Chilean referee Piero Maza found himself at the center of controversy after officiating Boca Juniors' 1-0 defeat to Vasco da Gama at La Bombonera on Tuesday in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana semifinals, the South American Football Confederation's (Conmebol) second-tier club tournament.
According to La Tercera, media outlets in Argentina and Brazil questioned his decisions. Bolavip Argentina's headline said Boca had a dreadful night "even though the referee did everything possible to help them equalize".
The most disputed incident came around the 63rd minute. Vasco's Colombian midfielder Andrés Gómez prevented Santiago Ascacíbar from restarting play with a free kick. Maza booked him during the protest and, when the player touched him, showed him a second yellow within seconds. ADN Radio places the incident in the 64th minute and describes it as a shove on the referee.
On ESPN's broadcast, commentator Gustavo López said the player was "wrongly sent off" and called Maza's decision astonishing. Play-by-play commentator Sebastián Vignolo agreed. TyC Sports, however, blamed the player and described his conduct as "an incomprehensible action".
In Brazil, sports newspaper Lance! criticized another decision in the opening minutes. Boca's Milton Delgado stepped on Gómez's ankle and received only a yellow card, despite Vasco's players calling for a red. The outlet also noted that Maza had refereed three consecutive Boca home matches in the tournament: against Recoleta, Sao Paulo and Vasco.
On the pitch, Adson scored the only goal in the 26th minute with a header, beating Boca's defenders to the ball and putting it past Álvaro Montero. With a one-man advantage, Boca relied too heavily on crosses and lacked ideas. Enner Valencia had a chance to equalize in the final play, but a center-back beat him to the ball in the six-yard box.
The match had another Chilean connection: Williams Alarcón and Carlos Palacios both started for Boca, although both were substituted in the second half after poor performances, according to ADN Radio.
Boca coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena played down the criticism: "The referee did a good job in my view," he said. The return leg will be played on Tuesday, October 20, in Rio de Janeiro. It has yet to be confirmed whether Vasco can host the match at the Maracanã, as Flamengo and Fluminense oppose it, citing scheduling problems.