The Definitive Angle: MLS Week 5
The Definitive Angle is PRO’s analysis of the week’s Video Review use in MLS.
Week 5 overview
There was one Video Review during Week 5.
TOR vs NYC: Review for penalty kick (foul challenge) – given
What Happened: The referee awarded a penalty kick to New York City FC for a foul from behind by Kosi Thompson (TOR) on Talles Magno (NYC) in the TFC penalty area. The referee also issued a yellow card to Thompson for the offense.
The VAR’s initial reaction on seeing the footage live was that there was no contact by the defender and the attacker had tripped himself. The first angles she checked did not show any contact, confirming her initial feeling. She, therefore, recommended a Video Review and showed the same angles to the referee at the RRA.
The referee then overturned his penalty kick decision and rescinded the yellow card which had been issued to Thompson.
On-field decision: Penalty kick and yellow card.
Type of review: No penalty.
Final decision after review: No penalty and yellow card rescinded.
Length of review: 2:37.
PRO’s Opinion: This was an incorrect outcome, and the Video Review should not have been recommended as the initial award of the penalty kick was not a clear and obvious error.
The VAR had failed to properly check an angle which showed clear contact from the left knee of Thompson on the left foot of Magno, which in turn knocked Magno’s left foot onto the back of his right calf and brought him down.
Read more: PRO Statement: TOR vs NYC