Swiss international Briel Embolo shed tears after receiving a controversial red card against Argentina at the World Cup. The 29-year-old was sent off for a second yellow after VAR applied an incorrect status rule.
Embolo was given his marching orders after going down for a free kick and making contact with the Argentine midfielder, who had originally been booked. However, Portuguese referee João Pinheiro was instructed to look at a pitchside monitor and was advised to overturn his original decision due to FIFA’s new ruling on personnel errors. The Rennes attacker was on thin ice for much of the match after an inadvertent challenge on Paredes just before the interval. His match, and potentially the tournament, ended in devastating fashion as he tried to trick the Portuguese international into warning the Boca Juniors midfielder, but the verdict was reversed against him.
Embolo was stopped from approaching the referee following the ruling and appeared distraught as he left the field. He announced to the stadium: “After consideration, there were no fouls committed by numbers 5 and 7. There was a clear simulation and the final decision was a yellow card for number 7.”
This is the latest application of new regulations after IFAB introduced new protocols ahead of this summer’s World Cup. The rule was already triggered during the tournament after American Tim Ream was given a yellow card for a challenge on Miguel Almiron, who was subsequently enrolled in the simulation.
FIFA chief executive Pierluigi Collina has backed the introduction of a misconception rule that would allow players to reverse decisions if they were booked or sent off for a foul actually committed by an opponent. Embolo, who was found guilty of simulation, was given a formal yellow card and was sent off as he had been cautioned earlier in the match.
The numerical disadvantage came at a crucial moment for the Europeans, who were once again in contention. After trailing in the first half, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister outscored Manuel Akanji and broke the deadlock within 10 minutes. Switzerland began to find a rhythm in the second half, particularly through the wide channels, and it was from such a position that Nottingham Forest’s Dan Doe scored a goal.
He played a deft one-two with Ricardo Rodriguez, cleared the ball to the left, and then passed Emiliano Martinez from an angle. This gave Switzerland the opportunity to take the lead, but Embolo was given his marching orders just five minutes after the score was tied.
The winner of the quarter-finals will face England in the semi-finals after the Three Lions defeated Norway 2-1 in extra time. Embolo’s red card has ruled the Swiss forward out of a potential last-four clash with England.
