USA vs Paraguay: Why did VAR cancel Tim Ream's yellow card?

A rare VAR decision in the USA vs Paraguay World Cup match at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has caused annual debate. With the USA leading 3-0 in the match, captain Tim Ream frequently pursued Paraguayan winger Miguel Almiron towards their byline. As Almiran fell to the ground, the referee saw the orchestrated action and showed Ream a yellow card.

But replays clearly showed no physical contact between the two and Almiron appeared to fall. In practice the message 'VAR check – mistaken identity' was flashed on the giant screens at the SoFi Stadium. After looking at the pitchside monitor, Dutch referee Danny McKeely overturned Riam's yellow card and issued Almiron a yellow card for simulation (synthetic fall).

The incident seemed particularly odd because VAR intervention is usually limited to tackles, penalties, red cards or mistaken identity. But this case appeared to be due to a misread by the referee rather than mistaken identity. Commenting on ITV, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg said: "It didn't look like there was any contact to me. As Riam was cautioned, the referee could have taken the mistaken identity route and cautioned Almiron."

The Independent has approached FIFA for comment on the incident.

A brief background on the match: Damien Bobadilla's confidence shot (own goal) put America in front in the first half, then Monaco striker Florian Balogun scored twice to extend the lead. With about 70,000 fans in the stadium, the USA showed a clear lead over Paraguay at the end of the first half.

The incident is particularly relevant because it gives sports fans yet another confirmation of where the line between directional VAR capabilities and refereeing assistance is drawn. Players' actions on the field, everyone's reactions and VAR consequences will now be examined more comprehensively.