Being a referee is undoubtedly an important position, and doing it in a good way due to the pressure of what the two clubs are playing for in 90 minutes is even more difficult. However, Wilmar Roldán was defined by Conmebol to whistle the match between Argentines at the José Amalfitani for the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores.
A victory for Vélez Sarsfield against Talleres de Córdoba by a result of 3-2. The Colombians, Rafael Pérez, who entered in the second half, and Diego Valoyes played with the ‘T’. Wilmar Roldán has always had a difficult time with the issue of video arbitration assistance. It is as if he does not follow instructions from above, and simply acts as he pleases. He is a great referee, usually serious and correct, but the pressure comes when he has to resort to VAR.
Characteristic in a match between Argentines, the game was intense, and in a match like that, Wilmar Roldán’s rigidity appeared in his decisions. The central judge from Antioquia dispensed justice in a great way at the José Amalfitani, and the Argentine press praised Roldán. In particular, for an action in which he did not award a non-existent maximum penalty in favor of Vélez Sarsfield.
The eyes were on Wilmar Roldán’s match with the VAR, a constant headache for the Colombian judge. Mariano Closs, Federico Bulos and Diego Fucks referred to the Colombian’s performance. The first to speak was Bulos, ‘I thought VAR was a very good arbitration. You saw that the important thing there was that the VAR does not condition the Colombian.
Later, Mariano Closs gave his opinion, ‘he (Roldán) is somewhat reticent with the VAR, he is sparing with the VAR, rather determined, he has conviction. I said that they were not going to give it (the penalty), Roldán was clear that it was not a foul’. Diego Fucks added, maintaining that the play was not clear, and the central judge made the decision that suited him ‘the action was not clear to him (Roldán), that is why he does not charge it’. It was vindicated with video arbitration assistance thanks to what was shown at the Vélez Sarsfield Talleres de Córdoba.
