The final of the Club World Cup, a highly disputed game, with Chelsea’s clear superiority over Palmeiras –more possession (70% to 30%) and more shots (22% to 11)–, had refereeing as its main character. Or, more specifically, video arbitration.
No player shone individually, tactically the rivals tried to fulfill what was expected –Chelsea with the initiative, Palmeiras on the counterattack–, and the one who decided the match was VAR (video assistant referee), this figure that does not appear on the cameras but which has enormous power of influence.
In the match in Abu Dhabi (UAE), VAR was represented by Italian Massimiliano Irrati. The field referee was Australian Christopher Beath.
The decision had two penalties, one for each side, and both were only awarded after Irrati recommended that Beath analyze moves he considered normal.
In these two plays, in fact, the ball touched the hand, inside the area, of both Thiago Silva, from Chelsea, and Luan, from Palmeiras.
In both, it didn’t look like the players intended to touch the ball with their hands. Only, by the rule, by not having the arm glued to the body, the athletes put themselves in a situation of risk of committing the infraction.
It reads an excerpt from Rule 12 of football, about handballing, that a foul should be called if the defensive player “touches the ball with his hand/arm when it makes his body abnormally bigger”.
“It is considered,” the text continues, “that a player has made his body abnormally larger when the position of his hand/arm is not a consequence of or justifiable from/by the body movement for that specific situation. By placing the hand/arm in that position , the athlete runs the risk of his/her hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalized.”
In the bid that resulted in the Palmeiras penalty, converted by Raphael Veiga, clearly Thiago Silva jumped, in an aerial dispute with Gustavo Gómez, with his arm raised. The ball slipped into his hand. penalty VAR hit.
The incredible thing is that Thiago Silva made the same mistake (jumping in the defensive area, to head, with his arm raised) that resulted in Paraguay scoring a penalty against Brazil in the 2015 Copa América.
Almost seven years later, he still hasn’t learned not to. Worrying, because he is the holder of the Brazilian team and this year has the World Cup. May he learn until then.
In the move that decreed the defeat of Palmeiras, Luan was very unhappy. He was very close to Azpilicueta when the Spaniard kicked; he really had his left arm away from his body; and he was unlucky enough to have the ball go straight into his hand.
Luan’s action, even involuntary, interfered with the Chelsea captain’s shot, because the ball would pass if the arm wasn’t there.
Involuntary touch? Yes. But was it then necessary, in order to avoid the penalty, for the defender to keep his arm from his body? Also yes.
The defender always needs, 100% of the time, to keep his arm close to his torso, to avoid committing an infraction. Because the rule requires it.
(Whether or not the rule should be changed is a matter for debate. Should a player be penalized for having the ball touch his hand/arm, in an unintentional movement, without having his arm wide open, on a throw where he was very close to the opponent, as in the case of Luan?)
Thus, by complying with the rule, the VAR was right again. Havertz took the penalty competently and gave Chelsea the unprecedented world title.
In the match at the Mohammed Bin Zayed stadium, in the Emirati capital, VAR also intervened so that a Palmeiras player, the same Luan, was sent off.
Close to the end of overtime, Luan was the last man, in a head-to-head race with Havertz, and hit his rival, from the side, with a cart, at the entrance of the area. Beath, the field judge, did not score.
Moments later, the VAR asked him to look at the play on the monitor. It really was foul, and she really was worthy of expulsion.
The VAR protocol allows him to interfere in “incidents” referring to a “red card”, that is, he can alert the field referee in the event of exaggeration in showing this card or in the case of not showing it when he should have it. done.
In short: in a game in which Chelsea the favorite did not shine and the underdog Palmeiras left something to be desired (a lot of perspiration, very little inspiration), the “man of the match” award could very well have been given to the Italian VAR.
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