Scotland entered their Group C finale against Brazil in Miami needing at least a point to all but secure a place in the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history. A narrow defeat would still keep their hopes alive. Instead, they found themselves in serious trouble before halftime, trailing 2-0 after a performance that hinged on a deeply contested VAR decision.
Vinicius Junior opened the scoring after just seven minutes, capitalizing on a Scott McKenna error. On 22 minutes, he appeared to double Brazil's lead. A defensive mistake from Jack Hendry allowed him to nick the ball and fire home a neat finish. Scotland's path to the knockouts seemed to be closing fast.
Then came the reprieve. A VAR review determined that Vinicius Jr. had fouled Hendry in the act of tackling him, kicking his leg before getting the ball. The goal was ruled out. The call was contentious immediately, according to Yahoo Sports, with BBC pundits disagreeing sharply on whether referee Cesar Ramos got it right.
Darren Cann, a former Premier League and international assistant referee serving as the BBC's rules expert, said he believed the decision was wrong. On the broadcast, Cann said: "I think Scotland are a little fortunate to be honest. There is a small contact before the ball is played but I don't really feel it is a foul by Vini Jr. He's just holding his ground and the defender just kicks into him. I think it's one that Scotland will be delighted with but I think a little fortunate to get the decision."
Former Scotland international James McFadden, co-commentating on the match, disagreed directly. When asked whether he agreed with Cann, McFadden said: "No I don't, I think it's a foul. Whether it's a slight contact or not, it's a foul. When you see it back, clearly he gets caught when he's in the action of kicking the ball, which is enough to stop him being able to kick the ball. He's impeded. It's a foul for me – he catches him and it's a correct decision." McFadden later added: "I think it's a bit of a let-off but if it's a foul, it's a foul."
Ex-Brazil international Lucas Leiva, speaking from the BBC studio, sided with Cann. Leiva said: "For me it's not a foul, great press, it could be 2-0. Of course, let's see what the referee experts say, but for me, it's not a foul."
The controversy did not slow Vinicius Junior down. He went on to head in a perfectly valid second goal from close range just before halftime, putting Brazil up 2-0 and leaving Scotland in serious difficulty heading into the second half.
