Unusual expulsion of Patón Guzmán in the Leagues Cup: he ran to midfield and pushed the referee

There are expulsions that are difficult to explain, but the one suffered by Nahuel Guzmán in the Leagues Cup will surely be among the most unusual of his extensive career. The Argentine goalkeeper was involved in an extraordinary situation at the end of the match between Tigres and Vancouver Whitecaps: he wanted to speed up the execution of a free kick, pushed the referee to make space, and received a red card immediately.

The match was tied 1-1 at the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey and the last minutes were being played. Guzmán had the ball in his hands inside his area and, in response to a foul called in favor of Tigres near the halfway line, he rushed out to try to quickly execute the action and seek one last opportunity for his team.

It was then that the unexpected episode occurred. The goalkeeper encountered Salvadoran referee Iván Barton, who was at that moment cautioning Canadian Jeevan Badwal, and he pushed him to be able to advance. Barton did not hesitate and showed the red card to Patón.

The decision surprised even the official broadcast. "It's a mistake. He saw it, looked to the side, and pushed him. He must have respect for the referee. What was he trying to do? I would like to understand why you do that. A man so veteran and with his leadership cannot make those mistakes", the commentators analyzed.

Clearly affected by his expulsion, Guzmán did not hide his anger. As he headed towards the locker rooms, he appeared visibly upset and, already off the field, threw chairs and buckets in the midst of his rage.

The scene had an additional peculiarity: the Argentine was already serving a seven-match suspension for an incident that occurred in the Champions Cup final against Toluca. On that occasion, he had been sanctioned for insulting the refereeing body and for deliberately delaying the start of the match. Now it will be the disciplinary tribunal of the Leagues Cup that determines the new penalty.

Furthermore, the expulsion came just a few minutes after the red card received by his teammate Diego Lainez, meaning that Tigres had to finish the match with two men less. Felipe Rodríguez came on to occupy the goal and accompanied the team in the shootout.

Despite the chaotic ending, the Mexican team managed to prevail 5-4 in penalties after the 1-1 in regular time and take the two points awarded to the winner of the shootout.