Spain's Liga F to be first league to introduce ‘cost-effective' alternative to VAR
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has announced plans to implement FVS — which will allow managers to challenge two on-field decisions per game — into the top flight of Spanish women's football for the 2025-26 season.
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The RFEF says the decision to introduce FVS is the first step towards the full implementation of VAR in Liga F.
The federation will 'seek FIFA's permission and guidance' to bring in the technology with a view to 'aligning the top men's and women's leagues with an equivalent VAR system in the medium term.'
The decision was taken on Wednesday at a meeting on Spanish refereeing reform in the women's game, with referee, club and player representatives agreeing to the introduction of FVS.
FVS is billed as a 'cost-effective alternative to VAR' and was trialled at the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup in May and the Women's Under-20 World Cup in September. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body responsible for the game's laws, announced in December that FVS trials were being extended.
Similarly to VAR, the FVS system is designed to be used 'in the event of a possible clear and obvious error or serious missed incident' — a goal/no goal, straight red card, penalty/no penalty or case of mistaken identity, according to a FIFA press release from May. However, unlike VAR, those decisions are not automatically checked as there is no video match official, and instead the coaches make a review request to the on-field referee.
FIFA states a coach can indicate they are challenging the decision by 'twirling their finger in the air' and handing a review request card to the fourth official. Only the team's head coach can make a review request, but players are entitled to ask their head coach to do so.
FIFA said in May that FVS is its response to requests from member associations who are unable to implement VAR due to cost and number of cameras available, and it is not intended as a VAR replacement.
VAR was introduced in La Liga from the beginning of the 2018-19 season and while the technology is used across international women's competitions, the knockout stages of the Women's Champions League and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), it is not common in domestic women's leagues.
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The introduction of officiating technology in Spain comes after Real Madrid's historic win over Barcelona on Sunday was marred by a controversially disallowed goal. Barcelona's Jana Fernandez had a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside with the game level at 1-1, before Madrid went on to win the game.
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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
USMNT vs. Mexico player ratings: Adams, Freeman struggle in Gold Cup final loss
The U.S. men's national team had a good run at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, but came up short in a 2-1 loss to Mexico in the tournament final. The result was fair, as Mexico dominated the final 70 minutes to come from behind after a fourth-minute goal from Chris Richards gave the USMNT an ideal start. El Tri's stars came through when it counted, as Raul Jiménez and Edson Álvarez scored the goals to give veteran manager Javier Aguirre his second Gold Cup crown. The USMNT will point to this being a more experimental, less experienced side than the one Mexico was able to call on, but Sunday's battle at NRG Stadium in Houston did at least reveal plenty of character. Mauricio Pochettino's side was overmatched, but fought hard enough to only lose on a goal that had to be given after VAR overturned an initial offside call. Nevertheless, it's an outcome that will sting after the USMNT had reeled off five straight wins to get this far, restoring some belief in the program and revealing some younger players who will be in Pochettino's plans the next time that the strongest possible roster is assembled. Here are our player ratings from a Gold Cup final defeat for the USMNT. As a reminder, here's the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale: GK: Matt Freese - 6.5 The goals aren't on Freese, with errors in front of him freeing the NYCFC goalkeeper from blame. On the plays he could possibly make, Freese was tidy, assuredly claiming some potentially tricky crosses and making sure all of his six saves didn't result in more danger. The USMNT clearly directed him to throw the ball out ASAP whenever Mexico had numbers forward, but the gambit never worked, and even allowed Mexico to reignite its attack in one instance. Freese might have done well to calm things down in those moments, but it's a small quibble with a solid showing. RB: Alex Freeman - 4 The young fullback looked naive at times, stepping towards aerial balls he wasn't going to get (a recurring issue for him that will need work). He also had the biggest of the several U.S. errors on Raul Jiménez's 27th minute goal, letting what should have been an easy interception slip under his foot. The 20-year-old may have had an unlikely equalizer in a bizarre second-half sequence that ended with his header catching Luis Malagón in the forehead. On the downside, it looked like Freeman was the player keeping Mexico onside on the dead ball that became the game-winner, though the real error came in tracking Johan Vásquez at the near post. Freeman is a serious prospect going forward, but this game is one that he has to learn from. CB: Chris Richards - 7.5 The Crystal Palace man gave the USMNT a lead with a perfectly-timed header that just barely got over the line after bouncing down off the crossbar. Coming after a similar group-stage goal for Richards, it was more evidence that the team's emphasis on set-piece execution is working. Beyond that, Richards was man of the match for the USMNT thanks to his box defending, repeatedly winning his battles and arriving to cut out dangerous service from Mexico. With the U.S. under intense pressure for long spells, he was very busy, and largely delivered. Could he have done better on Jiménez's goal? Possibly, but he only had to step out of his position due to errors in the midfield. CB: Tim Ream - 7 Ream took some heat from fans for being the player nearest Jiménez on Mexico's first goal, but he was trying to clean up after a series of errors elsewhere. He'd have had to do something superhuman to change that situation. Like Richards, Ream did well defending inside the box, coming up with some back-post headers and interventions that left no room for error. He also nearly set up a dramatic late equalizer with a long ball that sent Damion Downs in behind, but the young attacker lost track of the ball at a critical moment. LB: Max Arfsten - 6.5 The Columbus Crew wingback had a solid game at left back, including two sharp interventions at the back post in the first half. He created a good shooting chance from 24 yards and barely missed on what would have been a golazo in the 54th minute. Despite Roberto Alvarado seeing more of the ball than any Mexico attacker, he had to play safe due to Arfsten's best showing as a defender in the tournament, creating just one key pass. RCM: Tyler Adams - 5 On paper, Adams was good on the ball, connecting 88% of his 55 pass attempts, but those numbers are deceptive. Adams couldn't serve as the key link to allow the USMNT to build from the back and enter the middle third, as he simply wasn't able to get into pockets to be an option on a regular basis. As Mexico progressively took the game over, the Bournemouth man's lack of influence on the game stood out. These are the kinds of games Adams lives for at his best, but he looked like a player playing through knocks, covering the ground without the sort of speed and bite that has been his calling card. Scroll back up to that clip of the Jiménez goal and ask yourself: Where is Tyler Adams? The answer is, he's chasing shadows and eventually pulled out of position, something that a confident and fully fit Adams normally doesn't let happen. That summed up his performance, which was just not the star-level showing the USMNT needed from the biggest name on this Gold Cup roster. LCM: Luca de la Torre - 6 The San Diego FC midfielder was the most reliable connector the USMNT had during his 69 minutes on the field, with De la Torre connecting 88% of his passes and losing possession just four times. Given how much the U.S. struggled to keep the ball, that was no small thing. De la Torre also won all three of his duels. However, the 27-year-old wasn't able to turn that tidiness into true influence, and the USMNT really needed someone to offer the kind of impact Mexico was getting out of Marcel Ruíz and Edson Álvarez. That's probably why he was taken off as the game's intensity got ramped up late, but it's reasonable to argue that Mauricio Pochettino removed the wrong starting midfielder in that moment. RM: Sebastian Berhalter - 6 First of all, why "RM" and not RW for right wing? Mauricio Pochettino's set-up was once again a 4-2-3-1 that dropped Berhalter into a deeper pocket, supporting Adams and De la Torre while looking for early balls in behind. We're trying to reflect the asymmetry in the formation, something Berhalter allows through his versatility. In any case, he served in a gorgeous ball to get the assist on Richards' goal, much like he's shown throughout the Gold Cup. He played well in the first half, but as the game wore on the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder's accuracy in open play faded. He was up for the battle, covering ground and putting in three tackles, but was one of several players who became a reliable source of turnovers for Mexico in the final half-hour. AM: Malik Tillman - 5.5 The effort was there from Tillman, even after he seemed to