AliousLeeds United’s head coach Daniel Farke revealed that goalkeeper Illan Meslier was devastated, “in tears” even, following a crucial error that cost his team a victory against Sunderland. The incident occurred in the 97th minute of Friday’s match, well beyond the minimum six minutes of added time. Meslier failed to handle Alan Browne’s speculative ball into the box, allowing it to slip past him and gifting Sunderland an unexpected 2-2 draw.
This mistake proved costly for Leeds United, as a win would have propelled them to share the top spot in the Championship alongside leaders Sunderland. Instead, they remain in third place, three points behind. Farke expressed his sympathy for Meslier, stating, “After such a situation, you don’t need to talk to Illan, he is the saddest person in the dressing room, he’s more or less in tears.”
Farke, with 30 years of football experience, admitted he had never witnessed such a defining mistake occurring with essentially the final touch of a match. He suggested that team captain Pascal Struijk had observed an unusual bounce of the ball just before it reached Meslier, potentially causing the goalkeeper’s misjudgment. However, Farke couldn’t conclusively confirm whether a divot on the pitch was responsible for the unexpected trajectory that cost his injury-plagued team two crucial points at the Stadium of Light, despite an otherwise impressive performance.
The Leeds manager emphasized the emotional impact of the incident, saying, “After such a situation, you don’t need to speak about it – no-one wants to hear any words.” He relayed Struijk’s observation, noting, “Pascal came over and said he had never seen anything like this. He said it bounced and jumped in the other direction because there was a mark on the pitch.”
Farke expressed uncertainty about the exact circumstances, as he wasn’t on the pitch himself, but acknowledged Struijk was likely in the best position to witness what happened. He added, “If it was this, it was unbelievably unlucky. To lose those points in this way is heartbreaking, is horrendous, is so sad and disappointing for our lads.”
Interestingly, Meslier has a connection to Sunderland’s head coach Regis Le Bris, having played under his tutelage at the Lorient academy in France. Le Bris spoke with Meslier on the pitch after the game and expressed sympathy for his former pupil. The Sunderland boss commented, “I’m disappointed for him because I like this boy and anyone can make a mistake. For a goalkeeper, when you make a mistake, the consequences are very important. It happened today and we are happy for the final result.”
This incident highlights the high-stakes nature of goalkeeping, where a single error can dramatically alter the outcome of a match and potentially impact a team’s standing in the league. It also underscores the emotional toll such mistakes can take on players, particularly in crucial moments of important games.
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