Emma Hayes’ homecoming set the stage for a thrilling match, and it certainly delivered. Things took a slightly controversial turn in the 66th minute which left many of the USWNT fans fuming. The drama unfolded when a ball deflected off Alex Greenwood’s abdomen onto her shoulder inside the box. The on-field referee initially blew the whistle for a handball but VAR overturned the decision.
It was Yazmeen Ryan’s shot which was blocked by Greenwood. While the VAR decision was correct, fans were irate over the referee’s premature whistle, with many claiming it cost the USWNT a scoring opportunity, if the play had continued. One fan vented on X (formerly known as Twitter) “If that’s not a penalty, they should’ve let them play on anyway because USA had the ball for a second shot and chance.”
A bizarre decision from tonight’s referee to give the USA a penalty for this
Luckily it’s overturned and play goes on! pic.twitter.com/jdX74YY8Lj
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) November 30, 2024
Another fan only agreed to this claiming that the referee had blown the whistle way too early. On the other hand, the referee took a bit too long at the monitor to overturn the decision. “Bullshit call,” a fan remarked. “Ref should have let that play out. We just lost a huge attacking opportunity on the rebound.”
While the VAR did its job, the USWNT ultimately couldn’t capitalize on their chances, but fans are likely to remember this moment. Stanaway can definitely rest a little easier now because it could have been a mistake that could have been devastating for the Three Lionesses.
The post Despite Agreeing With VAR, USWNT Fans Slam On-Field Referee in Penalty Row vs England- “Could’ve Scored” appeared first on EssentiallySports.