What was looking set to end in a comfortable win for Ponte Preta in a crunch Brazilian first division football match ended in a heartbreak for the side as they were relegated after their defender Rodrigo Baldasso da Costa was red-carded for bizarrely putting his finger where he should not have.
Ponte Preta was locking horns against Vitoria in a tense relegation battle in the penultimate round of games last weekend, and the former finely began the proceedings. Ponte Preta took the lead as soon as the seventh minute before doubling its advantage from the penalty spot nine minutes later. With 2-0 nil up inside the first 20 minutes, Ponte Preta were looking destined to win the survival battle before Rodrigo, who played in the UEFA Champions League with Dynamo Kiev a decade ago, took the matters in his own hands.
Looking to distract perhaps or rile up Vitoria striker Santiago Trellez, Rodrigo, in the 19th minute, twice poked his finger inside the opposition player, forcing the referee to issue a straight red card. Rodrigo had to be convinced by his teammates to leave the pitch after being red carded so early in the do-or-die game.
Referee Ricardo Marques Ribeiro later wrote in his match report:
“I sent off … Rodrigo … after I was informed by the fourth official that the athlete had introduced his middle finger twice between the buttocks of his adversary number 22, Santiago Trellez.”
Ponte Preta paid the price for playing with one man less for the majority of the game as they not only squandered their two-goal lead but went on to concede three goals to lose the game 3-2. They had managed to hold on to their 2-goal lead till the break but fell apart in the second half and have been officially relegated to Serie B.
https://twitter.com/o_Leo___/status/934892392393723904
A couple of years ago, Chile star Gonzalo Jara was suspended after he did the same to Edinson Cavani in Copa America.