Abby Brammell

By MARTIN SAMUEL


Vaart attack: Rafael van der Vaart scores the opener for Spurs before his night ended with a red card


A penalty missed, a goal scored and a red card, all in the space of a little more than 20 minutes.

It is fair to say it was a lively old night for Rafael van der Vaart. And for Tottenham Hotspur, of course.

Has there been any other kind for them in the Champions League this season?

They were given an incredible three penalties, and scored two, but will rue the loss of Van der Vaart for the visit to the San Siro next month.

Still, with back-to-back fixtures against Inter Milan waiting, this was a match they had to win and did.

Harry Redknapp, the manager, would have bought this outcome before the start, certainly with key defenders missing. As well as Tottenham’s hopes of a last 16 place, the role of Michael Platini’s assistant referees will also be hotly debated now, not least in Holland.


Pain and gain: Tottenham's Rafael van der Vaart had a roller coaster night


The match official, Terje Hauge, did not appear to give one of Tottenham’s trio of penalties; two coming from the additional assistant referees behind the goals, the other from a conventional linesman.

One looked a certainty, one could have gone either way, and the third was nonsense.
Twente coach Michel Preud’homme spent much of the night going beserk on the touchline. He was, as Redknapp said of Arsene Wenger recently, a key nutter.

On occasions, with some justification. Hauge is one more of UEFA’s Over-Promoted Useless Scandinavian Officials — of which there would appear to be an inexhaustible supply — and joined by four Norwegian colleagues was an accident waiting to happen.


You're off! Van der Vaart sees red at White Hart Lane


He missed a forearm smash by Tom Huddlestone on Marc Janko that could easily have resulted in a red card, and each of Tottenham’s penalties had an arguable case against (although two seemed to have stronger evidence for).

In the circumstances, however, the best that can be said is that the home side did well by him; not that Tottenham were undeserving of victory. What became a crazy second-half was heralded by the award of the first penalty seven minutes before half-time.

It came when a shot from Roman Pavlyuchenko was saved by Nikolay Mihaylov, the ball rebounding to Van der Vaart whose cross was aimed for Peter Crouch.


Right to wrongs: Van der Vaart after his goal


He was in no position to receive it, however, having been wrestled to the turf by defender Peter Wisgerhof. Twente argued that Crouch was doing as much holding as his opponent but referee Hauge, advised by Platini’s extra pair of eyes behind the goal, pointed to the spot.

There followed lengthy protests and no little gamesmanship, during which time Mihaylov was booked for time-wasting and risked a red card for persistence in this field.

When the kick was taken, however, the Bulgaria international was all about the business, making a magnificent save from Van der Vaart, diving to his right to tip the ball onto the post and round for a corner.


Spot on: Pavlyuchenko scores his second penalty


Mihaylov spent three seasons contracted to Liverpool, although all of them were spent on loan to Twente, before his move was made permanent in the summer. On this performance, Liverpool may have missed a trick.

Though a loser in the end, his contribution kept Twente in touch for longer than they deserved. He stood as the only resistance to a Tottenham purple patch shortly before half-time that could have put the tie beyond reach.

The second-half started conventionally enough with the goal of the night from open play.


Tussle: Denny Landzaat holds onto Peter Crouch


Huddlestone crossed, Crouch headed down and when Wout Brama, van der Vaart’s marker, overshot his target by several yards, the Dutchman used the space to clip the ball delightfully past goalkeeper Mihaylov on the turn.


The outcome looked settled two minutes later when Gareth Bale was fouled by Roberto Rosales for penalty No 2.
Again, some observers claimed there had been minimal contact and the Welshman had overrun the ball anyway, but again Hauge went with the man behind the goal to Twente’s growing frustration. It seemed fair enough.

Van der Vaart sacked after his miss, Pavlyuchenko took it and gave Mihaylov no chance. Yet Tottenham have displayed a remarkable capacity for self-destruction in Europe, too, and in the space of five minutes contrived to have their lead and go down to 10 men.

Twente substitute Nacer Chadli was the beneficiary of the goalmouth scramble to make the score 2 - 1 , then Van der Vaart committed an act of utter foolishness, jumping recklessly into Rosales to earn a second yellow card of the night.

That he chose to do this in front of the Twente bench, who reacted in predictably histrionic fashion, no doubt sealed his fate. It was heart in mouth time for Tottenham, but the assistants came to their rescue once again.

Pavyluchenko shot and, just inside the penalty area, the ball struck Nicky Kuiper on the elbow. It was a ferocious shot and the player appeared to be flinching rather than attempting to block illegally, but with no decision coming from Hauge again, a linesman flagged for handball.



source: dailymail