Alistair Johnston was left fuming with the failure to punish a Peru player for headbutting him.
The Celtic star was involved in a flashpoint with Marcos López during Canada’s 1-0 win which put them in the driving seat to finish second behind Argentina in their Copa America group. Lopez stuck his head into the right-back after being blocked him off as they chased a loose ball and the left-back reacted furiously.
The on-pitch referee failed to react and as VAR carried out a review, it was expected that a second look would be recommended. But much to the 25-year-old’s surprise and displeasure, that didn’t come and Lopez, amazingly, escaped without any form of punishment for the act of aggression.
Reacting post-match, Johnston said, “It just encapsulates exactly what we knew we would get in this tournament. We can’t rely on the refs to give us anything. We just have to put the ball in the back of the net and pray that VAR lets it stand.
“We really can’t bank on getting any calls here, that’s something we discussed going into this game. So I can’t say I was too surprised I got up and he waved it on. I just know if it had gone the other way I have a feeling it would have been me that would have been walking down that tunnel.
“But that’s football and I am glad the team kept their composure because that was an easy one where we could have lost it. We focused on the task, got in at half-time, and regrouped.
“At the end of the day, no matter how ugly it gets, it always feels great when you walk away and get the points. It shows no matter the conditions, we can play against any team. We can compete with any team no matter what they throw at it.”
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