[News Figures] Who Is Referee Taylor Who Passed the Korean Corner Kick?

On the afternoon of the 28th (local time), the Group H second match between South Korea and Ghana was held at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage. Coach Paulo Bento was shown a red card after vehemently protesting the early end of the match.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Anthony Taylor, the referee who officiated the Korea-Ghana match at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, is facing heavy criticism. In a situation where Korea was trailing 3-2 and awarded a corner kick, he blew the final whistle, and when Paulo Bento, the protesting coach, objected, Taylor showed him a red card (ejection), sparking widespread controversy after the match.

On the 28th (local time), Taylor served as the main referee in the Group H second match between Korea and Ghana held at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. In the second half of the match, with Korea trailing Ghana by one goal, Korea earned a valuable corner kick opportunity. It was near the end of the 10 minutes of added time in the second half, and this was Korea’s last chance to score.

Although the time given for Korea to mount an attack was tight, considering that Ghana players, focused on defense, engaged in light physical play and even lay down on the ground to waste time, it was reasonable to expect about one minute of additional time at the referee’s discretion. However, referee Taylor ignored Korea’s corner kick opportunity and blew the whistle to signal the end of the match, which ultimately ended with Ghana winning 3-2.

Disappointed at missing the last scoring chance, Korea’s coach Bento immediately protested strongly to referee Taylor after the match. However, Taylor instead showed Bento a red card. As a result, Coach Bento will be unable to attend Korea’s third match against Portugal on December 3.

After the match, Taylor’s Instagram account was flooded with criticism from football fans both domestically and internationally. Foreign media such as the UK’s Telegraph and India’s Asianet also pointed out Taylor’s decisions, describing the match as "chaotic and disorderly" and noting that "fans are already aware of Taylor’s notorious reputation."

Referee Taylor, who sent off Son Heung-min three years ago, is a lifesaver for Christian Eriksen

Born in 1978, Taylor is from Manchester, a major city in the UK. He once played football but later switched to being a referee. His refereeing career began in 2002 in the UK’s minor league, the Northern Premier League. Since 2010, he has been active in the Premier League (EPL).

Referee Anthony Taylor showing a red card to Son Heung-min during the Tottenham-Chelsea match in the England Premier League (EPL) held in December 2019. / EPA=Yonhap News

With over 10 years of professional football refereeing experience, he has been highly active due to his quick judgment and responsiveness. A representative example is during the UEFA Euro 2020 match in 2021, when Danish player Christian Eriksen collapsed from cardiac arrest; Taylor immediately stopped the match and called medical staff to manage the situation. However, he is also known among football fans as a "notorious" referee due to some inconsistent decisions and controversial calls.

His troubled history with Korea’s captain Son Heung-min is also recalled. In December 2019, during the 2019-2020 EPL season Tottenham-Chelsea match, Son raised his foot after a challenge with opposing defender Antonio R?diger. At that time, referee Taylor, who was officiating, after video assistant referee (VAR) review, issued a red card to Son, judging it as retaliatory behavior. Son protested his innocence, but the decision did not change, and he was ultimately sent off the field.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.