The match between USA and Paraguay (4:1) at the World Cup became the first match in which the new rule of the VAR system was applied, related to “mistaken identity“ when imposing disciplinary sanctions, BTA reports. The situation unfolded in the 50th minute, when Paraguayan international Miguel Almiron got into a fight with American defender Tim Ream. In an attempt to take the ball away, Ream intervened low, and Almiron fell to the grass. Chief referee Danny Makeli called a foul and showed a yellow card to the USA player.
However, VAR then intervened, with Spanish referee Del Cerro Grande in charge. After reviewing the situation, the on-field referee determined that there was no contact between the two players and that Almiron had simulated a foul.
As a result, the yellow card initially shown to Reim was overturned and the sanction was shown to the Paraguayan player for simulation. Thus, for the first time, the VAR system led to a correction not only of a decision, but also of a disciplinary sanction during a match in the tournament.