Goalie Esteban Alvarado Gets Red Card for Kicking Fan Who Rushed the Field (Video)

When a fan charges the field in the middle of a game, isn’t he always the bad guy?  In the Netherlands, apparently not.  A drunken fan ran up behind AZ Alkmaar goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado during a Dutch cup match on Wednesday and Alvarado took care of business.  Perhaps he was a little excessive in kicking the moronic fan, but how was he supposed to know he wasn’t being attacked?  You could see Alvarado possibly getting into trouble with police after the fact if the fan — a 19-year-old drunk — pressed charges, but getting thrown out of the game? Check out this video that The Big Lead shared with us:

Talk about a tough night. First you think you’re about to be attacked by a fan and then the referee slaps you with a red card.  The match was suspended for 36 minutes before Alkmaar coach Gertjan Verbeek ordered his team to walk off in protest, stopping play with Ajax leading 1-0.  We usually commend security guards for laying fans out when they jump onto the field, but apparently such behavior is frowned upon from keepers in the Netherlands. That’s a shame.