A bizarre VAR intervention overshadowed Sunday’s Brazilian Super Cup, as Flamengo midfielder Jorge Carrascal was sent off after the halftime break for a foul committed in the first half. The decision sparked outrage and raised new questions about the consistency of video officiating.
The incident occurred late in the first half when Corinthians players accused Carrascal of elbowing midfielder Breno Bidon. While Bidon remained on the turf for several minutes, the referee allowed play to continue and eventually blew for halftime without a review.
The teams returned to the pitch for the second half expecting to play 11-on-11. Instead, referee Rafael Klein headed to the VAR monitor before the restart. After reviewing the footage, he issued a straight red card to Carrascal, leaving Flamengo to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
"I have never seen anything like this in my life," said Flamengo manager and former Chelsea defender Filipe Luís. "We prepared our entire second-half plan for a full squad, only for this to happen after the break."
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) issued a statement Monday morning blaming technical failures for the unprecedented delay. According to the CBF, a power outage hit several sectors of the Mané Garrincha Stadium during halftime, knocking out the Video Office Room (VOR).
"Initially, the available images were inconclusive, which is why the first half ended normally," the CBF explained. "During the break, a new camera angle clearly identified the violent conduct. The recommendation for a red card was made as soon as the system was restored."
The CBF noted that while the VAR backup battery kept the system running for 15 minutes, the stadium remained without full VAR capabilities for nearly 20 minutes of the second half.
The man advantage proved decisive. Corinthians secured a 2-0 victory with goals from Gabriel Paulista and Yuri Alberto to claim the Super Cup title. Despite the technical glitch, the CBF maintained that the decision followed FIFA protocols, which allow VAR intervention for violent conduct even after play has restarted.
