DALLAS – On Sunday, the world`s most significant soccer match took place in Spain, where Barcelona defeated their rivals Real Madrid 4-3 in “El Clasico”, practically securing the league title. It was a magnificent game.
However, the most talked-about “soccer” play in North America occurred on the ice, as Alex Petrovic`s goal, scored via a kick, was controversially permitted. While visually awkward, it shifted the momentum decisively towards the Dallas Stars in their eventual 5-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets.
The video review for Petrovic`s go-ahead goal at 3:51 in the third period was lengthy, drawing post-game debate from head coaches Scott Arniel and Pete DeBoer – predictably, the coach of the losing team disagreed with the ruling, while the winner supported it. This incident provoked anger among Jets supporters and dominated sports headlines.
Undeniably, it was a crucial turning point.
However, the Jets reacted poorly.
Just 49 seconds later, on the subsequent shift, Mikko Rantanen extended the Stars` lead to 4-2 at 4:40 because the Jets failed to defend a three-on-three rush effectively. Further defensive errors by Winnipeg then allowed Wyatt Johnston to score at 14:06, making it 5-2 and completing Dallas`s strong recovery from their 4-0 defeat in Game 2 on Friday.
Tristan Blackwood