Argentina 🇦🇷 fans, to those who have heart conditions I recommend Netflix and anything but not the England vs Argentina game. But again it's a game you don't want to miss...
According to @lequipe, Argentina are the first team to reach a World Cup semifinal without playing a top 10 team.
According to actual facts, Germany were the first team to do so in 2002: Saudi Arabia (34), Ireland (15), Cameroon (17), Paraguay (18), USA (13), South Korea (40).
Messi’s career might end where Maradona cemented himself as one of the greatest of all time. Or he could go beyond again and fight for a chance to retain the World Cup. Bonkers.
To celebrate today’s victory, I’ll be following back a few Messi/Argentina fans, comment below let’s connect. 🇦🇷🩵 Push me to 10K team Leo, I’ve really stayed with you and provided emotional support.
Next season I’ll be doing Uefa Champions League!!! 💪🏾
The Egypt disallowed goal, Rodri handball vs Belgium and the Embolo yellow card for diving are the ultimate test to see if someone actually understands the football rules correctly.
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: The VAR had already dealt with a similar situation to the Paredes - Embolo one at this World Cup during USA vs. Paraguay... It's called 'mistaken identity':
• Tim Ream was initially booked for a supposed foul on Miguel Almirón. However, after the free-kick had been taken, referee Danny Makkelie was sent to the monitor.
• Makkelie overturned the decision, rescinded Ream’s yellow card and instead booked Almirón for diving, the first VAR intervention for mistaken identity at a World Cup.
• The same thing has now happened in Argentina vs. Switzerland as Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on Breel Embolo, but the VAR spotted that Embolo had dived
• Then, Paredes’ booking was overturned, while Embolo was shown a yellow card... Because it was Embolo’s second booking, he was sent off.
England 🏴 Vs Argentina 🇦🇷
To all Argentina fans, you guys ain't ready for what's coming next. Warned y'all book appointments to your cardiologists. It's not over yet...
The problem with the new ‘mistaken identity’ rule is that it sets a dangerous precedent.
Breel Embolo dived, so if called on the field it’s a second yellow, but that wasn’t the decision.
Yet an amendment to IFAB wording before the tournament states: “When the referee shows a yellow or red card but has clearly penalised the wrong player of either team for the offence in question; the offence itself cannot be reviewed except in the context of mistaken identity.”
We saw the same with Tim Ream (originally booked for a foul) and Miguel Almiron (eventually booked for diving) in USA vs. Paraguay.
In both instances, the right decision was reached when revisiting the incidents.
Yet it’s massively open for debate as to whether this is actually ‘mistaken identity’, and that’s the issue.
It’s just a mistake by the referees. Both got sold by a dive. They didn’t mix up players. They just made a bad call on a regular foul and wrongly handed out a yellow card.
So really it’s just a rule allowing VAR to intervene on more minor on-field calls, and that’s the part a lot of people will feel uneasy about.
You can't play beautiful football against these Swiss, they are so much compact. They lost their composure in quest for an equalizer and Argentina push them...