England are considering an appeal against the red card shown to Jarell Quansah in their World Cup match against Mexico, after a controversial precedent was set when Folarin Balogun's ban was overturned following intervention from Donald Trump. Quansah was sent off by referee Alireza Faghani after a VAR review for a high tackle on a Mexico player, which on replay appeared to warrant a straight red card. The sending off rules Quansah out of Saturday's quarter-final against Norway.
No Direct Appeal Process
There is no direct appeal process at this World Cup, making an appeal seemingly impossible. However, the FA may argue that VAR protocols were breached, as in real-time Faghani did not even award a free-kick. The precedent set by Balogun's case, where FIFA intervened to suspend his one-match ban after the United States striker was also shown a red card following a VAR review, could encourage England to push for similar action. Balogun's ban was overturned after Donald Trump reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, sparking a furious backlash.
FIFA's Intervention Precedent
The Balogun case has opened up a can of worms. The FA could argue that, like the US, they are unhappy that a still image and slow-motion replays were used in the recommendation, which goes against VAR protocols. With FIFA facing criticism from all corners, they may afford Quansah the same grace as Balogun. However, the FA must consider whether Quansah may be caught up in any potential U-turn, just as Balogun was. There was a sense that Balogun was hard done by with the initial decision, whereas Quansah's tackle was widely seen as deserving a red card.
What Should the FA Do?
If the FA decide to appeal, nobody would blame them for trying, and there would be nothing wrong in doing so. The farcical circumstances of the past few days have created a precedent for them to do so. The real crime is the situation that has led to this point. The FA's decision remains to be seen, and fans are encouraged to vote in a poll on what they think should be done.
