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Swansea City was on the verge of a season-defining victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday. Then Raheem Sterling threw himself to the ground under a challenge from USMNT defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and the entire match dynamic changed.
Manchester City rallied from down two goals to beat Swansea City 3-2 on Saturday at Liberty Stadium to keep alive the Citizens’ hopes of an unprecedented quadruple by reaching the FA Cup semifinals thanks to some baffling lack of VAR. The home side led 2-0 inside half an hour but couldn’t hold off the visitors despite some ridiculously heroic defending.
The moment of the match arrived with about 13 minutes to play. Sterling drove into the box at Carter-Vickers, the 21-year-old USMNT center back on loan from Tottenham who started at left back. Carter-Vickers got a foot to the ball on his challenge and didn’t really make much contact with Sterling (aside from some arm stuff that no ref ever calls), but Sterling decided to go to ground. The referee bought it (or didn’t see CCV’s touch) and awarded the Citizens a penalty.
Sergio Aguero didn’t score on the ensuing PK, but his shot ricocheted off the post then off Swansea keeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt and in for an own goal to make it 2-2 in the 78th minute. Aguero then completed the comeback in the 88th minute with a header from an offside position.
The Sterling dive vs Swansea was the key turning point in the match. While there was some upper-body contact between the two, Sterling went down easy and sold it well.
VAR probably would have overturned the penalty call, but video assistant referee was not in use. (There was far less contact than when Christian Pulisic was dragged down in the box about 20 minutes later in Germany, where VAR did not give Borussia Dortmund the call. Fortunately for Pulisic and Co., Marcos Reus won it late anyway.)
The lack of VAR proved costly for Swansea again 10 minutes later when Aguero scored the winner despite being offside.
Alas, for reasons that are beyond my comprehension, the FA Cup opted to use VAR for just two of the four quarterfinals this weekend. It makes absolutely no sense to not use VAR consistently, and if we’re being honest VAR should be used in every professional match that can afford it.
Seriously, wtf.
I guess the FA wanted to keep Manchester City’s hopes of winning four trophies alive. The Citizens already won the Carabao Cup, edging Chelsea in a final that will be remembered more for Kepa Arrizabalaga refusing to be subbed off. They’re also into the quarterfinals of the Champions League, drawn against league rival Tottenham. And they’ve got a narrow one-point lead over Liverpool in the Premier League race with eight matches to play.
Sadly, the VAR controversy wiped out what was a heroic evening for the Swansea defense.
The defensive play of the game came from Wales international Connor Roberts, the Swans’ right back.
In the 35th minute, with Swansea already leading 2-0, Roberts somehow threw his body across the goal to deny David Silva from inside the six-yard box.
David Silva’s reaction said it all.
Screenshot: ESPN+
Despite the Swans throwing their bodies all over the pitch to deny the visitors, the Citizens finally got on the board in the 69th minute through this classy finish from Bernardo Silva after Aguero blasted a shot off the poor face of Jay Fulton.
Bernardo Silva curls it in to get Manchester City back in it! 2-1! pic.twitter.com/Zh8G85KUgQ
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 16, 2019
Swansea’s offensive highlight of the match was this beautiful effort from Bersant Celina to make it 2-0 in the 29th minute after Matt Grimes converted a penalty kick 10 minutes earlier following a poor challenge in the box from Fabian Delph.
WHAT A GOAL!
Bersant Celina doubles Swansea's lead with a fantastic finish! pic.twitter.com/V2rbcI4q4c— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 16, 2019
But it was all for naught, because the English FA is full of luddites.
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