Last Sunday at Maracanã, the VAR system took center stage following a contentious penalty that secured Flamengo’s 1-0 victory against Fluminense in the Brasileirão. The dispute involved players Bruno Henrique and Calegari, with the former accused of causing a fall that led to the penalty call.
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Video referee Rodrigo Guarizo reviewed the play and concluded that Henrique did not impact Calegari significantly. Instead, he noted that Calegari tripped over Henrique’s leg as he fell. This observation led field referee Rafael Klein to confirm the penalty.
Juiz que dá um penalty desses pro Flamengo merece ser aposentado sumariamente (pra tentar respeitar os DH aqui). FlaPress em festa. pic.twitter.com/Z7mr6GVZ6Y
— Raphael Tsavkko Garcia 🇺🇦🇵🇸 (@Tsavkko) June 23, 2024
In the VAR booth, Guarizo stated, “We need a high angle to see any arm impact. The ball is contested. White loses balance without an arm impact.” His assistant, Alberto Masseira, added, “We’re checking. White contacted Red first.”
Guarizo then decided, “White loses balance and trips over Red, causing the foul. Do we agree? The penalty stands.”
The CBF also released VAR analysis for another play where Flamengo fans claimed Samuel Xavier fouled Bruno Henrique. Guarizo determined, “He missed the ball timing. There’s only a hand reference, and it doesn’t push. The initial call stands.”
VAR, once again, shows how tough the calls are for refs in big games.
