Referee validates goal scored by ballboy

Referee Silvia Regina de Oliveira validated a goal scored by a ballboy during a match valid for the Sao Paulo State Federation Cup, between Santacruzense and Sorocaba, on Sunday. Santacruzense was losing the game, in the 89th minute, when the incident ocurred. TV images clearly show that the ball had gone past the goaline on a shot from right wing. The ballboy can be seen picking up the ball and kicking it into the net after the play, but the referee and the linesman validate the goal. The match ended on a 1-1 draw. The referee later recognized to the Brazilian media she shouldn't have validated the goal, and said she only did it because she wasn't sure about the play, and rather trusted the linesman judgement. She said she thought the ball went out, but when the linesman started running towards centerfield, signalling a goal, she chose to trust him instead. Oliveira was returning from an injury that kept her away from matches for the last seven months. This was just her second game since coming back.

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