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Original publish date: September 30, 2017

Marcelo Silva sent off after VAR decision: Right or wrong?

Matt Montgomery

Just when you thought MLS referees couldn’t get any more bizarre, they reached a new nadir tonight when Marcelo Silva was shown a video-assisted red card for denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity against LA Galaxy.

Of course, the foul took place a good bit outside the box, and RSL had Tony Beltran flying into position — but I guess you could make an argument either way.

The real problem, though? This is a problem of interpretation, not a clear and obvious error by referee Rubiel Vazquez. He’s used the video replay as an opportunity to second guess his decision and interpretation of a rule.

Vazquez is refereeing what appears to only be his third MLS match as a first official. Amazing stuff, isn’t it? There’s a poll at the end. Vote, if you feel the urge.