Qatar 2022 World Cup: a goal disallowed every almost two games and 7, with the new VAR, in the first half of the tournament

There is a football feel, almost an installed thought for many. A truth that is not entirely nor for everyone. It could be summed up in the nostalgic phrase that is usually heard in every football match where the Video Assistant Referee (VAR):”Football isn’t what it used to be“.

“You can no longer celebrate a goal“, is another of the maxims that appeared forcefully in this World Cup in Qatar. It is that with the irruption of this technology – now renewed – football is played with the VAR and another where it is not used … a little more “traditional” “. It’s like they’re two similar but different sports. And I am.

There are those who think that the VAR is the technological reincarnation of Justice, a foolproof system in which human imperfection is left out. On the other hand they are those who claim that he himself “broke the stock” as we knew, and that not only does it not do justice, but it is used in a partisan way, depending on what you want to do and when with the use or not of the VAR. Of course, there are intermediate positions.

This is the second World Cup with VAR after its premiere in Russia in 2018, but the first it has the so-called “automatic offside”, the one that made goals scream that weren’t there. Nicolás Evans, FIFA’s head of technology research, had explained to Olé before Qatar how it would work and why it was being introduced.

“The big difference is that we will go from an injustice based on an optical image, which is a human being making the decision (with calibrated lines), to a data system. This whole matter of “skeletons” or Computer Vision, which estimate the position of each player, and it is this technology that is used in the automatic car and in all these sectors, so we will be able to make the difference between the position of the players and there we talk above all about the number ‘x’, an attacker and a defender, and we will make a decision based on the data,” he highlighted.

As detailed by the specialist, what the human does is validate it. “That’s why it’s semi-automatic, why the VAR still has to check that it’s correct and above all there are things that technology still does not seelike goalkeeper interference,” he continued.

There are 12 specialized cameras installed under the roof of each stadium capable of continuing 29 different body points per playerdetected data 50 times per secondor. This makes it possible to determine with great precision the position of each player on the field of play, as well as their extremities and all the parts of the body that come into play to validate or not a goal.

Likewise, the Al-Rhila ball has a sensor which sends data 500 times per second to the video room of each match to precisely detect the exact moment of the pass. If there is an illegal position, an orange flag appears in the video room indicating the possibility of violation. The VAR monitors the instant the ball is released and the offside line, notifying the referees in less than 25 seconds.

With this information, and with the offside controlled by the referees, “a three-dimensional animation is generated that perfectly details the position of the player’s body parts at the moment of contact with the ball,” according to a report that gave FIFA the material.

So far, the theory. The balance of this first half of the World Cup leaves heartbreaking cries without the enjoyment of the goal. The semi-automatic VAR canceled 7 plays that ended up on the net.

The 7 goals canceled by the semi-automatic VAR

With all this: What goals have been disallowed due to this new offside implementation?

The number may surprise you, because the perception may turn out to be different: they just were 7 of 15 goals disallowed in total. Up to this second round of the group stage, 81 goals have been scored in 32 matches, half of those played in this World Cup.

It is worth making a clarification: a goal disallowed by the VAR is not the same thing as a disallowed goal where the linesman had raised his flag and the referee had validated that decision, as before, when this technology did not exist.

Many of the goals in which offside was claimed were those that the referees marked at the request of the linesmen.

Thus, for example, two of the three goals that the Argentina national team did not concede in their debut against Saudi Arabia (the first, by Lionel Messiand the second of Lautaro Martinez) did not need this automatic system: the judge raised and the referee charged. Stain.

Argentina’s failed opener was the game with the most goals ultimately going unsanctioned, but there were others with more disallowances.

To these two were added others who did not need technology: two goals disallowed, by accident, in one game: one to Denmark (Andreas Skov Olsen, due to offside by Mikkel Damsgaard) and another to Tunisia (Issam Jebali), in their 0-0 draw.

There was more. In Japan (Daizen Maeda) against Germany; to Ecuador (Jackson Porozo, in front of Pervis Estupinian’s shot) against the Netherlands e to Croatia (Andrej Kramaric, offside by Marko Livaja) against Canada.

