Swiss coach brands red-card rule 'unacceptable' after World Cup quarter-final loss to Argentina in extra time

Switzerland's first World Cup quarter-final in 72 years ended in fury at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night, after Breel Embolo was sent off in the 72nd minute following a VAR intervention that head coach Murat Yakin called 'an unacceptable rule'. Argentina eventually won 3-1 after extra time to set up a semi-final against England, but the match was overshadowed by the dismissal that Swiss players and staff described as one-sided and incomprehensible.

The incident

Embolo received his first yellow card in the first half. In the 72nd minute, with the score tied at 1-1 after Dan Ndoye had equalised five minutes earlier, the referee initially cautioned Argentina's Leandro Paredes for a foul on Embolo. A lengthy VAR review then concluded that Embolo had simulated and initiated the contact himself. The referee rescinded the yellow for Paredes and showed Embolo a second yellow, reducing Switzerland to ten men with 18 minutes of regulation time remaining.

There was definitely no reason to show a yellow card. It was a harmless situation. The referee should have allowed play to continue.

Yakin directed his sharpest criticism at the regulation that permitted VAR to intervene in the sequence. 'We were punished because of an unacceptable rule. I don't understand it. The fact that the referees intervened unnecessarily is extremely painful,' he said, adding that the rule 'has nothing to do with football'.

Swiss reactions

Defender Manuel Akanji, who said he rarely criticises officials, was blunt in his assessment. 'Argentina practically created no chances from open play. Every smallest contact was whistled in their favour. I have never played in a match that was so one-sidedly officiated,' the Manchester City centre-back said. He noted that Argentina did not receive a single yellow card in the first 90 minutes.

Not one of their dives was punished. Breel got a card for that situation.

Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel said the team showed heart but felt the elimination was unjust. 'We fought so hard that it seems unfair we didn't even get a chance in a penalty shootout.' Midfielder Remo Freuler questioned VAR's role directly: 'Until the red card we had the match under control. Someone explain to me how VAR could intervene in such a situation and in such a match.'

How the match unfolded

Switzerland conceded early but levelled through Ndoye in the 67th minute and were, by Yakin's account, 'dominating and controlling the match' when Embolo was dismissed. The ten men held out until the 112th minute, when Julián Álvarez struck from distance into the top corner. Lautaro Martínez added a third nine minutes later to seal Argentina's passage.

The truth is we suffered in this match. We knew it was a very physical team. It caused us a lot of problems. There's no hiding that luck was on our side today, because their player was sent off and then we went on the attack.

Scaloni acknowledged his side 'could have played better' but called the back-to-back semi-final appearance 'historic'. The evening also ended Lionel Messi's streak of consecutive World Cup matches with a goal.

What comes next

Argentina face England on Wednesday in the semi-final. England advanced after beating Norway in circumstances that Interia described as 'controversial, perhaps even scandalous', referencing what it called the 'cable affair'. For Switzerland, the defeat closes a campaign that reached the last eight for the first time since the 1954 tournament, a run Yakin saluted even in defeat. 'My boys are real heroes,' he said.