Sweden contacts UEFA over VAR after controversially rejected offside goal
Sweden has reached UEFA on a controversial VAR decision that ruled out Rebecca Blomqvist’s goal in the 2-1 victory against Switzerland on Wednesday.
The incident occurred two minutes after substitute Blomqvist peeled off the shoulder of his marker to get the ball in just so that the celebration would be withdrawn for offside after an intervention from VAR.
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The decision seemed controversial as the pictures shown showed the offside lines drawn on the wrong side of the ball, which ruled out a goal that looked on the side for the Swedes.
The Swedish Football Association has contacted UEFA to see if anything can be done about the VAR-rejected goal.
After two rounds of Group C games, there is little difference between the four teams. Both the Netherlands and Sweden have four points with Portugal and Switzerland both on one but can still go on.
As such, goal difference can be the deciding factor in distinguishing one from second and who will face the winner from Group D (with France currently at the top) and who will have 24 hours less to face second from Group D.
Hours after the match, Chelsea and Sweden’s goalkeeper Zecira Musovic shocked by the decision on social media.
Our goal yesterday as VAR was ruled out due to offside, but where the offside line has been drawn on the wrong (🤬) side of the ball ?! So we have a VAR room where the judge gets support, but the same room obviously does not know the rules. A complete joke for the game. pic.twitter.com/fYpEOqOQas
– Zećira Mušović (@ZeciraMusovic) July 14, 2022
She wrote: “Our goal yesterday which WAS ruled out due to offside, but where the offside line has been drawn on the wrong side of the ball ?!
“So we have a VAR room where the referee gets support, but the same room obviously does not know the rules. A complete joke for the game.”
With the topic raised at a press conference, Sweden’s assistant coach Marcus Wikman said: “I am surprised that they do not know where to draw the line.”
He went on to explain his shock, not that it was about marking the line from “a shoulder, finger, hand or stomach” but that it was simply in the wrong place: “It is a mistake that must not happen.”
Sweden’s defender Amanda Ilestedt agreed and added: “It’s a shame, VAR has cameras from all angles but they then put the line in the wrong place.”
Although the Swedish team has not appealed to the European football body, national team manager Marika Domanski Lyfors has written to UEFA about the incident.
Neither Domanski Lyfors nor Blomqvist expect much from UEFA but see the value in trying to rectify the situation for future occasions.