{"id":201197,"date":"2026-06-13T03:50:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T03:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/06\/13\/var-makes-mistaken-identity-history-as-strange-booking-confuses-fans\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T03:50:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T03:50:42","slug":"var-makes-mistaken-identity-history-as-strange-booking-confuses-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/06\/13\/var-makes-mistaken-identity-history-as-strange-booking-confuses-fans\/","title":{"rendered":"VAR makes ‘mistaken identity’ history as strange booking confuses fans"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a fine win – but not before a sequence of events that left everyone inside SoFi Stadium scratching their heads as the video assistant referee (VAR) made history.<\/b><\/p>\n

The co-hosts were comfortably leading Paraguay 3-0 when confusion reigned in the Group D game.<\/p>\n

Veteran defender Tim Ream, 38, conceded a free-kick and was shown a yellow card for his ‘challenge’ on Miguel Almiron.<\/p>\n

After the free-kick was taken, Dutch referee Danny Makkelie was sent to the screen by the VAR and overturned his decision – something officials have not previously been allowed to do.<\/p>\n

After rescinding Ream’s caution, Makkelie instead booked former Newcastle United forward Almiron, who had clearly dived.<\/p>\n

It is the first VAR intervention for mistaken identity at the World Cup, even if it perhaps was not used in the way most expected it to be.<\/p>\n

Fifa has introduced of a number of rule changes for the tournament, with Pierluigi Collina, the head of referees, requesting one specifically for mistaken identity.<\/p>\n

The rule states that if a player is booked or sent off – but the foul was actually committed by the opposition team – the decision can be changed.<\/p>\n

Another new law is second yellow cards leading to a red card can be reviewed, but not first yellow cards. The only reason referee Makkelie was able to rescind the decision was by using the mistaken identity law.<\/p>\n

The officials allowed the game to restart before stopping, which also confused fans as normally once the game resumes it cannot be pulled back.<\/p>\n

Former Everton and Wales defender Ashley Williams, speaking to BBC Sport, added: “They let them take the free-kick, which was bizarre but clearly the right decision. <\/p>\n

“It’s the first time we have seen it but fair play.”<\/p>\n

Former England midfielder Danny Murphy, who was co-commentating for BBC Sport, added: “Any adaptation of the rules which means diving gets more punishment is good.”<\/p>\n

The United States, managed by former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, won the match 4-1 to get their campaign off to a winning start in front of a jubilant home crowd.<\/p>\n

Following an own goal by Damian Bobadilla, the US led 3-0 at half-time after Folarin Balogun scored twice. <\/p>\n

In doing so he became just the second US player to score more than once in a World Cup match.<\/p>\n

Paraguay pulled one back through Brazilian-born Mauricio before the goal of the night from substitute Giovanni Reyna, who curled a 20-yard shot home with the outside of his right foot with the final kick of the game.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a fine win – but not before a sequence of events that left everyone inside SoFi Stadium scratching their heads as the video assistant referee (VAR) made history. The co-hosts were comfortably leading Paraguay 3-0 when confusion reigned in the Group D game. Veteran defender Tim […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-201197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nVAR makes 'mistaken identity' history as strange booking confuses fans - Tahrir News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/06\/13\/var-makes-mistaken-identity-history-as-strange-booking-confuses-fans\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VAR makes 'mistaken identity' history as strange booking confuses fans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a fine win – but not before a sequence of events that left everyone inside SoFi Stadium scratching their heads as the video assistant referee (VAR) made history. 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