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Adelaide United coach Gertjan Verbeek says the video assistant referee system had taken too long to make calls in the A-League season opener, after his side lost a 3-2 thriller to Sydney FC.
Verbeek said the video review system had taken a “crazy” amount of time to settle contentious calls in the season’s curtain-raiser.
The VAR system decided three flashpoints – and, on the evidence, all calls were right.
Initially, just 20 minutes into the season, referee Alex King stopped play for a VAR check which showed an earlier handball from Adelaide’s Michael Jakobsen.
A penalty was awarded and Sydney’s Adam Le Fondre scored the first of his two goals.
Adelaide’s second goal by Al Hassan Toure was also checked by VAR – he was cleared of being offside.
And just ten minutes later, Sydney recruit Kosta Barbarouses scored only for a VAR check to rule he had come from an offside position.
All three video decisions took minutes to complete.
Verbeek, after his first A-League game in charge at Adelaide, says he’s always been pro-VAR.
“But it’s getting more and more a huge impact in the game,” he said.
“Five minutes… to watch if it’s a penalty or not – it’s crazy.”
Sydney FC coach Steve Corica agreed with his Adelaide counterpart.
“It is taking a little bit too long,” Corica said.
“But they obviously want to make sure they get the right decisions.
“It is what it is, VAR. I think it can work in your favour sometimes and, obviously, not sometimes as well.
“But I think they got the right decisions most of the time.”
© AAP
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