10 Terrible Refereeing Decisions That Changed World Cup Games
5. Netherlands Vs. Spain (2010)
England didn't make it to the 2010 World Cup final, but one English man was still able to run around on the pitch during the game; referee Howard Webb was given the ultimate honour of officiating the match, but by the time it was all over, he probably wished he'd just watched from the stands instead.
Despite being the showcase game of the tournament, the match was marred by nasty fouls, rather than the beautiful football fans had hoped for. The tie ultimately went to extra time and was won by the Spanish in the 116th minute, but it might not have needed to go on so long had Webb paid attention to what was surely the most shocking foul of the tournament
In the first half, Nigel De Jong was guilty of a gruesome studs-up kick square in the chest of Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso. De Jong got nowhere near the ball and Alonso was writhing on the floor in agony as Webb approached, but the English ref later revealed he hadn't had a clear view of the incident and was forced to hand out a yellow card, rather than a straight red.