take a knee to his hip flexor or hamstring that hampered his mobility for a spell midway through the second half. However, with the U.S. unable to meaningfully engage in a high press, that mostly meant chasing and protecting space, and as Mexico exerted more control that meant more issues. Tillman was dribbled past three times (more than any other player), and Pochettino's role of the dice to play him as a No. 8 from the 69th minute onward didn't give the U.S. much of anything. In the end, Tillman lost more duels than he won, gave away four fouls (and only earned one free kick), and couldn't turn his attempts to force something to happen into a magic moment. LW: Diego Luna - 5 As long as Luna is deployed as a quasi-wide player with no corresponding threat on the opposite flank, there will be days like this against good opponents. Luna's issue wasn't so much that he failed to do much with the ball as it was that he simply didn't get many touches. The USMNT couldn't find the Real Salt Lake man in the spaces he has done so much damage in throughout the Gold Cup, and when they did get him the ball his options were mostly to try to force it a la Tillman, or to try to build some possession. He chose the latter, which was wise, but also meant he was a muted presence throughout. When a shifty technician like Luna creates zero combined key passes, successful dribbles, and fouls won, you know they either had a howler or were cut out of that match. It's more credit to Mexico than anything else, but Sunday for Luna was the latter. ST: Patrick Agyemang - 6 The Derby County transfer target had to make a whole meal out of scraps, and he nearly pulled it off on a couple of occasions. Agyemang absorbed some tough challenges throughout, and (as has been the case throughout the Gold Cup) was a truly difficult physical presence to get the better of for El Tri. He managed just 22 touches in 90 minutes, but turned that into two key passes, a free kick won that became the only USMNT goal, and a booking for the otherwise excellent César Montes. Still, it has to be said that his aerial presence faltered once, and it was critical. That's Agyemang losing Vásquez on the game-winner, and the U.S. striker never really had sight of him during the sequence. If he's touch-tight, there's every reason to think he wins that battle for the delivery, but instead Álvarez (eventually) had a goal to celebrate. Coach: Mauricio Pochettino - 5.5 The good news? Pochettino had his charges flying to start, and the coaching staff's focus on set pieces paid off yet again with Richards' goal. However, once Mexico slowed the game down for a moment and caught up in terms of intensity, Pochettino needed to make a bigger adjustment than dropping his lines a bit and waiting for tired legs to require substitutions. The USMNT had performance issues on the field, but also needed some tactical ingenuity that never arrived. Pochettino trusts his players to solve problems more than most, but on the day they needed some help. The decision to stick with Adams for 19 minutes after he picked up a yellow card, given his ineffective performance, was puzzling. With the game turning into an offense vs. defense drill in the final 25 minutes or so, Pochettino could have also added a third center back. Sub: Damion Downs - 5.5 Downs came on for De la Torre in the 69th minute, playing underneath Agyemang in what became a 4-4-1-1 formation as the U.S. was trapped defending for long spells. The Köln attacker saw little of the ball, but also missed out on the best chance the U.S. created in pursuit of an equalizer. Ream's long ball picked out Downs' smart run perfectly, but the 21-year-old bafflingly lost track of the ball, spinning around and eventually leaving the entire episode to Agyemang (who couldn't convert in a more difficult situation). Sub: Jack McGlynn - 6 The Houston Dynamo midfielder replaced Adams in the 82nd minute, playing the right midfield role he had been seen in during the group stage. He was able to connect all but one of his pass attempts, but as a late gamble to put a more attack-minded USMNT on the field (the shuffle included Tillman as the experienced member of the double-pivot in central midfield), he ultimately wasn't able to help turn the tides. Sub: Brenden Aaronson - NR The elder Aaronson didn't come on until the 86th minute, and just never had time to impact proceedings. Sub: John Tolkin - NR Tolkin came on in the 86th minute for Arfsten, but never had a chance to make a mark on the game.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Alvarez's tiebreaking goal gives Mexico 2-1 win over U.S. for 10th Gold Cup title
