Verification of it being inside the penalty area was the other required aspect of a check there. But yeah, other than that I think a lot of it is just lack of comfort in the VOR and nerves related to making a bad recommendation that doesn’t meet the clear and obvious threshold. I think a lot of newer VARs “ref scared,” and that leads to obvious problems when efficiency is one of the most important aspects of VARing.
Cuba v Canada U20s. Foul, yellow card and penalty decision at 1:12:19. OFR leads to a change for mistaken identity and a DFK instead of a penalty. This is all important in its own right, but takes on added significance when the keeper gets a 2CT at 1:37:34. Of course, I would argue someone should have been sent off in the first instance.
And to catch up on red cards, 54:42 (of video) needed an OFR to get this DOGSO correct in Jamaica v Honduras U20. This is much less a VAR issue and much more a referee one.
Did an ambulance have to come on the field or something? Why are there 11 minutes of stoppage on a 7-0 game? I can see maybe three or four even if the game is really lopsided, but 10-11?
Vazquez and Koroleva had one of those fun reviews where the announcers (and players?) believe the penalty awarded is being reviewed because it might be wrong but in reality it was just that yellow was the wrong color card for DOGSO. 3:05 below.
Barton had two red cards today. 2:46 and 6:33 below. The first is an excellent SFP. The second is an easy 2CT that could have been an SFP.
Meanwhile, it's difficult to describe how bad the application of VAR was in extra time of the Canada v Guatemala match. First, Canada got a penalty after a handball at 94:05. After the OFR was called for at 96:09. And then the penalty was awarded at 97:56. For a... clear handball. Then, I don't even know what happened on Guatemala's goal at 119'. Goal is scored, but flag is up. But then Parchment seems to, sort-of, signal he's overruling his AR? At least that's the impression I got because everyone returned to set up for a kickoff. But then they wait and wait. And then Parchment makes the VAR signal to award the goal. So, was it offside and then VAR fixed it? Did VAR confirm a goal decision? And, if so, why did Parchment overrule his AR? Pretty bizarre stuff (and the offside decision was tricky). It's all worth a look below, though the highlights don't show how long you have to wait to see the goal get confirmed.
He’ll probably have the final, but I’m really hoping Barton has the whistle for the US-Honduras game Friday in the CONCACAF U20 semifinal. That game is the most consequential of the entire tournament since the other side of the draw is pretty lopsided. Except for bragging rights, the final really doesn’t mean anything. We need a strong referee who won’t be swayed by the home team.
I don't see any reason why Barton wouldn't get the US-Honduras match, honestly. Unless Salvadoran refs are kept off big Honduras matches? I'm seeing now that Barton didn't do any Honduras WCQs this cycle, but maybe that's just a coincidence. The powers that be know the semis are bigger than the finals here, so I suspect Barton will be on one of the semis. Did you (or anyone else) see the penalty awarded by Nation to Costa Rica last night? And, particularly, his management of it and the aftermath?
I watched it. Overall, it’s probably the right call, but I’ve seen worse handlings not given. I think Nation got some help from the AR, as the handling was in the ARs quadrant near the goal line. Thought he managed the aftermath well. VAR took a look and didn’t recommend an OFR (which was the right call for me). I was expecting a crazy long delay, but there wasn’t one.
Agree with pretty much everything else you wrote, but strong disagreement here. Can't find a clip, so this is going to be from memory, but... 1) Prior to the aftermath, when dealing with the (rather reasonable) protest from the American player, he was soooo robotic. Just two arms, firmly in the air, repeatedly telling him to get away. No engagement verbally. No real reassurance it would be checked. No visible signs of anything, really. It just felt like the prototypical referee who wants to make a call and is completely insecure about being challenged at all, so he overcompensates. 2) After the penalty, there was this weird situation where a few American players seemed to taunt the Costa Rican kicker, who missed over the bar, while other Americans congratulated the keeper. Regardless of what was actually happening, it was clear some Costa Ricans took offense and there was what I would call a very low-level mass confrontation brewing. Nation rushed in and got in the middle of it, but his move was to try to get play going as quickly as possible while players were still engaged. He waved the keeper to take the goal kick when the ball had just been skied 30 rows into the stands, so it wasn't even ready to be taken. It just looked panicked. Again, with no confidence in his ability to manage a tough situation, he just resorted to "get the ball in play so their attention turns elsewhere." 3) And then when the ball finally was in play, he had the goal kick retaken? That part was bizarre to me. Did the AR signal the ball wasn't set? To spend all that time demonstrably signaling for the keeper to get the ball back in play quickly and then... make him do it again because it was too quick? Insofar as match consequences go, these things ended up being minor. But to me, they glaringly showed the difference between what a competent amateur level referee looks like compared to an elite international referee. Zoom out and watch those 60 seconds and it was ugly, even for a CONCACAF match (at least given how benign and simple it all should have been). I tuned out shortly after, but color me not surprised that what @Ghastly Officiating referred to occurred later. Nation just seems like a referee incapable of controlling a match and managing personalities. If there's no real controversy or intensity, he's perfectly capable of blowing the whistle and identifying the right fouls. Beyond that? There's just not an additional gear there.
