Ecuador 1-1 Brazil: Alexander Dominguez saw red for karate-kick tackle on Matheus Cunha

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·28 January 2022

Ecuador 1-1 Brazil: Alexander Dominguez saw red for karate-kick tackle on Matheus Cunha

Ecuador and Brazil's 2022 World Cup qualifier on Thursday evening was certainly eventful.

The two South American sides played out a 1-1 draw, Casemiro and Felix Torres netting the goals on the night.

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But those strikes were just part of the drama. Two players were sent off in the opening quarter of proceedings, Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez the first to see red.

The shot-stopper, who plays for Uruguayan Primera División club Cerro Largo, was given his marching orders in just the 15th-minute and he could have no complaints whatsoever.

Dominguez was guilty of a horrendous karate-kick tackle on Atletico Madrid's Matheus Cunha when trying to come off his line to intercept the ball.

The 'keeper made sickening contact with the Brazil striker's neck and VAR quickly - and correctly - deemed that the challenge was worthy of a red card.

Take a look at the shocking tackle from Dominguez here...

Video: Dominguez's karate-kick tackle on Cunha

Ouch. Every replay of that tackle makes us wince, but Cunha was thankfully able to play on until he was replaced by Flamengo's Gabriel Barbosa in the 78th-minute.

Around five minutes after Dominguez was dismissed from the field of play, Brazil were reduced to 10 men themselves when Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal needlessly picked up a second yellow card.

As tackles when you're already on a booking go, it was up there with the stupidest we've seen in quite some time from the former Barcelona man...

Video: Emerson's ridiculous challenge when on a yellow

What was he thinking?! Absolutely brainless from Emerson.

VAR then had to step in twice to prevent Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker from being the third man to see red in the World Cup qualifier.

Around the half-hour mark, a slightly wild kick of his own was eventually declared only worthy of a yellow card, which was due to the fact that he made contact with the ball.

Then in second half stoppage-time, VAR saved Alisson from giving away a penalty and picking up a second booking for a foul inside the box, the ex-AS Roma man winning the ball fairly this time around.