England defender Harry Maguire was equally incensed, telling ITV broadcasters: "You don't see tackles like that and not get red cards. A couple of months from the World Cup and we've got referees allowing tackles like that... It's genuinely disappointing."
Maguire continued: "We have to move on and manage the game better to come away with the victory. It was a good workout out there, with many positives and things to work on as well." The England defender was also angry with the controversial penalty decision against England's goalscorer Ben White in the dying minutes, which handed Uruguay a late equaliser.
Controversial Penalty Decision Mars England's Performance
White was adjudged to have fouled Federico Vinas in the area, with a penalty awarded to Marcelo Bielsa's side after a lengthy VAR check. Real Madrid's Federico Valverde stepped up calmly to beat England debutant goalkeeper James Trafford from the spot in the 94th minute, with the visitors almost snatching victory with a flurry of chances during a frantic finale.
Maguire expressed his frustration about the penalty decision: "We had control of the game, they didn't really get in our box, and then it's a ridiculous penalty. It's soft. He's kicked the ball over the bar. Ben just goes to try to block the shot. It's not a bad tackle, it's not malicious. It's part and parcel of defending in the box, where there is always going to be some contact."
England will next play Japan on Tuesday evening in what will be their final match before manager Thomas Tuchel selects his World Cup squad, hoping for better officiating and a more decisive performance.
