"The header was normal, so why was it cancelled?" The mystery of Gangwon's dramatic comeback goal is solved... an 'offside' not caught on broadcast

*This content was translated by AI.

The reason for the disallowed dramatic comeback goal by professional soccer club Gangwon FC was revealed late.

On the 21st, Gangwon drew 1-1 against JejuSK in an away match of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 19 held at Jeju World Cup Stadium.

Gangwon conceded the opening goal to Kim Shin-jin in the 21st minute of the first half, but Go Young-jo equalized immediately in the 26th minute, restoring balance.

A regrettable scene unfolded in the 38th minute of the second half. Gangwon's foreign striker Abdalla shook the net with a header from inside the penalty area. It was a goal that would have broken the 1-1 tie, and it seemed Gangwon was about to take three points from the Jeju away match.

However, after video assistant referee (VAR) review, the goal was disallowed.

Looking only at the broadcast footage, it was difficult to easily grasp the reason. There appeared to be no particular issue with Abdalla's position at the moment he attempted the header. If an offside foul had occurred, it should have been found in a preceding process, but that scene was not captured on the broadcast.

Furthermore, the broadcast screen briefly showed Gangwon manager Jeong Kyung-ho, making it even more difficult to confirm the exact situation.

In the end, the reason for Abdalla's goal being disallowed remained unannounced, and the match ended in a draw.

Two days after the match, on the 23rd, the mystery was resolved through an explanation from the Korea Football Association (KFA). It was not in Abdalla's header scene itself, but in the preceding attacking process that led to the goal that an offside occurred.

The KFA explained the background for disallowing Gangwon's goal while releasing the results of the referee evaluation council meeting held on that day.

The association stated, "Abdalla's goal was disallowed, but the reason could not be confirmed on the broadcast footage."

It further explained, "Prior to that goal, Abdalla interfered with play from an offside position, establishing a foul," and added, "Afterward, Gangwon continued to maintain possession of the ball and proceeded with play, leading to the goal."

It also noted, "The VAR referee confirmed this offside while reviewing whether a foul occurred throughout the entire process leading to the goal," and added, "Accordingly, the goal was disallowed, and the match resumed with an indirect free kick from the initial point of the foul."

The association emphasized that VAR review of a scoring situation is not limited to the final shooting scene alone. It explained that if an attack did not break and continued, confirming the entire sequence leading to the goal is the procedure according to the rules of the game.

The problematic offside scene was not broadcast. However, VAR referees can check separate camera angles that do not appear on the broadcast screen.

The association stated, "Ultra-close offside calls that are difficult to identify with the naked eye are a major target for VAR review," and added, "This case is an example where the VAR procedure functioned normally, leading to an accurate decision."

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*This content was translated by AI.