Switzerland’s quarter-final clash against Argentina in the World Cup took a dramatic turn due to the controversial application of the VAR system, specifically the term “It’s completely not understandable,” The incident left Swiss forward Breel Embolo in tears and his team down a player for 67 minutes against the reigning champions.
Head coach Murat Yakin expressed his disbelief, stating, “I know that they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed the game today.” The VAR review and subsequent red card marked a pivotal moment, transforming a previously uneventful match. Switzerland had just equalized through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute when the game shifted again, leaving them a man short just five minutes later due to the VAR intervention.
The turning point occurred when Argentina’s Leandro Paredes challenged Embolo as he surged forward, apparently catching his leg. Initially, referee João Pinheiro issued a yellow card to Paredes for the foul.
Yakin remarked, “First of all, there was definitely no reason to award that yellow card,” Remo Freuler, a midfielder for Switzerland, echoed similar sentiments, saying, “I don’t understand it, it was a harmless situation.”
After a review, VAR official Guillermo Pacheco Larios suggested a reconsideration for mistaken identity, indicating that Embolo’s actions constituted simulation rather than a foul by Paredes. This led to a reversal of the yellow card against Paredes and a second yellow card for Embolo, resulting in his ejection from the match. Interestingly, Embolo’s first yellow card had been issued for a clear foul on Paredes shortly before halftime.
Yakin asserted, “I don’t know what the referee is doing here. I don’t understand why they call him for a situation like this because there are many fouls [like this] in the first half. Maybe he has to call them for yellow card too.” Freuler added, “It was decisive for the entire outcome of the match,”
Upon hearing the announcement of the decision at Kansas City Stadium, the Swiss bench erupted in disbelief, while the majority Argentine crowd celebrated wildly. Embolo, visibly distraught, was escorted down the tunnel by teammates after the match.
“I don’t understand how can VAR change a game with this situation. Just let the referee do this thing, you know?” Yakin remarked when asked about Embolo’s emotional state. “You can imagine how he’s doing,”
Mistaken identity has been a valid reason for VAR review since its inception, but prior to this World Cup, it was typically reserved for clear cases involving the wrong player being penalized. A recent rule change by the International Football Association Board expanded the definition to encompass situations where a player is booked, but the foul was committed by an opponent.
Yakin admitted he was unaware of this rule change before the match but continued to criticize its application, stating, “He is shattered. He couldn’t help the team today. It hurts us and it hurts him. It was a referee mistake.”
This incident marked the second time the mistaken identity rule was applied in this World Cup, the first being during the opening game between the United States and Paraguay. In that scenario, a yellow card against US defender Tim Ream was rescinded after VAR reviewed the incident, determining that it was Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón who had dived.
While some commentators raised concerns about the application of the rule in both instances, FIFA confirmed that the processes were followed correctly. However, Saturday’s call will likely face heightened scrutiny due to its significant impact on the match, as Argentina capitalized on their one-man advantage and Switzerland’s exhausted defense ultimately conceded twice in quick succession, leading to their exit from the tournament.
