FC Cincinnati’s Yerson Mosquera had the entire MLS playoff game hanging in the balance after 93-plus minutes of intense play. The match was brought to life as he scored a dramatic goal, leading Cincinnati to victory over the Philadelphia Union with a single powerful strike on Saturday night. And then came the suspenseful wait.
Mosquera had to wait while video assistant referees (VARs) reviewed his stoppage-time winning goal, which turned out to be the only goal in a hard-fought quarterfinal match. The suspense amplified as viewers watched a replay that appeared to show Cincinnati defender Ian Murphy possibly offside in the buildup to the goal, before Murphy’s crucial header placed the ball at Mosquera’s feet.
The anticipation grew as the viewers, especially those in Philadelphia, expected the goal to be disallowed by VAR, assuming that (No. 32) Murphy’s shoulder was ahead of (No. 9) Julián Carranza’s when Álvaro Barreal crossed the ball.
Union head coach Jim Curtin later expressed, “We have an iPad on the bench. Every player and coach that saw it said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s offside, it’s coming back.’ It’s also why we didn’t have a [substitution ready] immediately, it was so clear to everybody that was telling me.”
Despite the assumptions, referee Ismail Elfath stunned everyone by indicating that the review was complete and the goal would stand, leading Cincinnati to a 1-0 win.
According to the officials, the goal was allowed “because [Murphy] was judged to be even with the second-to-last defender,” they told pool reporter Pat Brennan.
This explanation is, at best, an oversimplification. The process is more intricate. Unlike some other top leagues like the English Premier League, MLS reviews offside decisions without using Hawk-Eye technology and digitally drawn lines for precise assessments, instead relying on VARs to determine based on available replays.
Viewing the replays alone makes it impossible to ascertain with 100% certainty whether Murphy was offside or “even.” A clearer angle might reveal Murphy’s upper arm to be very close to level with Carranza’s upper arm or right foot, but “probably” isn’t the standard VARs must clear to overturn a call, only “clear and obvious” mistakes.
So Cincinnati celebrated, while Philadelphia rued another year of playoff heartbreak. Cincinnati, being the season’s top team, will host the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference final next weekend.
