Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was sent off in the second half of the World Cup quarterfinals against Argentina after a VAR check led to a second yellow card for simulation.
The incident occurred in the 72nd minute, when Leandro Paredes appeared to catch the heel of Embolo. Referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro initially issued a yellow card to Paredes for the challenge.
However, play was halted as a VAR check began to review the decision. Upon review, the referee determined that there was no contact and that Embolo had simulated the sequence to win a foul.
Pinheiro subsequently canceled the yellow card initially assessed to Paredes and instead booked the Swiss forward for simulation. Since Embolo had already received a yellow card in the first half, the second yellow resulted in a red card.
“What the VAR believes is that there was no contact and the yellow card is unjust, and actually the Swiss player was diving. So, what the referee can do in his power, which we saw in a previous game with the United States, is that he can reverse the yellow card and give it to the Swiss player,” FOX Sports rules analyst Mark Clattenburg explained on the broadcast.
However, Clattenburg wasn’t in full support of the decision that resulted in a red card.
“The problem with this is, the Swiss player is already on a yellow card from the first half, and that would, for me, be very harsh to give a second yellow card for a simulation.”
The protocol used by the referee mirrors a situation seen in a group stage match involving the United States and Paraguay, where officials utilized VAR to reverse an unjust yellow card and penalize the diving player instead.
“This is the problem. What we saw in the United States game earlier in the tournament was that they changed the yellow card over because Tim Ream was the one to have alleged to have given the foul and [the Paraguay player] was eventually given the yellow card,” Clattenburg said. “In this situation, again, it should be reversed and the yellow card should go to the Swiss player.
“Unfortunately, he’s already on a yellow card for the first half.”
Switzerland must now navigate the final minutes down a man against the defending World Champions.
