A week ago Euro 2016 finished, and Portugal claimed victory over France in the final. It was a tight match, won 1-0 in extra-time. Eder’s brilliant long range winner deserved to win any match, however it seems that I’m the only one to notice major referee influence in that long range winner. Eder struck his winner in the 109^th minute of the final, but it was a referee’s decision two minutes earlier that influenced that winner…

In the 107^th minute the ball bounced up into a player’s arm as Eder and French defender Laurent Koscielny tussled for the ball. The referee awarded Portugal a free-kick (that hit the bar) and gave Koscielny a yellow card for handball. However, replays showed that the ball actually hit Eder’s arm, meaning the free-kick should’ve gone to France and Laurent Koscielny never should’ve received a yellow card.

Two minutes later the ball comes across to Eder, Koscielny comes out to him but doesn’t challenge him, allowing Eder time and space to shoot (and score the winner). Koscielny should’ve challenged Eder and probably needed to foul him because Eder was getting away from him. Yes, a professional foul and yellow card offense, but something that a player has to do.

The only reason that Koscielny didn’t bring Eder down in that moment is the yellow card that he was unfairly given minutes before. If Koscielny didn’t have that yellow card he would have brought Eder down, because he already had a yellow card he couldn’t run the risk of picking up a second.

An incorrect refereeing decision contributed to Portugal’s triumph, but Eder still had to put the ball in the back of the net from range with a wonderful shot. And he did just that.