KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Switzerland forward Breel Embolo was sent off in the second half of a World Cup quarterfinal match with Argentina on Saturday night after a video review showed that he had tried to make it appear that he had fallen because of a tackle.
Leandro Paredes initially was shown the yellow card, but video showed that Embolo was falling before the Argentina midfielder made contact with him. And because Embolo received a yellow card earlier in the match, he was given a red card, leaving the Swiss to play the remainder of a game tied 1-1 with only 10 players.
It was a massive momentum swing after Switzerland’s Dan Ndoye had tied the game moments earlier.
It’s the second time a yellow card has been overturned using the “mistaken identity” protocol at the World Cup. The rule allows the video assistant referee to intervene when an incorrect player is shown a yellow or red card.