USA benefited from the first case of VAR intervening over mistaken identity in World Cup history. Yellow cards can now be reviewed for blatant errors as part of the wave of new rules introduced ahead of this tournament. And the mistaken identity check was needed early in the second half of USA's opening game against...
2 comments 2 USA benefited from the first case of VAR intervening over mistaken identity in World Cup history.
Yellow cards can now be reviewed for blatant errors as part of the wave of new rules introduced ahead of this tournament .
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And the mistaken identity check was needed early in the second half of USA’s opening game against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
The referee initially booked Tim Ream for an apparent foul on Miguel Almiron.
Ream slid in on the ex-Newcastle playmaker and seemed to bring him down.
However, after the VARs in the booth watched the replay, ref Danny Makkelie was advised to go over to the pitchside monitor.
And then he reversed his decision because Almiron had actually dived.
Makkelie indicated that American Ream’s yellow was wiped out.
Instead, he brandished the card to Almiron.
And the incident attracted plenty of reaction on social media.
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One fan said: “Mistaken identity VAR check? This is one of the funniest World Cup moments ever.”
Another wrote: “This new rule is hilarious but I like it.”
A third added: “Love this new VAR rule.”
And a final user commented: “Calling it mistaken identity is the most European thing in our North American World Cup .”
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