The play before River could be one more of those you treasure Deportivo Riestra on its history of controversial rulings, but no. In a local attack, Leandro González Pírez He brushed his knee against the calf of Jonathan Herrera that was heading towards the arch of the Franco Armani and the forward collapsed in the area. The referee Andrés Merlos He did not hesitate and pointed to the penalty spot.
However, from the VAR room in Ezeiza they warned that the foul was not inside the area and invited Merlos to look at the images. “There is contact Andrés, but it was outside the area”the VAR referee told him Yael Falcón Pérez over the intercom and the referee responded: “I want to see”. That was the beginning of a crazy failure.
With the lines drawn, it can be seen in the multiple images that The foul existed but it was not criminal. From Ezeiza they suggested that, in addition to going back with the initial ruling, he analyze the disciplinary sanction for the River footballer.
Before leaving the screen, Merlos verbalizes how he will modify his primary action. “I’m going to go with a red card for number 14 and a free kick“, he says and from Ezeiza they support the decision. Then, the referee makes the signal that identifies the VAR display and gives the good news that they found the failure of Riestra, who was left without a penalty, and of River, who lost a player.
However, while the barrier was being adjusted and Riestra was analyzing the upcoming action, Merlos heard something unexpected through the earpiece. “Andrés, don’t resume. Andrés, do you hear me? Don’t resume, I was wrong about something”the AVAR indicated Gaston Monson Brizuela and the referee warned the players to stop preparations.
Then again Falcon Perez he anticipates Merlos: “There is a possible offside that invalidates the play”. González Pírez walked to the locker room cursing the situation, but the referee began to desperately call him not to leave the field. “Hey Pirez, Pirez!” He yells at the player who turns around when he hears him and, somewhat exasperated, opens his arms and asks what’s going on. “Do not go”suggests the run looking for the screen again.
There he reviews the play, confirms that before the contact between the defender and the forward there is an advanced position of Nicolas Benegaswho heads the ball and serves the pass that ends with a foul and, therefore, must nullify the marches and countermarches of an unusual play.
Merlos looked at the image again and again and returned to the playing field with the news: he annulled González Pirez’s red card, voided the free kick in favor of Riestra – which had initially been sanctioned as a penalty – and the stopped ball It happened to be for River. In seven minutes the VAR avoided a referee error and then one of its own.