Thanks a lot! She wasn't listed as VAR for this tournament (only AR), but so were Kerr and Caudillo, and both appeared as AVAR. And I was quite sure that it wasn't Araya, Katia García, Francia González, Guzmán (and of course not Hamilton, the other female VARs).
VAR with a good OFR recommendation on the red card in USA-MEX. Textbook SFP. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised this wasn’t sanctioned as SFP in real time.
Calibrating by what we’ve seen in this tournament and Europe, I was shocked. It was bad and, don’t get me wrong, I want red. But contact was low part of shin or high on ankle. I wouldn’t be surprised right now if UEFA had that as yellow preferred and maybe even with red being clearly wrong. And I can’t believe I’m saying that. It’s hard to know what’s what right now. Perfect timing heading into a World Cup, huh?
That is just mind blowing, but you’re probably right. I’d hope that if I have a good look at this type of tackle that I’d be reaching for my back pocket 10 times out of 10. That type of contact on the inside of the ankle is incredibly dangerous. It can easily lead to a high ankle sprain or broken leg.
Tatiana Guzmán having a fun time as VAR in Women's U20 World Cup in Costa Rica: https://clip.dubz.co/v/r3dft1
Seems like Ivett Santiago of Cuba, originally planned as AR for Marianela Araya, has definitely been replaced by Honduran Shirley Perelló. Does anybody know more about it?
Santiago said to Cuban media that she was not able to go due to "administrative reasons" and was re-assigned to the U17WWC in India.
Interesting, thank you. Let's hope for her this tournament will take place despite India's suspension.
Since we don't have a separate thread for it (and I don't think it's worth starting if the interest hasn't been there yet), it's probably worth noting here that Penso and her crew had a pretty big Spain v Brazil opening day match and then a consequential Colombia v New Zealand match on matchday 3 in the U20s (including an SFP VAR red card, which was solid but I also doubt would have been sent down in MLS... so yet again, varying standards at play). Anyway, the USWNT is in trouble and needs a result against Japan tonight and likely a goal differential swing (unless Ghana upsets the Dutch). Long way of saying that Penso & co. could break the normal mold for an American trio and be ready for a knockout match depending upon results.
So what happened here in this Liga MX situation? It really looks like the ref waited for the VAR to tell him the outcome. Theres no visual evidence that the on field decision was a goal. Or that an on field decision was ever made. https://streamable.com/hv3f0c
It looks like the referee considered whistling twice and then didn't. So I think you have to default to goal being the decision and the referee was waiting for the VAR to check complete things. At least, that's how I would explain it if I was the referee. "I forgot to signal because so much else was going on" seems both the best defense and the most logical explanation (because I imagine the referee would have gone to the monitor for any foul or misconduct decision). But, yeah, it certainly does come pretty close to the VAR making the decision.
Pre-VAR, 99% of all referees are giving a foul coming out. It's an easy decision. Keeper clears the ball and attacker makes contact with him after clearing the ball. Every referee in every park in the world is making that call. You're starting to slowly see calls that the officials should make on the field being punted to the VAR for bail out. But because the referee sees a goal scoring opportunity, he delays to hedge his bet in thinking that he didn't disallow a perfectly good goal. The problem is VAR has a much higher bar and can't disallow the goal because it's not a "clear and obvious error." This is the same thing that NFL and college football referees do on fumbles/no fumbles and catches/no catches. Anytime the ball is loose they deem it a fumbles instead of blowing it dead, so "replay can step in and correct if they are wrong." The problem is certain plays are clearly and intuitively not fumbles, but because replay has a higher bar to overturn the onfield decision, they end up sticking with a decision. that is actually wrong because they can't definitely say or prove it's wrong. NBA officials are doing the same thing as well. They have started punting calls they should make to the replay booth. No one on the field would have complained if the referee blew his whistle there. Example #9563 of replay making things worse
Looks like @code1390 buried the lede for this match. The following also happened: https://streamable.com/anu77m Icing on the cake, the VAR tried to send the following down as a PK to make it 3-3 in the 104'... of a 90-minute match: https://streamable.com/uyv7ft
And to think Fernando Hernández was three good performances away from Qatar! A clip from the Mexican who did get the WC ticket in Liga MX action this week too (Ramos stuck with on-field call after OFR). Go to 4:42 -
Huh. A VAR game that makes the PL look good. if the PK on the GK is what is really expected, crosses just became much, much more effective as a strategy . . . And the late PK send down to me is a great example of how VAR is at odds with the culture of the sport. Two defenders were holding opponents in ways we would expect to be called at midfield. But they aren’t the targets, and the ball doesn’t get near them. No one expects that call to be made in the PA—and it could be made on almost every corner I. Every professional soccer game. Those two PK send downs would have been absolute nothings with the no-calls and no VAR. But VAR managed to turn them both into sign Icart controversies.
