Other Games - 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Edition (+ warm-up matches): Villa-watch

[cdbearsfan]

I wasn't sure why VAR got involved with the reversal of the decision and the Swiss player sent off. I thought their remit was on second yellows for overturning them if a player would be sent off. But the Argie wasn't on a second yellow/Red was he?

Yellow cards awarded for mistaken identify are VARrable.

Good use of VAR, IMO. Cheats deserve to be punished.

[Dave]

I wasn't sure why VAR got involved with the reversal of the decision and the Swiss player sent off. I thought their remit was on second yellows for overturning them if a player would be sent off. But the Argie wasn't on a second yellow/Red was he?

The new "mistaken identity" rules.

Which people assumed meant moving a card to the right player if the referee accidentally carded the wrong teammate after an offence, but is actually being used as "we've carded this player for an offence, but on looking again the offence was actually THIS player so we're now carding him"

Happened in one of the group games too, although I forget which one.

[Somniloquism]

Is that the reasoning they gave as mistaken identity checks are for players on the same team I thought? (Lautaro Martinez booked for a foul committed by Romero for example). Don't get me wrong, the Swiss player was cheating, I'm just confirming why VAR got involved.

Edit: Checked and for this World Cup they can change it if a yellow was given even if the other team were the ones committed against. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already tbh the way some players await barest contact and then go down.

[Somniloquism]

I wasn't sure why VAR got involved with the reversal of the decision and the Swiss player sent off. I thought their remit was on second yellows for overturning them if a player would be sent off. But the Argie wasn't on a second yellow/Red was he?

The new "mistaken identity" rules.

Which people assumed meant moving a card to the right player if the referee accidentally carded the wrong teammate after an offence, but is actually being used as "we've carded this player for an offence, but on looking again the offence was actually THIS player so we're now carding him"

Happened in one of the group games too, although I forget which one.

USA match but that might have been to pre-empt Trump's phonecall.

[Dave]

Is that the reasoning they gave as mistaken identity checks are for players on the same team I thought? (Lautaro Martinez booked for a foul committed by Romero for example). Don't get me wrong, the Swiss player was cheating, I'm just confirming why VAR got involved.

Yes, as above

Fifa has introduced a number of rule changes for the tournament, with Pierluigi Collina, the head of referees, requesting one specifically for mistaken identity.

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.

If Paredes had not been booked for the challenge, the mistaken identity ruling would not have come into play and Embolo would have stayed on.

The first use of the law was seen earlier in the tournament when USA defender Tim Ream conceded a free-kick and was shown a yellow card for what was initially deemed a foul on Miguel Almiron.

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.

After rescinding Ream's caution, Makkelie instead booked former Newcastle United forward Almiron for simulation.

[Brazilian Villain]

Happened in one of the group games too, although I forget which one.

I think it was USA v Paraguay. The US defender "tackled" the attacker just outside the box by the goal line, and the yellow card was subsequently and correctly overturned.

[Ian.]

I can’t work out what the injustice is regarding Norway? It’s about time a team got penalised for cheating during a set piece and the ref also got it spot on with the penalty we thought we won.

[eye digress]

Think both decisions were correct but the England disallowed penalty was much closer to being a penalty than the Norwegian disallowed goal was to being a goal. You can't just push people over with two hands, unless you're playing for Arsenal.

Looked the other way around from where I was sitting.

The Haaland shove was pretty soft in that Eliot went down very easily. He was caught on his heels, watching his man rather than the ball. Haaland did not seem to be intending to push his opponent over, but to escape from him. If every such offence was called at corners, there would be mayhem.

For the peno, Spence clearly diverts his stride away from the path of the ball and into the natural (legal) path of his opponent.

They were both close calls and we've all seen them given. But it seemed to me that taken together, and factoring in the deliberate nature of Spence's change of stride, justice seemed slightly rougher on Norway than England.

[Dave]

Nobody would have been surprised had either gone the other way, but both decisions were fine.

Both went in favour of the defending side, so all good, and nobody with cause for complaint.

[Ads]

There was nothing remotely wrong in disallowing the Norwegian goal.

[Pete3206]

I can’t work out what the injustice is regarding Norway? It’s about time a team got penalised for cheating during a set piece and the ref also got it spot on with the penalty we thought we won.

100%

[TopDeck113]

Mainoo, Toney, Shalobah, Watkins ... Why?

Along with one of the back-up keepers, I'm sure they'll all get a run out in the 3rd/4th play-off...

[PaulWinch again]

There was nothing remotely wrong in disallowing the Norwegian goal.

Indeed. Shoving someone in the chest is a foul, indisputably.

[olaftab]

I wasn't sure why VAR got involved with the reversal of the decision and the Swiss player sent off. I thought their remit was on second yellows for overturning them if a player would be sent off. But the Argie wasn't on a second yellow/Red was he?

But he shouldn't have been booked. Swiss player dived so the booking had to be corrected and once that happened yellow card is normal for deception. A great decision and well done VAR.

[Gareth]

Ezri Konsa for England vs Norway

90 minutes played
98% passing accuracy (52/53)
68 touches
100% successful dribbles
6 passes into the final third
1 tackle won
2 clearances
2 recoveries
100% ground duels won (2/2)
100% aerial duels won (3/3)

His stats for the tournament I think are exceptional but he’s not passing the “eye” test for me. That may sound a bit harsh but his quiet effectiveness and total commitment to doing his job as instructed by his manager can’t be doubted but there’s a little something missing for me to make him stand out. It’s a little bit similar to how he plays for Villa, nothing exceptional just 7-8/10 performances week in week out. However without him doing that it doesn’t enable others to do what they do. If you’re going to win a World Cup you have to have players like Ezri as it enables the more creative players to shine. He looked absolutely fucked when he came off last night. He needs to up his game another level if selected against Argentina. I also think he’d play better with Stones as him and Guehi are too “alike” if that makes sense. Anyway more power to him, he’s been great but I think there’s more to come hopefully.

Do you think your ‘eye test’ might be watching Villa players with more intensity than others - i know i definitely do that. 

Personally I think he has been comfortably England best defender in the tournament, Guehi seems completely incapable of holding a defensive line, O’Reilly has grown but hasn’t really had a right sided opponent of any quality yet, Stones looked decent and Spence did well when he came on last night.