World Cup 2018 - Game 5 - The VAR Game, France beats Australia 2-1
Remember the past World Cups when your team got screwed and you wished there was a technology that could keep your team from getting screwed? Well, the future is now. VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is being used for the first time at a World Cup and I think it's great (so far). The first four games went by without the need of VAR. Rugby has been using a form of VAR (called TMO) since 2001.
This game was closer than it really should have been. The talent of the French team is head and shoulders above the Socceroos (stupid nickname) and yet this game was in doubt until the last ten minutes of the game. Both sides had quality chances that they squandered.
Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring by converting a penalty at 58' when VAR confirmed shenanigans inside the box. At first, the referee allowed play to continue until a stoppage in play. The play was reviewed and a penalty was called in about a minute. That's the way it should be. Four minutes later, Jedinak leveled the score on a penalty at 62'. VAR was also used to confirm Samuel Umtiti handled the ball in the area. Paul Pogba put the game away at 81' with a goal that needed GLT (Goal Line Technology) to confirm. Welcome to the technology World Cup.
France has work to do. This team is one of the favorites, but it played down to the level of Australia. Can someone explain the point of Olivier Giroud? I just don't see the value. He never seems to be uninterested in playing until he actually scores. Karim Benzema + Olivier Giroud = 0
After seeing Spain and Portugal, and in anticipation of what level Germany, Argentina, or Brazil are likely to be at - this France team is to be written off of contender charts. Suppose Brazil allows Germany to cut through their defenses like butter, like they did the last time around, and suppose aging Argentina can't find its game throughout the whole tournament, as it appeared to be the case with Iceland - there still is Belgium waiting in the shadows, and a potential surprise country, such as Serbia, Croatia, or Senegal perhaps... At this state of affairs France isn't going anywhere, maybe just out of the group but nowhere from there, not with this game - regardless of all the talent or the fan sentiment. England can beat this France team, and we know what that means, don't we?
I feel like Argentina and France didn't show what they can really do in their first games. You are right, neither team looked like they should be favorites. I think England is too young to go far in this tournament, but they will be in good position at the next Euros and World Cup. I chose Germany, but we need to see what they look like tonight.