It's hard to enjoy the football when all anyone can talk about is VAR

By Mike Tuckerman / Expert

Maybe it was a good thing Perth Glory thumped Melbourne Victory so comprehensively in their 3-0 win at AAMI Park on Sunday, because otherwise we’d only have VAR to talk about.

The visitors finished over the top of Victory in front of another raucous home crowd in Melbourne, but only after the hosts had defender Rai Marchan dismissed for a high foot on Jonathan Aspropotamitis in first-half stoppage time.

Referee Kurt Ams was in close proximity to the incident and saw fit to hand Marchan a yellow card for what was an undeniably high challenge – even if the Spaniard clearly had eyes for the ball.

But after a lengthy VAR review, Ams upgraded the card to red and Victory were left to play the entire second half with ten men.

It’s a bit hard to know what Ams might have done differently. He made a quick decision initially, and VAR exists precisely so that referees can correct any particularly grievous errors.

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But the problems with VAR in the A-League Men’s competition are twofold. Firstly, it’s rarely used solely to correct clear and obvious errors and is instead used to re-referee incidents that have already been adjudicated on.

And even when it’s used to fix clear and obvious errors, much of the time the decisions that end up being made are wrong anyway.

Western Sydney’s opening goal in their 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix in Wollongong on Friday night was a case in point.

Former Phoenix striker Tomer Hemed clearly fouled Callan Elliot when he shoved the Wellington defender to the ground before half-volleying home, but VAR officials missed it because they were simply focusing on whether Hemed’s effort crossed the goal-line.

It prompted A-Leagues Managing Director Danny Townsend to tweet in the aftermath: “Decisions are always controversial – we will continue to work with the FA to optimise the VAR process and the quality officiating to ensure our product is as good as it should be.”

But a day later, after Sydney FC were denied a late Adam Le Fondre winner in their 2-2 draw with the Newcastle Jets, Townsend tweeted some very different thoughts.

Townsend doubles as both the A-Leagues Managing Director and current Sydney FC CEO, and while he may be the hardest-working man in show business, it’s hard to see how the dual roles don’t represent a conflict of interest.

Wellington also believed Hemed hand-balled in the build-up to an earlier Phoenix goal disallowed by the VAR, and the Kiwis felt sufficiently aggrieved to seek an explanation from the A-Leagues’ head of referees after the match.

Given that Wellington are one side that actually tries to play attacking football under Ufuk Talay, it’s hard not to sympathise with the current Wollongong-based battlers.

Ufuk Talay (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

But the frustratingly negative tactics of some other teams remains somewhat of a mystery.

Adelaide United looked like they had more than enough talent on the park to beat Brisbane Roar in a grinding encounter on Redcliffe on Saturday afternoon, but then they also spent an awful lot of time arguing with referee Chris Beath.

Javi Lopez was always going to collect his second yellow card after diving in on Roar substitute Juan Lescano in stoppage time, but the Spaniard arguably deserved to see red for his furious reaction anyway.

And while the Reds are entitled to play their football as hard-nosed as they want to, it’s difficult to understand why so many A-League Men sides are often so relentlessly negative in a league they can’t even get relegated from.

Thank heavens for the Newcastle Jets under new coach Arthur Papas. The Novocastrians were good value for their point in Kogarah on the back of a virtuoso Valentino Yuel display.

But all the major talking points, once again, were around VAR.

It would be nice if we could focus on the action on the pitch, because right now it feels a bit like we’re watching a refereeing convention broken up by sporadic outbursts of football.

The Crowd Says:

2021-12-07T01:42:15+00:00

Kevin

Roar Rookie


I watch BBL and even I didn’t know it was on until I saw the result on Austadiums.

2021-12-07T00:26:28+00:00

At work

Roar Rookie


We (SydFC) will have absolutely no excuses once we move into the new stadium. It'll be an all seater with good views and steep seating, good food and beverage selections, proper coverage from the rain, and the big one... it's centrally located so all fans can get there easily enough. Whereas Kogarah stadium falls down in all all these aspects :laughing:

2021-12-06T18:04:48+00:00

Ad-O

Guest


If people can't tell the difference between a one off game being decided by a ref mistake and the best team in the comp lifting the trophy at the end of the season then anything I can add wont help. Its just a shame because that inability has made the sport worse.

2021-12-06T18:00:43+00:00

Ad-O

Guest


I said a MAJOR TROPHY being decided. England weren't the best team in 86 and Argentina were. Likewise the Henry handball was in a qualifier and just saved Irish fans the expense of 3 group games.

2021-12-06T12:36:16+00:00

Buddy

Roar Rookie


Yes, I concur! I’s love to listen to a roundup of how the Aussie women have fared this weekend in the English super league as the information isn’t difficult to find. Better still to cover europe as a whole but got to start somewhere. Arsenal have three aussies yet they never got a mention…..because they lost?