Are we not okay with the first one? In this case the keeper jumped forward 4 yards and makes zero effort to avoid putting his cleats into the calf of the attacker. I don't think that's a normal clearance by the keeper that we see every day. I've called similar things. I've gotten yelled at a lot by the 'keepers can do whatever they want on crosses' crowd as well.
I don't think there's a chance in the world the second one gets sent down if the first one wasn't. For all my doubts over VAR from the very beginning, I think the one aspect that even I didn't see coming was the ability or penchant for some VARs to feel compelled or inclined to make what can most easily be described as make-up calls. Now, don't get me wrong; the problem is not widespread (I have yet to see it in MLS at all). But we see it here and we've seen it in other competitions recently. The idea that with all the pressures of a given moment a referee might be inclined to such a call is understandable, as we've seen through history; human nature and all that. But for VARs to still want to do it in the sterile environment of a VOR and with time to process things and think and to be using evidence they wouldn't have in real-time... it's simply not something I expected at all, so even though it appears rare it still blows my mind. As for the first one, while I agree it never gets called without VAR... do you not think it's clear missed VC? I'm torn on this one. It's turned a nothing event from 2016 into a penalty/red card today, so in that regard it has changed the game. But it also is catching and punishing an act of violence so in that regard, if we're going to have VAR, I think this is exactly the sort of thing it is supposed to catch. Unless you believe it's possible this was a complete accident? And yes, this is the other extreme of VAR and undoubtedly exactly what the EPL and PGMOL do not want England to look like. I have no doubts that Riley and others see clips like this and become more entrenched and confident in the position they have taken. Side note, credit to Hernandez for the three cards between the OFR and penalty award. More of that and maybe some of this dissent starts to disappear. Alas, enforcement will always be erratic.
I did think it was a complete accident—the GK is in the air, makes a play, takes contact in the process. Maybe I’m biased as a former keeper, but I sure would have been watching the ball to see if I needed to do something and not opponents at that point. If you think there was more than that there, OK, but even if so, is that really C&O? (Or, I guess it could be called a missed incident?)
Campeones Cup tomorrow (NYCFC vs Atlas). Anyone have info on the referee crew? In the past, it has been a FIFA from a CONCACAF country outside the MLS sphere (Nation-JAM, Aguilar-SLV, Montero-CRC). I imagine Escobar is a prime possibility.
I'm guessing Escobar or Barton with Martinez as an outside candidate. I would think this is a game one of the non-MLS/Liga MX referees heading to Qatar would take.
Per a trusted source REF: Said MARTÍNEZ AR1: Walter LÓPEZ AR2: Raymundo FELIZ 4TH: Keylor HERRERA VAR: Tatiana GUZMAN AVAR: Melissa BORJAS
21st Minute challenge- NYCFC defender shepherding the ball over the goal line; absolutely cleared out with a sliding tackle from behind. Very late whistle, no card. NYC players seemed to astonished to be mad will be interesting to see how this goes.
Good caution for simulation in 42’ against NYCFC Also, the commentary is as ill informed as would be expected “well I agree it should be a free kick coming out but the yellow is pretty harsh”