Referees

Australia, the defending champion of the AFC Asian Cup, almost came undone at the group stage of the 2019 edition due to one of the most ludicrous penalty decisions you’ll ever see at a major international tournament (as you’ll soon see, VAR is obviously not in use out in the United Arab Emirates).

After suffering a shock defeat to Jordan to open group play, a 3-0 victory over Palestine on Match Day 2 had eased the pressure on the Socceroos, but a result still needed to be secured Tuesday against Syria. 

Cristiano Ronaldo increased his goal tally to 49 for the calendar year with two goals in Juventus’ 2-1 victory over Sampdoria on Saturday. But Ronaldo’s final match of 2018 was dominated by VAR calls — both for and against the Bianconeri.

In his first season in Serie A, Ronaldo has 14 goals at the halfway mark of the season, putting him in the lead for the Golden Boot race despite a slow start to his time in Italy. 

The use of VAR is a great thing; it’s a necessary development in the game. If you find someone who disputes that, you’ve probably found someone who doesn’t really understand how the system works. However, as the World Cup demonstrated, it can be great while still inviting contentious debate. The system is there to help referees, but it’s still that humanoid umpire making the final call. 

Last April, the English Premier League clubs voted unanimously to reject the use of the Video Assistant Referee for the 2018-19 season. Less than a year later, they’re already seeing the folly of their ways.

The 20 Premier League clubs agreed in principle to the use of VAR starting in the 2019-20 season at a shareholder’s meeting on Thursday. However, the league will continue testing VAR throughout the remainder of the current season.