Originally posted by germcevoy:[..]
Then you don't put your boot in his face. Even if he managed to make contact with the ball, he was still going to connect heavily with the other players face or chest.
Soccer players arent that smart
Lets hope the player will recover and that this doesnt mean the end of his career.

Of course, I mean live... The referee can't go out to see a repeat of the fault before making his judgement. There can be further sanctions a few days after the match, but during the match, TV evidence is not accepted, yep.