Referee takes away Vietnam team's goal in the highlight match of round 24

Referee Kim Woo-sung caused controversy in the match between Vietnam and Singapore in late 2024.

The V.League Organizing Committee announced that referee Kim Woo-sung will officiate the match between Hanoi Police and Hanoi FC in round 24 (taking place on May 26 at Hang Day Stadium). Mr. Kim is a FIFA referee from Korea and is not a strange face to Vietnamese fans.

At the 2024 AFF Cup, Mr. Kim Woo-sung was the starting referee in the first leg of the semi-final between Vietnam and Singapore. The Korean referee made a controversial decision when he did not recognize Nguyen Xuan Son's goal.

Referee Kim Woo-sung determined that the ball touched the hand of the Vietnamese striker before he unleashed a beautiful shot that beat the Singapore goalkeeper. After the match, Xuan Son asserted that the ball only touched the striker's shoulder, not his hand, claiming that the referee's decision was wrong.

This is not the first time the Korean referee has been at the center of a "storm" of criticism for a controversial decision. He previously recognized a "ghost goal" in the match between Qatar and India in the second round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers in Doha.

In the incident that happened in the 73rd minute, slow-motion footage showed the ball rolling out of play, completely over the touchline. The Indian players stopped, but the referee allowed the match to continue.

A Qatar player used his foot to pull the ball into the field for his teammate to score. The away team reacted strongly. This was a match without VAR and referee Kim Woo-sung did not change his decision. Qatar then scored another goal to win 2-1. This defeat saw India overtake Kuwait in the rankings, losing their place in the third qualifying round.

In addition to referee Kim Woo-sung, the upcoming Hanoi derby will have another Korean referee in charge of the VAR room. That is Mr. Chae Sang-hyeop (also a FIFA referee). Mr. Chae Sang-hyeop previously officiated the match between Hanoi Police Club and Borneo in the Southeast Asian Cup.

Source: https://znews.vn/trong-tai-tuoc-ban-thang-cua-tuyen-viet-nam-bat-tran-tam-diem-vong-24-post1555706.html