The young midfielder had a promising start to the game, and at level scores, he even managed to force the opposition goalkeeper into making a good save early on.
However, what began as an impressive cameo took a negative turn when the 19-year-old was tackled by Karim Adeyemi and couldn’t regain possession of the ball. In a moment of frustration, he lashed out by kicking at defender Julian Ryerson, leading to heated reactions from both Adeyemi and Ryerson.
During the opening 45 minutes of the match, both Omari Forson and Facundo Pellistri were given the chance to showcase their skills, with the expectation that they would start most of the upcoming games and give way to other players in the second half.
However, an exception was made by manager Erik ten Hag during this period. He made the decision to bring on Antony in the 36th minute, replacing Forson.
This move was prompted by the youngster’s behavior, which did not meet the manager’s expectations and was not well-received by him. As a result, Antony was called upon earlier than initially planned to take the place of Forson in the match.
Erik ten Hag hooks Omari Forson during first half
The young midfielder displayed a promising start to the game, even forcing the opposition goalkeeper into making a good save when the scores were level early on.
However, his impressive cameo took a negative turn when he was tackled by Karim Adeyemi and couldn’t regain possession of the ball.
In a moment of frustration, he responded by kicking out at defender Julian Ryerson, leading to a heated reaction from both Adeyemi and Ryerson. The situation escalated as emotions ran high on the pitch.
It’s getting heated between Omari Forson and Adeyemi 🥶 pic.twitter.com/FOxt9jOMpJ
— UtdTruthful (@Utdtruthful) July 31, 2023
The German forward, Karim Adeyemi, didn’t hold back in expressing his feelings after the incident, leading to a heated confrontation between him and Omari Forson.
The young Manchester United player pushed Adeyemi, and in response, Adeyemi grabbed Forson’s shirt.
Both teams’ senior players quickly intervened, diffusing the scuffle, but both players received yellow cards for their actions.
As Forson made his way off the pitch, visibly upset at the decision, he received consolation from Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen.
However, Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, was not in a forgiving mood.
He chose to address the matter right on the touchline, publicly lecturing the young midfielder instead of reserving the conversation for the privacy of the changing room.
It was evident that the manager wanted to address the situation firmly and immediately.
Omari Forson subbed out prematurely for Antony. Ten Hag is telling him the reason why. pic.twitter.com/GQpnIc2Dpk
— Square (@ikhwandayne) July 31, 2023
After the game, the Dutch boss explained his decision by saying,per the Sun: “When there is a VAR, he gets sent off.”
He did suggest there is a lesson to be learned from the difficult moment as he continued: “He played a good game and the opponent gets annoyed with him, so that is a learning curve but don’t take it into your own hands.
“You can’t be the judge, you have to play football, you have to beat your opponent, you have to net and that is the best way to react.”
VIDEO: Omari Forson clashes with Karim Adeyemi in Man Utd vs Dortmund
— TheFootballAddick (@FootballAddick) July 31, 2023