HOUSTON (AP) — Edson Álvarez scored a tiebreaking goal in the 77th minute after a video review reversed an offside call, and Mexico beat the United States 2-1 on Sunday night for its record 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title. Chris Richards put the U.S. ahead in the fourth minute, heading in a Sebastian Berhalter free kick for the second time in the tournament, but Raúl Jiménez tied the score in the 27th with his third goal of this Gold Cup. Mexico was awarded the free kick when Diego Luna fouled Alexis Vega on a flank. Johan Vásquez flicked the restart across the goalmouth and Álvarez burst past the defence, redirecting the ball from three yards just inside Matt Freese's far post. While the play was initially called offside, the goal was awarded by the VAR, and Mexico defended its title from 2023 while improving to 6-2 in Gold Cup finals against the U.S. Patrick Agyemang had a chance two minutes into stoppage time but he didn't make good contact on his short-range shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Luis Malagón. 'We're disappointed obviously to not come away with a win,' U.S. captain Tim Ream said. A sellout crowd of 70,925 at NRG Stadium was about 70 per cent pro-Mexico and booed U.S. players when they walked out for pre-game warm-ups. Mexico dominated with 60 per cent possession and had 12 corner kicks to none for the Americans. This was the final competitive match for the U.S. and Mexico before co-hosting next year's World Cup with Canada. The U.S., which has seven Gold Cup titles but none since 2021, used a starting lineup with only a handful of players currently projected as World Cup starters, missing regulars due to vacation, injuries and the Club World Cup. Coach Mauricio Pochettino used their absence to evaluate players who could push for starting jobs during the friendlies this fall and next spring, and Luna, Agyemang and Freese emerged as contenders for World Cup roster spots. Richards put the U.S. in front when he headed Berhalter's free kick from about 40 yards off the crossbar. The ball bounced straight down and just crossed the goal line. Jiménez scored his 42nd international goal, third-most in Mexican history. He burst past the defence and one-timed the pass from Marcel Ruiz, beating Freese from about 10 yards on a shot that might have nicked Ream. Jiménez celebrated by grabbing a Mexico No. 20 jersey with 'DIOGO J' in honour of Diogo Jota, his former Wolverhampton teammate who died in a car crash Thursday in Spain. Jiménez ran to a corner, sat down with the jersey and mimicked playing a video game. ___ AP soccer:
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Edson Álvarez leads Mexico to a Gold Cup final win over the U.S.
Edson Álvarez scored a tiebreaking goal in the 77th minute after a video review reversed an offside call, and Mexico beat the United States 2-1 on Sunday night for its record 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title. Chris Richards put the U.S. ahead in the fourth minute, heading in a Sebastian Berhalter free kick for the second time in the tournament, but Raúl Jiménez tied the score in the 27th with his third goal of this Gold Cup. Mexico was awarded the free kick when Diego Luna fouled Alexis Vega on a flank. Johan Vásquez flicked the restart across the goal mouth and Álvarez burst past the defense, redirecting the ball from 3 yards just inside Matt Freese's far post. While the play was initially called offside, the goal was awarded by the VAR, and Mexico defended its title from 2023 while improving to 6-2 in Gold Cup finals against the U.S. Patrick Agyemang had a chance two minutes into stoppage time but he didn't make good contact on his short-range shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Luis Malagón. 'We're disappointed obviously to not come away with a win,' U.S. captain Tim Ream said. A sellout crowd of 70,925 at NRG Stadium was about 70% pro-Mexico and booed U.S. players when they walked out for pregame warmups. Mexico dominated with 60% possession and had 12 corner kicks to none for the Americans. This was the last competitive match for the U.S. and Mexico before co-hosting next year's World Cup with Canada. The U.S., which has seven Gold Cup titles but none since 2021, used a starting lineup with only a handful of players currently projected as World Cup starters, missing regulars due to vacation, injuries and the Club World Cup. Coach Mauricio Pochettino used their absence to evaluate players who could push for starting jobs during the friendlies this fall and next spring, and Luna, Agyemang and Freese emerged as contenders for World Cup roster spots. Richards out the U.S. in front when he headed Berhalter's free kick from about 40 yards off the crossbar. The ball bounced straight down and just crossed the goal line. Jiménez scored his 42nd international goal, third-most in Mexican history. He burst past the defense and one-timed the pass from Marcel Ruiz, beating Freese from about 10 yards on a shot that might have nicked Ream. Jiménez celebrated by grabbing a Mexico No. 20 jersey with 'DIOGO J' in honor of Diogo Jota, his former Wolverhampton teammate who died in a car crash Thursday in Spain. Jiménez ran to a corner, sat down with the jersey and mimicked playing a video game.
