Lille - Courageous or Pathetic?

Lille. Up 'n' Coming stars of European football I've been led to believe. A "team with no stars" according to their manager, Claude Puel. Certainly none of them shone particularly brightly last night.

In an uneventful match, played out on a shocking pitch, both sides were closely matched and had periods of dominance over the other, but failed to convert their chances. That is, until the Puel changed formation to 4-4-2. Lille went on the attack and appeared to have scored through Odemwingie with a close range header. However, this was ruled out by the referee for a push that could be regarded as minimal. However, the goal did not stand, and the players moved on.

In the 83rd minute however, Saha earned a free-kick after being pulled back and having his shirt tugged. The Lille defence were still organising their wall when Giggs asked to take the free-kick. The referee walked away and Giggs guided the ball into the far right hand corner as a surprised Sylva attempted to reach the ball.

In the vigorous appeals that followed, Sylva was booked. Lille then proceeded to kick the ball to their coach from the kick-off, and a mass argument ensued. It looked as if Lille might be considering abandoning the tie, but after a couple of minutes they returned to the field. Manchester United returned to dodge missiles from the crowd, stirred up by Giggs' goal. The last ten minutes were played out to a chorus of boos. It was an embarrassing episode for all concerned.

But were Lille right to complain? Had they been 'cheated' out of, if not a win, then a draw? Were they just showing their displeasure with the way the referee had conducted himself throughout the game, which was, in both fans opinions, poor? This is, apparently, the way teams register a complain in France, waiting until the ball goes out of play to dispute a decision, perhaps giving themselves time to calm down and see the offending action again. Was this just Lille showing the referee what they thought, with no plans to walk off at all?

In my humble opinion - no, no, no. I feel that both decisions, technically, were correct by the referee. The push on Vidic was perhaps minimal, although it is hard to maintain balance in the position that he was in, and it certainly helped Odemwinge get to the ball. Considering the view that referee Eric Braamhaar had, it is very understandable decision that he took, and it is one that could go either way. There is nothing in the rulebook to say that the referee must blow the whistle when a free-kick is taken, and you see quick free-kicks and corners taken all the time. Professionals are told to stand in front of the ball to prevent quick free-kicks, so it could be attributed to a mistake by Lille.

What wasn't understandable was their reaction, acting like petulant schoolchildren because the big boys had done something naughty. They endangered the United players as the crowd began to throw missiles at them, and embarrassed French football, European football and World football. It is a sad chapter in Lille's history, and perhaps looking back, they will realise the pathetic actions that they undertook. It was certainly "intimidating the referee", and lets hope that the return leg is far more enjoyable.