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Last Thursday, Universitario de Deportes achieved an important victory over César Vallejo, in matchday 16 of the 2023 Clausura Tournament of the Liga 1 Betsson. Although the 'Crema' returned happily to the capital with the three points, there was much dissatisfaction in the 'Poeta' team not only because of the result, but also because of the refereeing. And it is that Roberto Mosquera, the coach of the Trujillo-based team, requested an explanation from CONAR about how VAR is being handled in the national championship, emphasizing the play where Rodrigo Ureña was sent off.
What happened? It was the 72nd minute and Jairo Vélez launched a fierce attack down the right flank. After surpassing Hugo Ancajima, the Ecuadorian forward was ready to enter the opposing area, but Rodrigo Ureña made a tough tackle to prevent his progress. Although referee Jesús Cartagena initially did not call a foul, he received a VAR call, which caused dissatisfaction in both benches. Minutes later, he sent off the Chilean footballer, awarding a free kick in favor of the home team.
In relation to this, Roberto Mosquera spoke out and stated that he has never seen VAR used to award this type of foul. "The truth is that I don't think VAR is meant to award free kicks. I have never seen VAR award free kicks. It either awards a penalty or doesn't award anything. It made us all believe (about the penalty). But well, I haven't spoken about the referees. We'll see if someone from CONAR can come out and explain how VAR is being handled," he said in a press conference.
It's worth noting that the 'Poeta' coach was not the only one to refer to the issue, as Jorge Fossati also criticized the refereeing of Jesús Cartagena. "I swear I would like to have a referee explain to us why if the referee hadn't called anything and if the ball is outside the area, it's not a penalty. Why does VAR intervene? I didn't understand," said the Uruguayan coach.
Thus, César Vallejo lost three important points in their last match against Universitario de Deportes, which are vital in their fight to qualify for a continental tournament. As of today, the Trujillo-based team is in seventh place with 47 points.
When does César Vallejo play again?
After the match against the university team, César Vallejo will prepare for their next challenge of the current season. Although the 'Poetas' will rest in matchday 17 of the 2023 Clausura Tournament, they will focus on the next game against UTC. Although there is still no confirmed date or time, the Trujillo-based team will seek to secure three points away from home at all costs.
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