Boca and its curse with the VAR in the Libertadores: the criminal hand that could change history against Corinthians

Boca Juniors scored a valuable goalless draw with Corinthians in San Pablo on Tuesday thanks to Agustín Rossi, who saved a penalty just before half-time in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16.

Beyond Rossi’s parade, one of the great protagonists of the Brazilian evening was Cássio Ramos, the historic goalkeeper of the local team, who responded efficiently every time Benedetto, Villa and his teammates approached his door.

On a goalless evening, the one who scored as the protagonist of the evening was the VAR, with a performance that has once again angered the supporters of the Argentine team.

It is worth mentioning that in the group stage of the Libertadores there was no VAR, and in this first time in 2022 he failed again against those in blue gold. The last memory of Boca with Conmebol technology was disastrous: in the second round of 2021, against Atlético Mineiro, when they canceled a goal at the Bombonera and another in Belo Horizonte, unleashing the anger of the team led by Miguel Ángel Russo, the team late in a police station and penalties cataract.

The controversy against the Corinthians

The penalty for Corinthians was a penalty: the VAR reviewed the action but did not have to intervene. Marcos Rojo stretched out his arm recklessly and hit the Brazilian footballer’s face. The defender is booked and, luckily for him, Rossi seems to avoid the Corinthians goal. The Chilean Tobar seemed to be right in that sentence.

In the second half Corinthians called another penalty, even if this time Adson’s shot against the young Sandez’s mark was too exaggerated for the referee to buy the foul. The VAR has reviewed, putting the Boca fans on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but has not decided to sanction the infringement. Would you have acted the same way if Timao hadn’t had the penalty in the first half? We do not know but the doubt remains.

And then came the great controversy of the night, with Villa looking out from the left at full speed and giving Benedetto a filtered pass that did not reach its destination because the arm of the Corinthian tombstone appeared. All Boca claimed the action, which Tobar did not even detect, but the VAR did not call the Chilean to review the image.

Was it hand? It was hand. Should it be criminal? There he begins to sculpt subjectivity, as almost always in football. The defender appears to have his arm “in natural position” (as they say now) and it is the ball that is directed towards his extremity, not the other way around.

But it is also true that in this moment of dissimilar criteria and unusual sanctions, the game at least deserved that Tobar should decide whether or not it should be sanctioned with a penalty. Hence the anger of the Boca fans, who once again see the VAR with a certain prejudice, “kicking” against it. We will have to see what happens in the Bombonera.