11.3.13

Vladimir Lasch

On 12th July 1914  a crowd of 6,000 were at Gamle Frogner Stadion, Oslo (then known as  Kristiania) to watch Norway play Russia.
Russia took the lead through Aleksandr Krotov in the 5th minute, and Rolf Maartmann equalized on the stroke of half time.
At this point Norway were reduced to 10 men when centre forward (and music hall entertainer) Tokken Trædal was forced to retire through injury.
Russia couldn't capitalise on their advantage.
Then, in the 75th minute football history was made...
The protagonists- Vladimir Lasch and Daniel Eie. A third person, a Norway player was involved, but his name is not recorded.
Lasch, a 19 year old centre half with the Moscow club Union, 'clashed with a Norwegian player'. 
The referee, Mr Daniel Eie, ordered Lasch from the field  There were no cards, of course, in those days. And so Lasch's second and last appearance for Russia ended prematurely.
This was the first time that a player had been sent off in international football.

Mr. Eie 

The referee,  Daniel Eie, was Norwegian. It was not uncommon for the hosts to provide a referee back then. At the age of 25 Mr Eie had already been Vice President of the Football Association of Norway for 4 years, and he went on to have a long and distinguished career as a sports administrator. 

Lasch had many more years in club football and retired as a player in 1930, his last club being CDKA Moscow.