England star elbowed by Colombian coach during chippy round of 16 clash - Watch

Alex Baker
Colombia’s defender Yerry Mina (L) and England’s forward Raheem Sterling during the Russia 2018 World Cup round of 16 football match between Colombia and England at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow on July 3, 2018. (Getty Images)
Colombia’s defender Yerry Mina (L) and England’s forward Raheem Sterling during the Russia 2018 World Cup round of 16 football match between Colombia and England at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow on July 3, 2018. (Getty Images)

The first 45 minutes of England’s World Cup round of 16 meeting with Colombia were fairly uneventful in terms of goals being scored. Or even opportunities to score those goals being created, by either team. But what the first half was not short on was chippiness, with Colombia’s Wilmar Barrios earning a yellow card for head-butting Jordan Henderson in the chest just before the halftime whistle.

It seems that chippiness extended into halftime when England forward Raheem Sterling was seen receiving a shoulder challenge as he jogged off the pitch – from a member of Colombia’s coaching staff.

Things picked up in the second half pretty much where they left off with Carlos Sanchez, who was sent off in Colombia’s opener against Japan, bringing Harry Kane down in the box and earning a yellow card. Amidst the afters, Henderson was also shown a yellow for arguing with American referee Mark Geiger.

The incident resulted in a penalty for England, which Kane himself duly stepped up and converted to make it 1-0.

Following England’s goal, Colombia striker Radamel Falcao took a cleat to the back of the head from England’s John Stones in an incident that went unpunished, or perhaps unnoticed by Geiger.

With tensions continuing to boil over on the pitch and the match getting increasingly out of hand, Falcao was shown a yellow card a moment later for making protestations to the ref.

Substitute Carlos Bacca then came on for Colombia and was almost instantly booked himself, for clipping the heels of Stones.

England’s Jesse Lingard was next to go down in Geiger’s book, earning a yellow card for dragging Sanchez down.

At a certain point, 22 fouls had been called in the game.

Yerry Mina scored a last-minute equalizer for Colombia to take the match to extra time.

By that time the number of fouls was up to 23 . . . and counting.

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