So with Mexico out, I imagine you've got to see a Mexican on either the US/Honduras semi or the final. Barton also likely, of course. And Fischer has been there as a fourth the last round and would be seen as neutral for the big DR/Guatemala battle. Worth noting Barton had the last final.
Re: Nation's management post-PK, @MassachusettsRef has it right. I'm just so conditioned that if the VAR check doesn't take long that we're all good. That obviously isn't a good take on the situation. Re: CONCACAF assignments - It won't surprise me at all to see a Mexican on the final, because 1) I think CONCACAF knows the US-Honduras game is the most consequential game of this tournament, so they will put their best referee (Barton) on that game and 2) there just aren't that many chances to have a Mexican referee work a CONCACAF final simply because Mexico is usually involved. As they are not even in the semis, it opens the door for Mexico to have a team officiating a continental final. Also makes a lot of sense for Fischer to have the other semi with Olympic qualification on the line. He's an experienced referee working in one of the two biggest domestic leagues in the region and should be a safe pair of hands for a game that could be pretty interesting.
Seems like CONCACAF brought the hammer down on Costa Rica? And suspended one American for three matches. https://www.concacaf.com/under-20s-...cidents-between-costa-rica-and-united-states/
Having watched the aftermath a few times now, I still fail to see what earned Cowell a three match ban. If he attacked someone like the CR guys did, I can understand it. But waving to someone? That smells like a combination of typical CONCACAF “we can’t let the US/Mexico get too far ahead” and “we have to punish SOMEONE for the US because we suspended so many Costa Rica players.” In short, unless there is evidence I haven’t seen, I feel like Cowell was a very unlucky scapegoat.
A 115' minute penalty decision just got sent down via VAR and then was overturned and I am really, really confused. Also, I think I just hate the body language of all Jamaican referees at this point.
I've been reminded that the FIFA/CONCACAF threshold for VAR intervention might be substantially lower than what we see in PRO and in UEFA, which probably led to the intervention here. Also, my confusion shouldn't be mistaken for being upset at the outcome; it was a garbage penalty award in the first place. Just the whole philosophical question about whether or not VAR is meant to bail out referees on "garbage" penalties or objectively clearly wrong ones.
Overall, I thought Barton was very good tonight in USA-HON. Called the key fouls, Nailed the right cards when needed, and I thought his VC red was very good and kept the last 12 minutes from boiling over. He absolutely justified his World Cup appointment with tonight’s performance, in my opinion.
Why is CONCACAF so dead set on forcing Jamaican referees on the rest of the confederation? Is it because they need non-Central American referees to keep neutrality? Parchment and Nation are consistently among the worst referees regularly doing CONCACAF matches. I forget which of the two Jamaicans screwed up Mexico-Canada in the Gold Cup (think it was Parchment), but that was a mess. None of the US WCQs refereed by Jamaicans was controlled that well. Yet CONCACAF keeps trotting them out. I think of my reactions when I see Parchment or Nation on the assignment list compared to how I react when I see Martinez, Barton, or one of the top Mexicans. I never think, “OK, this one should be fine” when I see either Parchment or Nation on the assignment. It’s always, “Jeez, hope they get through this one.”
Watching the W Championship on Paramount+, USA vs Haiti. We've just had an SFP red downgraded after review. 45th minute. Game is live now and working through the added time. Should be some replays at HT.
CONCACAF gonna CONCACAF in the women’s game as well. 45’ of US-Haiti-O’Hara is cleaned out by a locked leg at rib height. Red is the on field call, but for some reason overturned via VAR. I have no idea why VAR even recommended an OFR, let alone seeing the center overturn it. If that play is a caution, then the only thing that will get red is a player being kicked in the head.