Furthermore, the penalty for a non-existent foul prevented Cristiano Ronaldo from opening the scoring against Ghana and reaching the record he would later achieve, from a penalty. The Portuguese conquers the position of defender inside the area and defines before Ati leaves, but the referee cancels the game as CR7 has committed a foul with his right arm. The ball went inside the goal but the referee had already blown the whistle for the offence.

But the cries of goals that the new VAR has silenced have so far been these 7.

1) Qatar-Ecuador

This technology has only taken three minutes into the World Cup to make an appearance. It was at that moment that Enner Valencia he headed in the first dangerous play, but when they were about to restart from midfield, they told the Italian referee Daniele Orsato to stop.

Many watched the replay on television and didn’t understand what they had sanctioned. It wasn’t until the appearance of the computer image, of the automatic offside, who clarified the amount charged. In the dispute over the ball in the air with the Qatari goalkeeper, Saad Al Sheeb, the Ecuadorian Michael Estrada had his foot in front of the goalkeeper’s body, which put him in a forward position when he headed.

2) Argentina – Saudi Arabia

As mentioned earlier, the disallowed goals for Lionel Messi in the 22nd minute and Lautaro Martínez in the 29th minute raised no major objections: the linesman lifted the ball and the referee stepped forward. Both were offside.

But the goal in the 27th minute by the Inter striker was one of the most controversial so far at the World Cup with this technology.

Is that moments later the result was changed to 2-0 and before the Saudis took off from the centre, through a computer image it was demonstrated that shoulder of the attacker of Inter was in front of the player behind him.

On the net they exploded against this collection as they suspected the goal was valid, since they said the review would not take into account a defender further from the scene, Yasir Al Shahrani, who could enable the Bull. But the system, in theory, has considered this player.

3) Germany – Japan

Towards the end of the first half, with Germany still leading 1-0, Kai Havertz he pushed in Serge Gnabry’s cross on the edge of the penalty area.

He was ahead, but the linesman didn’t notice and the referee pointed to the center Similarly, Chelsea’s English forward celebrated in a measured way and saw wide shots several times, as incredulous that they validate the goal.

Finally, the VAR called and condemned the overtaking. Then the story is known: Japan turned the tables with goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano.

4) Wales – Iran

In fifteen minutes Azmoun and Gholizadeh put together a frantic block taking advantage of a mistake by the Welsh full-back, the first responding with his side and the 17th running, remaining in front of the ball line. The automatic VAR canceled when everyone in the stadium was celebrating.

5) Belgium – Morocco

When the first side is dead scoreless, the free kick by Hakim Ziech and the Moroccans They shouted the goal with everything… but it wasn’t worth it.

Although the shot passed stiff resistance from Thibaut Courtois, the offside automatic intervened to determine that Romain Saiss was in advanced position and disturbed the vision of the Real Madrid goalkeeper at the moment of goal.

6) Spain – Germany

The same day As in the previous case, on Sunday 27, in the match which -a priori- was the one with the top flight of the group stage, there was a goal disallowed after 40 minutes to Antonio Rudiger. She screamed, celebrated … but it wasn’t worth it. The Real Madrid defender only headed in Joshua Kimmich’s cross, but the VAR picture showed he was ahead.

7) Brazil – Switzerland

Even in a game that drew nil (and ended up 1-0 for Tite’s players), Vinicio Jr.. he defined a pass from Casemiro with class and left goalkeeper Yann Sommer without a chance, but the warning came from the television cameras.

When the broadcast showed what had happened, it was revealed that the overs had been in a couple of previous taps and who was it disabled was richarlisonwho then touched the ball for Rodrigo and this one for Casemiro, before his assist.

One case and several accidents

Curiously, there was only one case to the contrary in which the VAR intervened to warn him a player has been allowed to place the ball inside the arcafter the referee and linesman saw him offside.

It was on the latter date in the draw between Serbia and Cameroon 3-3. vincent aboubakar called a hand in hand of “cucharita” and did not celebrate it, because the assistant referee raised his flagbut then came the call from the VAR to confirm the discount.

Something also worth noting is that the VAR has stepped in several games to call the referee to review the game. In this sense, they were accused various penalties which ended up being decisive in the results. but that is the other side of the same coin.

DS