Referee Nestor Pitana inadvertently interfered with play, and the Selecao scored their equaliser when he let the action continue
Colombia have been left furious by the end of their 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the Copa America group stage on Wednesday, as Roberto Firmino’s 78th-minute equaliser came following a build-up touch of the ball from referee Nestor Pitana, and Casemiro’s winner came deep into stoppage time.
Several defenders stopped when Pitana accidentally intervened in the Selecao move, but Tite’s men kept going and Firmino benefited with an easy header. Despite fierce objections from Colombia, the goal was upheld. Then, 10 minutes into stoppage time, Casemiro slammed a near-post corner kick from Neymar into the net to seal the dramatic result and send Colombia away empty handed.
Afterwards, Colombia manager Reinaldo Rueda decried the referee’s “distraction” of his players in the moments before Firmino’s levelled the score.
What has been said?
“The two goals for Brazil are different situations,” Rueda told reporters. “In the first, I think that the referee’s situation caused distraction in the players.
“Brazil had to go out to find the game, they had a good circulation of the ball and the players who entered had an influence and that is why perhaps [the second half was different].
“But we were incisive and in the end it is a pity that the result could not be achieved.”
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What is the official rule for referee interference scenarios?
According to CONMEBOL rules, the ball should be out of play when:
- The ball has completely crossed the byline or touch line, either on the ground or in the air;
- Play has been stopped by the referee;
- The ball touches a member of the refereeing team, remains on the field of play AND a team starts a promising attack or the ball goes directly into the goal or the team in possession of the ball changes.
In all the above cases, the game should be restarted with a dropped ball.