Did a missed handball name price the US the Concacaf Gold Cup title in opposition to Mexico? Not in response to VAR.
Within the second half of Sunday’s closing, Mexico defender Jorge Sánchez tackled the ball away from United States defender Max Arfsten, however when he tried to get again on his toes, he positioned his hand on the ball within the penalty field.
The U.S. emphatically known as for a handball, however after consulting with Video Assistant Referee (VAR), match official Mario Alberto Escobar Toca dominated that it was an incidental handball and subsequently not a penalty in favor of the US. An incidental handball refers to a scenario the place a participant’s hand or arm unintentionally makes contact with the ball, with out the participant intentionally dealing with the ball or making their physique unnaturally greater.
If known as, the U.S. would have had a chance to take a commanding lead in a vital level of the match. As an alternative, Mexico went on to attain the match winner within the 77th minute on a objective from Edson Álvarez that, coincidentally, additionally needed to go to VAR.
EVERY ANGLE of Edson Alvarez’s GAME-WINNING objective vs. USA within the Gold Cup Closing | FOX Soccer
Mexico has now received back-to-back Gold Cup titles, whereas the U.S. misplaced its closing aggressive match earlier than the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which shall be co-hosted by the Canada, Mexico and the US.
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