A live explanation through your microphone that will be heard by all the fans in the stadium and, obviously, by those watching on television.. Conmebol announced that this Thursday, during the revenge match of the South American Cup Winners’ Cup in between Fluminense y League of Quito from Ecuador, will implement a change that soccer fans requested, which has already been used in other competitions, but which for the first time will be used in a continental level tournament.
“For the use of this innovative referee tool, CONMEBOL has carried out protocol technology tests, together with the Broadcast Department and the Corps of International Referees belonging to the institution,” the body that governs the game said in a statement. South American football.
Likewise, its use had the approval of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the international association in charge of defining the rules of football worldwide, and the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA), the global football regulator.
“This explanatory procedure seeks to make known live, both to the public in the stadium and also to viewers, the referee’s final decisions after a VAR review,” Conmebol indicated.
The first tournament in which this system was used was the 2022 Club World Cup, held in February 2023, in which Real Madrid – champion -, Flamengo, Seattle Sounders, Wyad Casablanca, Al-Ahly, the Al-Hilal and Auckland City. It was also used in the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia (July 20-August 20).
How does the arbitration explanation work?
The already known procedure will only be modified once the decision has been made in front of the VAR review booth. The referee will walk towards the playing field, activate his microphone – the same one he uses as an intercom – and communicate the resolution live, with clear words that do not generate confusion.
As is known, the attendance of the main judge to the VAR does not ensure that an initial decision will be changed, but that must also be communicated live.
Fluminense for the comeback and Independiente del Valle for the glory
Nobody has hurt Fluminense more than Liga de Quito. To prevent its nemesis from hurting it again, the Rio Tricolor promises to give its life in the second leg final of the Recopa Sudamericana that will be played this Thursday at the Maracaná.
The name Liga de Quito has a double effect in Rio de Janeiro: for ‘Flu’ fans it is synonymous with a nightmare; For their rivals, the argument to make fun of the team led by former Brazilian coach Fernando Diniz.
The Ecuadorians historically deprived Fluminense of winning an international trophy, until the Cariocas won it for the first time last year by beating Boca Juniors of Argentina in the final of the Copa Libertadores.
In 2008 they defeated them in the Libertadores final. A year later, in the Copa Sudamericana.
And last Thursday, at the height of Quito, they took a 1-0 lead in the first leg of the competition that pits the champions of the most important club tournaments in South America against each other.
“But we are very good. We are preparing in the best way to give our best on the field, with the conviction of going out with everything to come back. These are very important ninety minutes to win a cup that Fluminense does not have,” he said on Tuesday. the Argentine scorer Germán Cano.
Regarding the preparation of the Cariocas for the clash (9:30 p.m. Argentine time, ESPN television), however, a dark cloud has appeared: the physical situations of the starting full-backs Marcelo and Samuel Xavier.
“It will depend on how they react to training,” Diniz said on Sunday, after suffering a painful 2-0 defeat against his classic rival, Flamengo, for the penultimate date of the regular phase of the Rio de Janeiro state tournament.
Creator of a signature football admired for its offensive and attractive approach, although with defensive cracks, Diniz opted for a mixed roster for the Carioca Championship derby, in which they have already qualified for the semifinals.
Diogo Barbosa and Guga, starter in Quito due to Samuel Xavier’s suspension, played on the left and right wings, respectively. If the owners of both positions do not recover, both should be in the revenge against the League.
In the attack there will also be a novelty: the promising forward John Kennedy, scorer of the winning goal against Boca, can go to the bench after paying a suspension that sidelined him from the first leg.
If the ‘Flu’ swears to go all out, the League promises to stage an epic resistance in the hunt for its third Recopa Sudamericana, after the victories in 2009 and 2010, which at the same time would be its sixth international title.
“We are going to leave everything in there,” warned Argentine midfielder Ezequiel Piovi before traveling to Brazil.
With a chance to win his first trophy in South America, on the eve of the Ecuadorian championship beginning, Spanish coach Josep Alcácer embarked with his main pieces.
Although his assistant will be on the line again, the Argentine Adrián Gabbarini, because the Iberian still does not have the license required by Conmebol to direct on South American soil.
His big doubt, according to the Ecuadorian press, is whether he will bet from the beginning on the Paraguayan center forward Alex Arce, scorer of the goal in extremis in the first leg (90+2), or if he will maintain the eleven that bore fruit in Quito.