First Use of Expanded VAR Powers: Yellow Card Against US Captain Ream Annulled at World Cup Opener

TV viewers saw via an on-screen graphic that the incident had been reviewed for a case of mistaken identity. The yellow card for Ream was annulled. According to dpa, this is the first use of the expanded VAR powers at a FIFA World Cup.

Following a decision by the International Rule-makers (IFAB) in the spring, the video assistant is now allowed to review three additional situations and intervene in cases of referee errors. These include, among others, incidents that result in a red or yellow card being given to the wrong player or the wrong team.

Impact on the Game

Until now, the rules stated that cases of mistaken identity could only be reviewed if the referee had cautioned or sent off the wrong player from the same team. The change now also covers cases in which the foul was committed by one player, but the card was shown to a player from the other team.

In the host USA's opening match of their home tournament, the team secured a clear victory on Friday. The available reports initially provided no information on the exact minute of the disputed incident or on the further course of the game.

The new regulation was adopted by IFAB in the spring and came into force with the World Cup tournament in the USA. It is intended to correct situations in the future in which a referee mistakenly cautions or sends off the wrong person.

Reactions and Assessment

Ream, who captains the US national team, remained without a caution after the VAR system's intervention. The available sources reported nothing about any potential consequences for Almirón beyond the yellow card.

The World Cup on home soil is the USA's first major tournament as host. The match against Paraguay was part of the tournament's opening games, in which several nations are participating in total.

With the intervention, FIFA also underscored its ambition to consistently apply the new technological capabilities. Observers view the incident as a signal that cases of mistaken identity will be corrected more frequently in the future.

According to the dpa report, it was a direct message from the dpa news channel. Further details on the course of the game and the goalscorers were not included in the available facts.