A peculiar moment unfolded during the USA's opening World Cup fixture against Paraguay, as captain Tim Ream had a yellow card overturned by VAR, sparking discussion over the system's application. The incident occurred in the second half with the USA comfortably leading 3-0 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Ream was initially cautioned by Dutch referee Danny Makkelie after Paraguay winger Miguel Almiron went to ground following a chase towards the American byline. However, replays quickly indicated there was no contact between the two players, suggesting Almiron had simulated a foul.
The game was subsequently paused as 'VAR check – mistaken identity' appeared on the stadium's large screens. Following a review at the pitchside monitor, Makkelie rescinded the yellow card shown to Ream and instead issued a caution to Almiron for simulation. This decision has raised eyebrows as VAR interventions are typically restricted to correcting clear and obvious errors related to goals, penalties, red cards, or genuine cases of mistaken identity, rather than correcting a referee's initial judgment on a yellow card incident.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, speaking on ITV, offered an explanation for the decision. He stated, "I don’t believe there’s any contact. Because he’s cautioned Ream, he can go for mistaken identity and go to caution Almiron." This suggests the 'mistaken identity' clause was utilised to correct the referee's initial error in identifying the player deserving of a caution, rather than simply overturning a yellow card. FIFA has been contacted by The Independent for further comment on the incident.
The controversial moment followed a strong first-half performance from the Americans. An own goal from Damian Bobadilla gave the USA the lead, which was then extended by two goals from Monaco striker Florian Balogun, much to the delight of the approximately 70,000 fans in attendance.