Canada missed a penalty in a 0–1 defeat at the hands of Belgium at the 2022 World Cup. But should the North Americans have been awarded two more penalties?
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required in brief
- Referee Jenny Sikazwe caused an uproar in the game between Belgium and Canada.
- The Zambian denied the Canucks at least one crystal-clear penalty.
- Striking: Referees have caused scandals in the past.
The start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is particularly bitter for Canada: lost to belgium Maple Leafs with 0:1, but are the better team in the long run. And Alphonso Davis misses too an early penalty,
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But should the Canucks have had two more chances from the penalty spot at the 2022 World Cup on Wednesday? There are two highly controversial scenes in the first half. in both cases referee decides against a penalty.
Canada’s misfortune in World Cup 2022 in VAR
The first scene takes place immediately after the missed Davies penalty. Buchanan is brought down in the penalty area by Vertonghen. The referee also blows his whistle – but decides it is offside. Correct?
A controversial decision at least – because of where the ball comes from Eden Hazard to Buchanan. The offside whistle is therefore a clear wrong decision. And even if Vertonghen minimally touches the ball: the tackle on Buchanan is a clear foul – and will deserve a penalty.
the second view probably doesn’t deserve the punishment
The second controversial scene is shortly before Belgium scored the opening goal. Larrea runs into the penalty area and falls to the ground in a running duel with Witsel. The referee allows the scene to continue despite Canada’s protests.
This position is much less clear than the previous one. Although there is contact between the Canadians and the Belgians, Larrea is clearly looking for it. No reprimand to the referee and VAR for not blowing the penalty whistle here.
By the way: referee Jenny Sikzwe is no blank slate when it comes to strange rulings. The Zambian blew the whistle after 85 minutes for the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations game between Tunisia and Mali. There were also allegations of match-fixing against Sikzwe.
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