In a dramatic turn of events during Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final, the term “It’s completely not understandable,” emerged again, leading to Swiss forward Breel Embolo’s dismissal and leaving his team down a player for 67 minutes against Argentina. The incident left Embolo in tears and raised significant concerns over the officiating.
Switzerland’s head coach, Murat Yakin, expressed his bewilderment over the decision, stating, “I know that they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed the game today.” The VAR review and subsequent red card transformed a previously dull match, with Switzerland having just equalized through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute.
The pivotal moment occurred when Argentina’s Leandro Paredes challenged Embolo as he advanced up the field, apparently making contact with his leg. Initially, referee João Pinheiro issued a yellow card to Paredes for the foul.
Yakin protested, remarking, “First of all, there was definitely no reason to award that yellow card,” Midfielder Remo Freuler added, “I don’t understand it, it was a harmless situation.”
After reviewing the footage, VAR official Guillermo Pacheco Larios recommended a check for mistaken identity, leading to a reevaluation of the incident. The focus shifted from Paredes’s recklessness to Embolo’s alleged simulation, both of which result in a yellow card.
However, Embolo had already been booked earlier in the match, resulting in his ejection. Ironically, his first yellow card was issued for a clear foul against Paredes just before halftime. Yakin remarked, “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 voiced frustration over the VAR’s influence, saying, “It was decisive for the entire outcome of the match,” The announcement of the decision incited outrage from the Swiss bench and sparked celebrations among the largely pro-Argentina crowd.
Embolo’s emotional reaction was palpable as he broke down in tears and required assistance from teammates to exit the field and return to the locker room. Yakin commented on Embolo’s state, stating, “I don’t understand how can VAR change a game with this situation. Just let the referee do this thing, you know?”
While mistaken identity has been a valid reason for VAR intervention since its implementation, its application has primarily been limited to clear cases, such as incorrectly carding the wrong player. This World Cup marked a shift, as the International Football Association Board expanded the definition to include scenarios where one player was penalized for a foul committed by an opponent.
Yakin acknowledged his unawareness of the rule change prior to the match but remained critical of its application, stating, “You can imagine how he’s doing,”
This incident marked the second use of the mistaken identity rule in this World Cup, the first being during the United States’ opening match against Paraguay. In that case, defender Tim Ream received a yellow card for a foul against Miguel Almirón, but after VAR review, the card was rescinded and issued to Almirón for diving.
The scrutiny surrounding Saturday’s call is heightened not only by the match’s significance but also by its impact: Argentina gained a one-man advantage just as they appeared to be losing momentum. Switzerland was forced to endure the entirety of extra time with only ten players, and their exhausted defense ultimately conceded twice within nine minutes, leading to their exit from the tournament.
