Embolo sent off after VAR mistaken-identity review against Argentina
Switzerland played extra time with 10 men after Breel Embolo received a second yellow in the World Cup quarterfinal, Al Jazeera reported.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Switzerland forward Breel Embolo was sent off after a VAR mistaken-identity review in the World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina in Kansas City, Al Jazeera reported. The decision mattered because Switzerland were reduced to 10 men with the score level, then conceded twice in extra time and were eliminated.
Al Jazeera reported that Embolo was dismissed in the 72nd minute on Saturday after referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro changed an earlier decision involving Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes. The match had been tied 1-1 with less than 20 minutes left in normal time.
The incident began when Paredes received a yellow card for a challenge on Embolo, according to Al Jazeera. VAR then reviewed the incident in the 71st minute.
After play restarted, the game was stopped again for another VAR review, Al Jazeera reported. Pinheiro then cancelled Paredes’s booking and instead showed Embolo a yellow card.
Because Embolo had already been booked, the new caution became his second yellow and brought a red card, Al Jazeera reported. The Switzerland forward left the field after protesting the decision.
Why VAR changed the call
Al Jazeera reported that officials judged Embolo to have dived during the incident with Paredes. Pinheiro initially appeared to miss that element and punished the Argentina player instead.
The VAR team, working from a remote location, flagged the incident for review, according to Al Jazeera. After watching replays and consulting with the VAR officials, Pinheiro returned to the field and reversed the original caution.
The decision made Embolo the first player at the World Cup to be punished through a mistaken-identity review, Al Jazeera reported. It also turned a Switzerland free-kick-related grievance into a dismissal for one of their forwards.
Switzerland’s reaction
Swiss players and staff argued with Pinheiro after the card, but the decision stood, Al Jazeera reported. Embolo was visibly upset and was consoled by teammates as he left the pitch.
Al Jazeera reported that Switzerland managed to keep the score at 1-1 through the end of normal time despite playing a man short. Argentina then scored two goals in extra time to advance, ending Switzerland’s run.
What mistaken identity means
The International Football Association Board, which oversees the laws of football, classifies mistaken identity as a match-changing error, according to Al Jazeera. IFAB describes it as a situation in which a referee shows a yellow or red card but clearly punishes the wrong player for the offence.
Al Jazeera reported that current VAR rules allow those cases to be reviewed by the VAR team. In this match, the review removed Paredes’s yellow card and transferred punishment to Embolo, turning the Switzerland forward’s existing booking into a sending-off.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.