{"id":4929,"date":"2026-07-20T12:38:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T12:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929"},"modified":"2026-07-20T12:38:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T12:38:37","slug":"argentinas-semifinal-hero-becomes-world-cup-final-scapegoat-after-recklessness-turns-into-red-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929","title":{"rendered":"Argentina’s semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez lived on both sides of the emotional coin in the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Five days ago, he was the hero who rescued Argentina with a stunning late equalizer in the semifinal against England. <\/p>

Read more Unhinged NYC vagrant grins as he\u2019s charged with hitting baby girl in stroller: cops<\/a><\/p>\n

But on the sport\u2019s biggest stage, he went from savior to scapegoat in a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n

His red card in second-half stoppage time didn\u2019t just put Argentina in a precarious position down a man, it stripped the defending champion of its last realistic path to win the match, ultimately falling to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final 1-0 in extra time.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnzo\u2019s sending off \u2026 I think the first yellow card could have been avoided by the referee, but it is what is,\u201d Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said. \u201cOf course he wasn\u2019t thinking about booking him with a second yellow card. It\u2019s a World Cup Final and I think there\u2019s things that could have been avoided.\u201d<\/p>\n

After already struggling to create anything on offense against Spain\u2019s suffocating press, Argentina had failed to register a single shot in regulation. <\/p>\n

As the game was headed to extra time, Argentina was hoping to survive and find one fleeting moment on the counterattack to steal victory from the jaws of defeat against Spain.<\/p>\n

Then Fern\u00e1ndez lost his composure.<\/p>\n

In the 82nd minute, Fern\u00e1ndez was shown a yellow card for dissent after protesting a non-foul decision by Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic. <\/p>\n

It was a needless booking from one of Argentina\u2019s emotional leaders, but it would soon become more significant than anyone realized.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later, disaster struck. <\/p>\n

As Pau Cubars\u00ed chased a loose ball near midfield, Fern\u00e1ndez lunged into a reckless challenge that left Vincic with little choice but to show the Argentine midfielder a second yellow and in turn, a red card. Argentina was down to 10 men with stoppage time winding down and an additional 30 minutes of extra time still left to play.<\/p>\n

Fern\u00e1ndez walked slowly toward the tunnel as Spanish supporters erupted while thousands of Argentine fans stood silent inside MetLife Stadium, fully aware that the mountain in front of their team had suddenly become almost impossible to climb.<\/p>

Read more Pentagon identifies 2 US soldiers killed in weekend attack by Iran<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

World Cup Merch shop<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"USMNT<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nUSMNT Icon Red T-Shirt<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tBuilt for match days and everyday wear, this officially licensed USMNT tee brings classic national pride wherever you go.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$29.95\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$25.49\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"Christian<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nChristian Pulisic Navy USMNT T-Shirt<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tRep your favorite player in classic navy with this officially licensed tee made for diehard fans and big match energy.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$34.99\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"usa<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nUSA Soccer Front\/Back Crest Pullover Hoodie<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tStay warm while repping the red, white, and blue in this officially licensed USMNT pullover hoodie featuring bold front and back crest graphics.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$54.99\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"world<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nFIFA World Cup \u201926 Host Country Flags T-Shirt<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tCelebrate the global game in style with this FIFA World Cup 26 tee featuring all three host countries\u2019 logos and flags.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$28.00\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$23.80\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"world<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n2026 Panini FIFA World Cup Sticker Box (25 Sticker Packs)<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tRip into the excitement of World Cup season with this 2026 Panini sticker box packed with 25 packs of collectible stickers for fans and traders.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$50.00\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"world<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nadidas FIFA World Cup \u201926 Trionda Host Nation League Soccer Ball<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tBring World Cup vibes to every kickaround with the official adidas FIFA World Cup \u201926 Soccer Ball built with host nation style and game-ready feel.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$45.00\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

Fern\u00e1ndez became just the sixth player ever sent off in a FIFA World Cup final, joining one of the tournament\u2019s most exclusive and infamous lists. <\/p>\n

Rather than being remembered for his thunderbolt against England that carried Argentina into the championship match, his tournament will forever include one of the defining mistakes of the final itself.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unlikely Argentina, completely dominated by Spain all day long, would have won anyway, but Fern\u00e1ndez\u2019s one reckless challenge all but extinguished them.<\/p>

Read more Trump says new Qatar-donated Air Force One to go out of service to \u2018max out\u2019 defenses<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez lived on both sides of the emotional coin in the World Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-world-cup-2026"],"yoast_head":"\nArgentina's semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Argentina's semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card - Metro Transit Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez lived on both sides of the emotional coin in the World Cup.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Metro Transit Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-20T12:38:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c04cbc8aa4bad7fce1a32fe163515f2.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1333\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14\"},\"headline\":\"Argentina’s semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-20T12:38:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929\"},\"wordCount\":695,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/54ee38e0e3b30dd37e0d0e00f72b8dc0.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Soccer\",\"World Cup 2026\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929\",\"name\":\"Argentina's semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card - Metro Transit Review\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/54ee38e0e3b30dd37e0d0e00f72b8dc0.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-20T12:38:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/54ee38e0e3b30dd37e0d0e00f72b8dc0.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/54ee38e0e3b30dd37e0d0e00f72b8dc0.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":799},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4929#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Argentina’s semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Metro Transit Review\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Argentina's semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card - Metro Transit Review","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Argentina's semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card - Metro Transit Review","og_description":"Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez lived on both sides of the emotional coin in the World Cup.","og_url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929","og_site_name":"Metro Transit Review","article_published_time":"2026-07-20T12:38:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":1333,"url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c04cbc8aa4bad7fce1a32fe163515f2.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14"},"headline":"Argentina’s semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card","datePublished":"2026-07-20T12:38:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929"},"wordCount":695,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/54ee38e0e3b30dd37e0d0e00f72b8dc0.webp","articleSection":["Soccer","World Cup 2026"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929","url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929","name":"Argentina's semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card - Metro Transit Review","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/54ee38e0e3b30dd37e0d0e00f72b8dc0.webp","datePublished":"2026-07-20T12:38:37+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/54ee38e0e3b30dd37e0d0e00f72b8dc0.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/54ee38e0e3b30dd37e0d0e00f72b8dc0.webp","width":1200,"height":799},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4929#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Argentina’s semifinal hero becomes World Cup final scapegoat after recklessness turns into red card"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/","name":"Metro Transit Review","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/metrotransitreview.com"],"url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}