Jordanian footballer Baker Kamal Kalbouneh took the term ‘reducer’ quite literally after a head-high tackle saw his game ended after just five seconds.
The 19-year-old was set to play for his nation in an AFC under-20 Asian Cup group game on Thursday. Jordan were taking on Tajikistan in the Lokomotiv Stadium in Uzbekistan.
The clash represented their first group game of the tournament but it could not have got off to a worse start with Kalbouneh seeing red almost immediately. Teammate Omar Al Osad chipped the ball forwards from kick-off as his side attempted to get straight on the attack.
It looked to be heading towards Tajikistan starlet Mekhrubon Karimov, only for Kalbouneh to take matters into his own hands. He leapt foot-first into his opposite number, making contact with Karimov’s head and leaving him in a heap on the floor.
The referee did not hesitate in producing the red card and his teammates’ lack of reactions were telling. Even when appeals did arrive, they were somewhat muted before Kalbouneh left the pitch visibly distraught.
He lashed out on his way to the substitute’s bench and then slumped into his seat with his shirt over his face, seemingly in tears. Despite the youngster’s anguish, Kalbouneh’s teammates saved his blushes as they somehow secured a 2-0 victory - Ali Ahmad Azaizeh and Sief Addeen Darwish both scoring.
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Whilst Kalbouneh’s rapid dismissal left him shaken, it was nothing compared to Lee Todd’s dismissal back in 2000. Playing up-front for Sunday league side Cross Farm Park Celtic against local rivals Taunton East Reach, he was the recipient of a red card after just two seconds.
Immediately after the whistle, he exclaimed “f*** me, ref, that was loud”, with referee Peter Kearle electing that his language was worthy of a dismissal. Kalbouneh did not quite go that far as his tackle emulated that of former Wimbledon star Vinnie Jones and his infamous ‘reducer’ challenge on Liverpool ’s Steve McMahon just minutes into the 1988 FA Cup final.
Speaking about his though process at the time, he said: “I’d watched a video and [Alan] Hansen or someone would knock the ball to [McMahon] who’d then let it come across him to open up so he could play it out the other side.
“The boys knew I was going to smash him because I’d told them that if I could early enough, the referee wasn’t going to send me off in front of in front of about 100,000 people, but I didn’t get too much of a response from the lads, so it was a bit of a gamble!
“So when the ball came into him, I started running – I was about 30 yards away – and I kept thinking ‘just open up’ and he did and thought ‘Merry Christmas.’ BOOM.’”
