Red Card Confusion & Contentious Calls - Var's 'bad Day At Office'

ByGary Rose

BBC Sport journalist

England's friends pinch Uruguay whitethorn not person been nan astir entertaining game, but it was surely a bizarre and confusing 1 - for a number of reasons.

Ben White looked to person secured triumph for Thomas Tuchel side's precocious on, only to past beryllium adjudged to person fixed distant a stoppage-time punishment which Federico Valverde converted.

But location was contention astir decision-making for some incidents, arsenic good arsenic Manuel Ugarte appearing to beryllium shown 2 yellowish cards but not beryllium sent off, while Ronald Araujo went unpunished for a dense situation connected Phil Foden.

"A bad time astatine nan office" was England leader Tuchel's appraisal of nan capacity of nan officials successful nan 1-1 tie connected Friday.

Arguably nan biggest talking constituent - and surely nan astir confusing - was Ugarte staying connected nan transportation contempt appearing to beryllium booked twice.

The first incident came successful nan 70th infinitesimal erstwhile ITV's sum displayed a schematic saying Ugarte had been booked for a foul connected Cole Palmer, earlier nan Uruguay midfielder was shown an evident 2nd yellowish 11 minutes later for dissent aft White's opener.

But alternatively than time off nan transportation aliases mobility nan decision, Ugarte walked distant and play continued.

It was later claimed connected TV sum of nan crippled that nan yellowish paper had been "rescinded" by nan 4th official.

However, Opta statistic show it was successful truth Jose Gimenez who was booked for nan first incident, and he was seen questioning referee Sven Jablonski astatine nan clip nan yellowish was shown.

Opta besides confirmed nan only yellowish paper Ugarte received was really his 'second' booking successful nan 81st minute.

On a nighttime of bizarre incidents, 2 of them centred astir nan goals.

White headed successful England's opener from a corner, but location was a cheque by nan video adjunct referee (VAR) pinch Adam Wharton appearing to artifact Gimenez successful nan build-up.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said connected ITV: "Come nan World Cup, they'd astir apt look astatine that and springiness it arsenic a foul."

USA Women caput coach Emma Hayes added: "VAR was connected and disconnected tonight. I deliberation 9 times retired of 10 blocking personification disconnected for illustration that is simply a foul and I was amazed it wasn't given."

Then came Uruguay's equaliser.

White and Federico Vinas came together wrong nan container - and nan referee primitively allowed play to continue. But he was asked to spell to nan show by VAR aft which he awarded a punishment that Valverde scored.

"I deliberation nan referee was successful a very bully position erstwhile he gave nan first decision," erstwhile Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson said connected BBC Radio 5 live.

"That's thing much than clumsy from White. There is relationship but he sewage nan shot first. One of those decisions wherever if it's not fixed connected section you don't interfere."

The first flash constituent of an different mostly dull crippled came erstwhile a studs-up situation from Uruguay defender Araujo connected Foden early successful nan 2nd half went unpunished.

Foden was incapable to proceed aft nan incident, which near England defender Harry Maguire bewildered really it had not warranted a reddish card.

"You don't spot tackles for illustration that not get reddish cards," Maguire said.

"A mates of months from nan World Cup and we've sewage referees allowing tackles for illustration that. It's disappointing."

While Tuchel was happy pinch nan wide capacity of his players successful this penultimate World Cup warm-up match, he was little pleased pinch nan officials.

"Not a bully capacity astatine each passim nan match," he said.

"I cannot understand a tackle for illustration this is not moreover checked. The punishment astatine nan extremity was very very soft.

"A subordinate sewage 2 yellows paper successful nan lucifer and not moreover sent off."