'A terrible decision!': How Scotland was robbed against Hungary

Dreams ended
A clear penalty?
No VAR
Alan Shearer
Fail at the first hurdle
It could have been different
Dreams ended

Scotland's Euro 2024 hopes were ended in controversial fashion on the 23rd of June, losing in the 99th minute to Hungary, who kept their Euro dreams alive.

A clear penalty?

The biggest talking point from the game was how Scotland wasn't awarded a penalty when Hungary defender Willi Orban brought down Stuart Armstong in the box in the second half.

No VAR

The Scotland team, staff, and fans loudly appealed for the penalty, but the referee was unmoved. Surprisingly, VAR didn't intervene and ask the referee to look at the potential foul.

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"100% a penalty"

According to The Guardian, Scotland manager Steve Clarke said: "It was 100% a penalty. Somebody, somewhere has to explain to me why that is not a penalty. It was 100%."

"What's the purpose of VAR"

"We had European VAR. Maybe the referee didn't see the challenge clearly on the pitch, so what's the purpose of VAR if they are not going to come in on something like that? It was a penalty."

Alan Shearer

Scotland and England have had a long-time sporting rivalry, but even England legend Alan Shearer couldn't believe Scotland wasn't awarded the penalty.

"Terrible decision"

In the post-match analysis on BBC1, Shearer said: "I thought the referee gave a terrible decision when Scotland should have had a penalty. It was a penalty all day."

"He takes him out"

"It's a terrible challenge from Orban. He gets all caught up. He takes him out. His right knee onto his left calf. That, for me, was a clear, clear penalty."

Fail at the first hurdle

The result means Scotland has failed to make it out of the group stage in every single major tournament they have been in, starting at the 1954 World Cup (8 World Cups and 4 Euros).

It could have been different

On three points, Hungary has to hope they have enough points to finish as one of the four best third-place teams in the tournament. How winning and scoring a penalty could have changed all of that for Scotland.

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