The 0-0 draw between Fluminense and Deportivo La Guaira in Venezuela, in the opening match of the Conmebol Libertadores group stage, was marked by an unusual incident.
In the 23rd minute of the second half, referee José Javier Burgos got confused and ended up not sending off a player from the Venezuelan team.
Forward Rodrigo Castillo burst forward on the attack and was brought down by Osio.
The Venezuelan defender had already been booked earlier and, for the foul, should have received a second yellow card and the resulting red card.
However, the referee got mixed up and showed the yellow card to Rivero, another La Guaira player who was involved in the play but was not the one who committed the foul, without anyone noticing — or at least speaking up about — the mistake.
The case of mistaken identity kept the Venezuelan side with 11 players on the field.
🗣️ Outrage in the locker room
After the final whistle, Fluminense’s players vented about the way the match was officiated. Forward John Kennedy pointed out that, beyond the mistaken identity, Osio should not even have still been on the field by that point:
"I didn’t notice it at the time because it’s harder during the game, but I think the first card should already have been a red, it was a challenge above the ankle," complained the No. 9.
Full-back Samuel Xavier echoed the criticism of the officiating, accusing José Javier Burgos of being lenient with La Guaira’s constant falls and dives, and also questioning the mere five minutes of stoppage time added at the end of the match.
In the same game, Fluminense also protested a penalty that was not awarded after the ball struck Osio’s elbow inside the box.
🗓️ What’s next
With the frustrating draw, Fluminense begins the competition in second place in Group C with one point, behind Independiente Rivadavia (who beat Bolívar 1-0).
The team now switches focus to the Brazilian Championship, where it faces rival Flamengo this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Maracanã. In the Libertadores, Tricolor returns to action on April 15 against the group leaders, also in Rio de Janeiro.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
