World Cup 2018: Seven VAR blunders so far is too many and the system has really been inconsistent
FORMER Premier League whistler MARK HALSEY judges if video refs are making the World Cup better — or just getting in the way.
And it does not look good for the new technology.
WHAT HAS VAR GOT WRONG?
I’ve counted SEVEN errors already — and that’s too many.
I had doubts before the World Cup because there has not been enough training with VAR and my worst fears have been realised.
Look at the two incidents involving Harry Kane on Monday.
If Fifa claim the VAR checked both we have a major problem.
Kane was clearly held and I was surprised referee Wilmar Roldan didn’t see it live.
But what was going on in the VAR studio?
VAR was brought in to eradicate clear errors and the system has been very inconsistent.
Take Diego Costa’s foul on Pepe in the build-up to Spain’s equaliser.
All goals and the attacking phase leading up to them are checked so I don’t understand why it wasn’t recommended for review.
Again, I was baffled there was no review.
There were two incidents in the Costa Rica-Serbia game.
Daniel Colindres slapped Luka Milivojevic and, although VAR reviewed it, the referee was not asked to look at the monitor.
Yet, VAR needlessly called for a review later over a reckless use of the arm by Aleksandar Prijovic.
Senegal ref Malang Diedhiou looked at the incident and cautioned the Serb — yet it did not look reckless to me.
Finally, Switzerland’s equaliser against Brazil was a push by the scorer Steven Zuber on Miranda.
The referee had a clear view — but I was surprised this wasn’t recommended for a review.
WHAT HAS VAR GOT RIGHT?
WITHOUT it, France and Sweden would not have been awarded two crucial penalty kicks.
Australia defender Joshua Risdon tackled Antoine Griezmann and got a touch on the ball but then lifted his leg as a second movement to bring down the Frenchman.
Referee Andres Cunha said ‘no penalty’ but stopped play 21 seconds later when the VAR recommended he look at the monitor.
In Sweden-South Korea, ref Joel Aguilar thought Min-Woo Kim won the ball against Viktor Claesson. But VAR checked and said the ref should review the incident.
WHAT ARE THE GREY AREAS?
A MAJOR problem is the time taken to stop the game — more than 20 seconds is too long.
When Sweden appealed for a penalty, Aguilar was clearly in communication with VAR. But he didn’t blow the whistle until Korea were outside the Swedish box.
If Korea had scored there would have been mayhem.
There is also the confusion over when VAR officials get involved because some clear errors have not been reviewed.
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HOW COULD IT BE IMPROVED?
HAVING VARs at the ground would help so they could get to know their colleagues and also develop a level of trust.
With games all over Russia, VARs can be 1,000 miles away in a Moscow studio.
Add in the fact that some of the on and off-field officials are very inexperienced with VAR — that’s why I would have waited until 2022.