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The Roar

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I'm done trying to understand VAR, says Aloisi

Wouldn't John Aloisi love to have John Aloisi in his squad. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
4th February, 2018
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A jaded John Aloisi has given up trying to understand the video assistant referee.

But if it’s rolled out at the World Cup later this year, the Brisbane Roar coach reckons it’ll at least be used more effectively than it is in the A-League.

Not for the first time this season, the Roar appeared to be hard done by in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Melbourne City.

In the 29th minute, with scores locked at 1-1, City’s Osama Malik chopped down Jack Hingert inside the penalty box in what looked a clear-cut penalty call.

Referee Jonathan Barreiro didn’t spot it – prompting a nervous wait for the verdict of the VAR, Kris Griffiths-Jones.

Much to the frustration of Brisbane fans, he chose not to intervene.

A few weeks ago, Aloisi might have blown his top at such an outcome. Not anymore.

“I have to accept it,” he said.

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“I’m not going to complain anymore about decisions from VAR or referees because it gets me nowhere and people think I’m making excuses.

“I think everyone saw it, it was very clear and we moved on.

“Hopefully next time we get that one.”

Aloisi and the rest of the football world had better get used to it – despite an overwhelmingly negative reaction in Australia, the VAR doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.

It’s currently being tested in England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the USA and a decision is due to be made by the end of March whether it will be used at the World Cup in Russia.

The A-League’s trial run has been a disaster despite a mid-season attempt to change how it is used to appease angry fans, coaches and players.

The new guidelines reinforced that the VAR should only be used for “clear (or) obvious” errors with a focus on “match-changing situations”; the Hingert foul seemed to be both.

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Asked if he would be happy to watch a World Cup with VAR, Aloisi said: “There’ll be different people that will be upstairs, I suppose.”

“Because the actual understanding that I got (was) the referee thought (Malik) touched the ball.

“That’s what he told me when I asked him.

“Clearly, he didn’t touch the ball so there must have been another reason why he didn’t think that it was a penalty.

“Are they communicating? I don’t know.

“It’s a little bit bizarre… we scratch our head sometimes.”

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