“Once again VAR went for a coffee.”
Ghana may have been celebrating a gutsy goalless draw with England on Tuesday night, but manager Carlo Queiroz couldn’t help wondering what might have been.
The Black Stars boss was adamant his side should have been awarded a penalty late in Tuesday’s game as Prince Kwabena Adu charged into the box before Ezri Konsa came across and appeared to bring down the midfielder.
No spot-kick was given – to the relief of England supporters, with replays showing Konsa had caught Adu on the knee and made no contact with the ball.
“I’m not sure VAR is still working in the World Cup. We still have VAR? It’s working?” said Queiroz.
“I have some doubts about that because another penalty that they need give to Ghana, a clear penalty against England [was missed]. They’re lucky. They’re very lucky.
“It was a clear penalty, red card. You have any doubts about that? You guys who saw the game have any doubts about that or is it only me that was in the game?
“I’m sorry for my sarcasm, but if I say these kind of things seriously they punish me, so I hope you understand that I’m joking.”
BBC pundits watching the game were largely in agreement that Konsa and England were fortunate not to have been punished.
“I think that’s a penalty,” former Three Lions and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said on BBC One.
“Konsa takes a huge risk. His feet are off the floor when he comes flying in and he gets the man, not the ball.
“That could easily have been given in my view.”
Fellow former England international and ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards added: “England were chasing the game, they were trying to score the goal but you still need that protection behind you.
“On another day, that could have been a penalty.”
If the incident was a clear penalty as many of those watching believe, why was it not looked at by the video assistant referee?
In the Premier League that may well have happened – but at this World Cup VAR is being used a little differently.
Pierluigi Collina, Fifa’s head of referees, wants a higher threshold for challenges on the field and consistency of decision-making – if you let more tackles go on the field, you must have fewer VAR interventions.
That could be the reason why there appeared to be no VAR review of this specific incident.
Darren Cann, the 2010 World Cup final assistant referee, feels the wrong decision was made.
“As an England fan I am delighted that it wasn’t given,” he said on BBC One.
“But I have to be honest, for me this should have been referred…
“Konsa makes absolutely no contact at all with the ball, he brings down his opponent. He is airborne, he is out of control, he makes contact with the attacker. For me this was a penalty kick.”
