PSG choke at knockout stage again, with a little help from Mr VAR
As the years go by, technology is seeping its way into pretty much every aspect of our lives. I’ll wait while you try to figure out one industry that has yet to be penetrated by advances in modern tech. In the world of sports, technology has been dictating results of matches for years now. From Television Match Officials (TMO) in rugby to Hawkeye in tennis, more and more decisive decisions that can change the course of the game are being made with the help of video technology.
In football, the biggest sport in the world, this is no different. Fans welcomed the introduction of goal line technology back in 2012. It is objective and brought about some much needed justice to the sport, where the ball has hit the post, bounced into the goal and back out only for the referee to wave play on one too many times (think Frank Lampard vs Germany at the 2010 World Cup). The introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) however, has raised some eyebrows.
Results may VARy
Manchester United controversially made history this morning when they beat PSG 3-1 to overcome a 2-0 deficit and win the tie on away goals but their third goal, a last minute penalty, was only awarded when the referee consulted with VAR. Sounds fine so far, right? Here’s where it gets sticky, the handball was clearly unintentional, with the player jumping in the air, back facing the ball, its only natural for his hands to be in that position. It was clearly not a penalty. VAR also played a role in the other Champions league game on the night, Roma vs Porto, when a penalty was given for a soft foul on a Porto player in extra time. Porto went on to progress to the next round.
Is the introduction of VAR spoiling the game or is it the human aspect of it all (referees have the final say upon reviewing the instant replay of the incident) that’s the culprit here and more importantly, does this pave the way for AI to replace human referees in the future? Dr Ian Pearson, top futurologist, certainly thinks so. “Robots and further advancements are also possible, however, whether it will be adopted by fans up and down the UK is another question.” he said in 2018, stating it could be a reality by as soon as 2030.
Whatever it is, the inconsistency of VAR decisions need to be addressed if referees are going to make a case for themselves in the future.
