Paraguay’s participation in the World Cup concluded following a 1-0 defeat to France in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The decisive goal came via a penalty scored by Kylian Mbappe, which followed a review through the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Following the match, Paraguay’s official selection officer, Gustavo Alfaro, addressed the officiating by Uzbekistani referee Ilgyz Tantayev, specifically regarding the VAR review process.
Alfaro expressed reservations about the initial judgment made by the referee. “I observed the situation on the VAR screen when he checked,” Alfaro stated. “I was positioned behind the referee and therefore could not maintain complete objectivity.
The referee formed an initial impression, believing the player was attempting to provoke contact.”
Alfaro continued by criticizing the reliance on the VAR confirmation, asserting that a detailed review of the video footage suggested otherwise. He indicated that his personal assessment of the replay showed the player was airborne and moving rapidly in a confined area, leading him to believe contact had occurred. The comments from the selection staff highlighted a significant point of contention surrounding the match’s outcome.
For the paraguay team, the result marked an end to their World Cup campaign. The draw of the final whistle, combined with the contentious nature of the goal, prompted Alfaro to publicly question the application of the rules during the high-stakes match.
Topics: #paraguay #selection #draw