2021-12-06T10:16:48+00:00

Lionheart

Roar Rookie


I haven’t watched it yet, but do watch as many games featuring our Ausy girls as I can. The coverage here is appalling, outside Optus and KeepUp, for what our girls are doing overseas. ABC TV sports reporter this morning gave Kerr a wrap, as he often does, I think largely because he’s an AFL man. He then went onto the A League results, describing one as a win by ‘just one point’. He did correct himself, but it’s the mentality that pervades sports reporters and editors across our country. They’re not sports reporters at all. I’ve got a better broad knowledge across multiple sports than most of them. They covered Kerr’s two goals two weeks back, but completely ignored Raso’s two (both got assists too) on the same weekend. They’re not capable of looking beyond England, at our players in Europe and elsewhere.

2021-12-06T08:47:35+00:00

Dibbs

Roar Rookie


It was also a deliberate dive because he knew the opportunity was over. I was surprised it was overturned, beacause there was some contact (albeit just a brushing of arms), but the right call was made in the end.

2021-12-06T08:23:35+00:00

Roberto Bettega

Roar Rookie


Yuel's opening 3 games have been excellent.

2021-12-06T07:20:13+00:00

Grem

Roar Rookie


It's going to be hard to be in a bad seat at the new stadium. I sit in the grandstand at Kogarah and make sure I'm about Row L and 3 sections in, or getting wet is still a possibility. The weather has been dreadful, but Sydney should average 10000 per game.

2021-12-06T06:08:13+00:00

Punter

Roar Rookie


The way VAR is deployed is wrong. I totally agree there.

2021-12-06T06:06:20+00:00

Football is Life

Roar Rookie


What I read here are the words of a man who has Australian football historical understanding. The good thing is the “A-League” generation dont know about the Civil War, they dont know about the cultural divides, they dont know about the dodgy administrators of the past, they just know football. When time delivers the elebenty billion kids that comprise the A-League Generation as ticket paying adults, who have grown up with and know nothng but the A-League, then we will really see the potential. As the battle hardened veterans of Australian football, the time wearied, rusted on die-hard believers, it’s our job to spruik the game, to ensure there’s a strong heart beat until the football community reaches it’s peak. And dont forget, the Women’s WC, that is really going to open eyes, change opinions, and put investment suggestions right in the face of those who currently sponsor backyard sports. That will be the shot of adrenaline we are all waiting for.

2021-12-06T06:05:21+00:00

Punter

Roar Rookie


Haha, that made me laugh.

2021-12-06T06:05:18+00:00

Buddy

Roar Rookie


I watched a fair bit of the Arsenal v Chelsea Cup final and whilst I enjoyed the Kerr and Kirby show I wish there was a bit more media coverage generally and not so much attention in one spot. Besides, if you were truly analysing the performance you'd be looking at the number of chances created between that pairing and just how many were missed, or the percentage of chances converted if you prefer to look at it the other way around. Chelsea could have or maybe should have scored 6-8 and turned the game into a farce. Posts, crossbar and near misses all added to the excitement though; it was good viewing.

2021-12-06T06:02:12+00:00

Midfielder

Roar Guru


so constantly talking about its short comings is great... Waz we are light years plus, away from were we need to be.... but IMO as long as we make steady progress towards end goals I am happy... stall and or stop and I am very unhappy... I have never ever seen the degree of change Football needs successfully achieved by anything or anyone from whatever endeavour, if rushed with over expectations sort to be delivered in a short time frame...

2021-12-06T05:59:07+00:00

Buddy

Roar Rookie


I enjoyed watching him last year - very much a developing player, quite raw with bags of potential but held back in some ways as it appeared his job was to feed O'Donovan though why, I'm not sure. I could see he had something in him and Saturday night it all took off. So pleased for him as he did fade somewhat last year and many coaches may have given up on him and let him rot.

2021-12-06T05:52:53+00:00

Buddy

Roar Rookie


AA you could say that 6 of the top 7 in the EPL have the most money, if not all 7 and in the current relegation places 2 out of 3 will have the smallest budgets and the third did have but has new owners who will almost certainly be recruiting heavily in January. Generally, it is the same story almost everywhere you look which is why the world got excited back in 2016 when Leicester took the title in England or the year we had a final between CCM and the Jets.

2021-12-06T05:52:22+00:00

Football is Life

Roar Rookie


Technology is only as good as the operator, and in our case, the operators are the problem, they'd have trouble playing Super Mario

2021-12-06T05:46:24+00:00

Buddy

Roar Rookie


I can't answer that directly but as I look around Sydney I see so many conflicting signs. There are eating areas - restaurants etc that are unusually quiet and then there are some that are really busy - whereas pre-covid some places that I have seen were just brimming over with trade. Maybe sport is similar so far as attending goes?

2021-12-06T05:45:15+00:00

Waz

Roar Rookie


Mid, It’s not that hard to clear up some of the mess - stop asking people to “talk up our game” when clearly things are wrong. Your approach fixes nothing !!

2021-12-06T05:40:16+00:00

Waz

Roar Rookie


Decent reply. Here’s my issue with VAR as it’s deployed. Some decisions are being left by the on field team for the VAR to decide, the VAR on the other hand thinks it’s there for clear and obvious errors, and we end up in a situation where no one is making a call on some pretty crucial moments. Again, this was predicted at the outset but I’m wondering if a lack of cameras this year is making it worse?

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