The controversy in Firmino’s goal in Brazil’s victory over Colombia for the Copa América: why Pitana and the VAR were right to validate it

Brazil turned the game around and took a great 2-1 win over Colombia. Although it began losing by the goal of Luis Díaz at 10 minutes of the game, the Verdeamarela was much superior in the complement and ended up winning it with the goals of Firmino (32 ′) and Casemiro (in the ninth minute of addition).

This delay in the closing of the game corresponding to Group B of the Copa América was generated from the draw in Brazil, where moments prior to Firmino’s arrival the ball had hit the referee Néstor Pitana, causing great confusion in the Colombian players. Many of them were even detained waiting for the Argentine judge to annul the action and go back by applying a boat to land.

However, at the request of the VAR, and after several minutes had elapsed, the goal was validated. Why was this decision a success? The regulation establishes that if the rebound caused by the referee makes the defending team uncomfortable, the action must be annulled there by applying the boat to land. Otherwise, the referee must give the advantage, as it ended up happening.

It was Neymar who finished off the ball to the body of Nestor Pitana. Then, Lucas Paquetá warned the judge’s order to continue the action and opened to the left for the precise center of Renan Lodi at the head of Firmino. The Brazilian forward ended up converting with the complicity of David Ospina, who had a weak reaction when trying to deflect the ball.

For this reason, the rule says that when the ball hits the referee, if that rebound does not initiate a promising attack, the judge must give an advantage. At this point, from my point of view, this action did not disturb the defense at all and it is not that the rebound led to the goal. It is clear that if the VAR had evaluated this, it would have been canceled, reversing the play and applying the boat to land.

It is true that Nestor Pitana’s gesture creates confusion, because he threatened to put the whistle in his mouth. For this reason, the Argentine judge hesitated and waited for the VAR to confirm the goal. However, his final decision was correct and in this case the mistake was made by the Colombian footballers who had to continue playing. A clear example in these cases is when a line raises the flag and lowers it after the referee decides to continue with the action. Players must remain focused on the game and not be carried away by a gesture from the referee in this case.

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