Penalty shout for Benfica: Pedro Henriques on Sidny Cabral incident | OneFootball

Pedro Henriques analyzed the controversial play at the 67th minute of the match between Benfica and AVS SAD (3-0), where Leonardo Rivas deflected a shot from Sidny Lopes Cabral. The former referee explained that these situations are complex both for the referee on the field and for the VAR, but he believes a penalty should have been awarded.

"Besides the deliberate movement, there is always the double issue of the volume and whether the position of the hand/arm is natural or not, and whether it is in accordance with the technical gesture,” he wrote in the newspaper 'A Bola', considering that there was an infraction.

“In this specific case, the fact that the ball grazed the leg is a mitigating factor, which for me is not enough to consider it a deflection, since the ball continued on the same trajectory it already had towards the goal and was only stopped by Leonardo Rivas’s left hand, who moved his arm from top to bottom, ending up touching the ball and changing its trajectory.”

Although he acknowledges that it was not a completely clear-cut play, the former referee was firm in his assessment: “While it may not be one of the clearest and most obvious situations, this handball constitutes, for me, an infraction and is subject to a penalty kick. That was not the VAR’s interpretation.”

This season, between Estrela da Amadora and Benfica, Sidny Cabral - valued at 2 million euros - has played 26 matches: 22 in Liga Portugal Betclic, two in the Portuguese Cup, one in the League Cup, and one in the Champions League. The footballer has six goals and six assists to his name.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.