Brazilian Supercup Final Sees Never-Before-Seen Red Card Immediately After HT

An unexpected red card was awarded before the start of the second half of the Brazilian Supercup final between Flamengo and Corinthians.

Corinthians won 2-0 through goals from ex-Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Paulista and forward Yuri Alberto.

The match saw the debut of Lucas Paqueta as a second-half substitute, with the midfielder having completed a Brazilian record £35.5 million move to Flamengo from West Ham on Friday.

But the 28-year-old didn't enjoy a dream start to life back in Brazil, as he was on the end of a defeat.

Corinthians, meanwhile, have won the Supercup for the first time since 1991 - albeit the tournament wasn't held between 1992 and 2019, and only once prior to their inaugural victory.

Flamengo had to play the entirety of the second half with 10 players after Jorge Carrascal was shown a red card by referee Rafael Rodrigo Klein.

But the manner of the red card left fans baffled, with Carrascal sent off before the second half kicked off - for an incident that occurred during the first half.

Carrascal was shown on slow-motion replays to have elbowed Corinthians midfielder Bruno Bidon in the face by VAR.

Although there did appear to be minimal contact, there was enough for VAR and the referee to decide to send Carrascal off before the second half got underway.

The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) confirmed in a statement (via OneFootball) that the VAR officials required more time to locate the correct angle in order to adjudge whether Carrascal should be sent off.

"Initially, the available images did not present conclusive evidence, which is why the first half ended normally," the CBF stated.

"Still, during the procedures, a new check allowed the clear identification of the infraction, which justified the recommendation for review so that the referee could assess and consequently send off the player."