Rooney: Vasilj should have received a red card, former referee contradicts him

(Patria) - Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina drew 1:1 in their World Cup opener. Jovo Lukić put the Dragons ahead in the 21st minute with an assist from Ivan Bašić, but Cyle Larin set the final score in the 78th minute.

In his post-match analysis for the BBC, legendary English striker Wayne Rooney stated that he believes Canada was severely wronged and that Nikola Vasilj should have been sent off in the 49th minute.

At that moment, Vasilj collided with Canadian forward Tani Oluwaseyi at the edge of the penalty area. Vasilj reached the ball first and punched it clear to avert danger, then hit Oluwaseyi in the head with his hands. Both players remained on the ground but continued the match after receiving medical attention. Oluwaseyi was also flagged for offside, but Rooney believes Vasilj should have definitely received a red card.

"That's a red card. Forget about the offside. We've seen before that players could be fouled after the whistle and still get a red card. I think it's dangerous play. I know he got to the ball first, but then he hit him, and in the temple, that's the worst place to get hit. You could end up knocked out, (Oluwaseyi) could have concussion symptoms even after seven days. Look at his neck. That's a clear red card," Rooney said.

Also in the studio was former referee and now refereeing analyst Darren Cann, who disagreed with Rooney and stated that he saw nothing controversial in the duel between Vasilj and the Canadian forward.