After Jimmy Bullard fired a speculative shot near the end of the game, Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen parried the ball in front of him only for Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink to strike the ball into the net and to send the KC Stadium in hysteria. Unfortunately for American soccer fans and Jozy Altidore, it was Altidore who had been substituted just a few minutes earlier and replaced by Hesselink. It makes you wonder what would have happened if Altidore had remained on the pitch and whether he would have been in position to knock the rebound into the back of the net.
One other observation from the game and that involves the temperamental Tuncay. I’m sure the Turkish striker would have been looking ahead all week to a chance of playing in the game. But when you have to wait 82 minutes before you come on as a substitute, and then because your central defender gets red-carded, you then get substituted after playing seven minutes, it’s no wonder that Tuncay was absolutely incensed at the decision. Despite his players trying to console him, Tuncay stormed off the pitch and went directly into the tunnel presumably to the dressing room.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised that Tuncay may have found his own transportation out of Hull City’s KC Stadium tonight.
