This Wasn’t a Red Card – Nigel de Jong Karate Kick

Remember that karate kick in the World Cup? An infamous moment from the 2010 World Cup final, when Netherlands player Nigel de Jong is only shown just a yellow card by referee Howard Webb for a chest-high karate kick at Spain’s Xabi Alonso. I guess if there was VAR back then this would have been corrected and Nigel de Jong would have been sent off?

It’s fitting that Spain went on to win this World Cup but if they didn’t they’d look back a lot more on this moment and how Webb only gave de Jong a yellow card.

Here’s Nigel De Jong’s karate kick on Xabi Alonso in the 2010 World Cup final. I really don’t know what de Jong is even trying to do here…he really isn’t trying to win the ball. Either he completely misreads and mis-times this play or he’s trying to injury Xabi Alonso.