Sophie Lawson
Sweden have reached out to UEFA about a controversial VAR decision which ruled out Rebecca Blomqvist’s goal in the 2-1 win over Switzerland on Wednesday.
The incident happened two minutes from time when substitute Blomqvist peeled off the shoulder of her marker to slot the ball home only for the celebrations to be pulled back off for offside after an intervention from VAR.
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The decision appeared controversial as the images shown displayed the offside lines drawn on the wrong side of the ball, ruling out a goal that looked onside for the Swedes.
The Swedish football association have reached out to UEFA to see if anything can be done about the VAR-disallowed goal.
After two rounds of Group C games, there is little to separate the four teams. Both the Netherlands and Sweden have four points with Portugal and Switzerland both on one but still able to progress.
As such, goal difference could be the decisive factor in separating first from second and who will face the winner from Group D (with France currently top) and who will be given 24 hours less to face the runner up from Group D.
Hours after the game, Chelsea and Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic fumed at the decision on social media.
Our goal yesterday that VAR ruled out because of offside, but where the offside line has been drawn on the wrong (?) side of the ball?! So we have a VAR room were the ref is being supported, but the same room clearly doesn’t know the rules. A complete joke for the game. pic.twitter.com/fYpEOqOQas
— Zećira Mušović (@ZeciraMusovic) July 14, 2022
She wrote: “Our goal yesterday that VAR ruled out because of offside, but where the offside line has been drawn on the wrong side of the ball?!
“So we have a VAR room were the ref is being supported, but the same room clearly doesn’t know the rules. A complete joke for the game.”
With the topic raised at a news conference, Sweden assistant coach Marcus Wikman said: “I’m surprised that they do not know where to draw the line.”
He went on to explain his shock, not that it was about whether to mark the line from “a shoulder, finger, hand or stomach” but that it was simply in the wrong place: “It’s a mistake that should not happen.”
Sweden defender Amanda Ilestedt agreed and added: “It’s too bad, VAR has cameras from every angle but they then put the line in the wrong place.”
Whilst the Swedish team have not launched an official appeal to the European footballing body, national team chief Marika Domanski Lyfors has written to UEFA about the incident.
Neither Domanski Lyfors nor Blomqvist are expecting much from UEFA but see the value in trying to rectify the situation for future instances.