Don’t get excited about the World Cup. VAR is going to ruin it.
This international break had been one of the most uplifting in a long time for England fans, as it looked like they were going to build on their 1-0 win over Holland with a 1-0 win over Italy. That was until Italy were awarded a penalty after a long delay during which the referee watched the incident again a few times.
The incident in question: debutant James Tarkowski, while chasing Chiesa, accidentally treads on the young Italian’s foot. Some would think it was a penalty, some would not. I happened to think it was, but that’s not the point.
This use of VAR gave us a little preview of just how severely it could take away from the enjoyment of watching the World Cup this summer. While we all want referees to get their decisions correct, is it worth potentially spoiling an iconic moment to double check whether someone’s shirt is pulled? If we are double checking goals, we lose the beauty of spontaneous celebration, which is ultimately why we watch football.
The result of this friendly was secondary to the performance, of which England can be quite proud. But it was soured by the reminder that VAR is going to be in place in Russia. Although having said that, Russian officials have favoured us at tournaments in the past.
