The Argentinian Primera Division 3 match between Argentino de Merlo and Sacachispas was surprisingly entertaining, despite the 0-0 scoreline. In a bizarre series of events, local Argentinian striker Axel Leonel Ovejero was shown the red card by Felipe Viola, the match referee, and expelled for urinating on the field. The striker held his face in disbelief after being penalized and trudged off the field dejected.

Argentinian’s call of nature

The referee had called a stop as the medical team of Sacachispas attended to one of their players. As the referee moved away, he walked across to Axel and flashed the dreaded red card. The coaching staff and players look on in disbelief with a puzzled look on their faces.

As the broadcasters point out later, the fourth umpire was the one to inform match referee Felipe Viola of the violation, who took immediate action. The player dropped his pants and urinated, which was later confirmed by a journalist on the ground, who said, “ The fourth referee reports that he was expelled for urinating on the playing field.”

With a game time of just 21 minutes since the halftime whistle, Axel left his team in a dreadful position. The score line was 0-0 and the loss of a striker and reducing the team to ten men was a massive disadvantage. Broadcasters could not believe what was unfolding in front of them and burst out in laughter in the end.

Twitter page: TyC Sports Play has shared a video of the rather unusual incident but not the first time it has happened. Joaquin Pucheta, a player from Macará in Ecuador, had also urinated during the middle of a football game. The game ended in a stalemate, with no one being able to register a goal. Argentino de Merlo added a solitary point to their tally while their rivals, Sacachispas, secured three after they registered three draws.

The referee was quick to take action and penalize the player for misbehaving and not respecting the game, performing his duties to the fullest. While entertainment is part of the sport, the players and people part of the ecosystem must always respect the sanctity of the sport and drive its legacy forward.

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