Central Coast recruit Jason Cummings has lamented the A-League Men commercial breaks and lengthy VAR delays that made the Mariners’ loss to Melbourne Victory a “stop-start” affair.
The A-Leagues have added drinks breaks in halves this season, allowing new broadcasters Network Ten to take commercial breaks – though on Saturday night, there were also ad breaks during play.
Victory’s 1-0 win over the Mariners also had some lengthy VAR reviews to add to the delays in play.
One VAR review on a seemingly obvious offside call on Jake Brimmer in the 26th minute stretched for four minutes before the original decision was upheld.
“It was quite a stale game. I’ve never been at a game where it gets stopped that long,” Scottish striker Cummings told Ten.
“Like, genuinely. The VAR takes about ten minutes to stop with that. He’s (the referee is) stopping the game for a commercial break.
“Like, I need to warm up every ten minutes. It’s stop-start.”
(Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Mariners coach Nick Montgomery said he previously “hadn’t really noticed” the drink breaks but Saturday’s delays were more obvious.
“Obviously, we’ve had some really hot days going back the last couple of months and I think drinks breaks have been needed there,” he said.
“Because boys have been coming back from COVID who’ve been sick and really for the health and safety of the players.
“Tonight was probably the first time I really noticed it. Seemed to be a lot of delays and some VAR checks when I have no idea why they needed to check it – it was blatantly not a foul or penalty.
“It was a little bit stop-start and you lose that little bit of momentum in the game.
“But I probably noticed it more tonight than I have all season, so that’s probably a fair comment (from Cummings).”
Victory counterpart Tony Popovic made it clear he wasn’t a fan of drinks breaks and wanted shorter VAR reviews.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“The lengthy VAR review, I’d like them to be a lot quicker because I think they’ve taken a little too long in all games,” Popovic said.
“The drinks break, whether that’s for TV or not, I think we would all love the game to keep flowing but we were made aware of this before the season.
“I don’t like it but we have to accept it and it can work in your favour sometimes, and against you sometimes.
“But regardless of whether it’s for you or against, I’d certainly love the game to just continue. Let the game continue.”
In Campbelltown, a virtuoso display by captain Ulises Davila has inspired Macarthur FC to a much-needed triumph, thumping Adelaide United 4-1 at Campbelltown Stadium.
Davila played a starring role as goals from Apostolos Giannou, Craig Noone, former Reds striker Al Hassan Toure and Michael Ruhs overturned Craig Goodwin’s opener for Adelaide and secured a first league win for the Bulls this year.
Mexican ace Davila combined with Giannou with a one-two before the Socceroos striker smashed home his first ALM goal before halftime.
And it was Davila’s trickery which won a second-half penalty in the 66th minute for the Bulls when he beat George Timotheou before being brought down by the Reds defender.
Noone’s strike from the penalty spot was saved by Adelaide goalkeeper Joe Gauci but the English winger squeezed home the rebound to spark wild celebrations from a relieved Macarthur team.
Saturday night’s win was sealed for Ante Milicic’s men when Toure volleyed home Noone’s cross in the 73rd minute to score his first goal for his new club against his former one.
Davila again played a key role when Ruhs added some late gloss with his first goal of the season to finish off counter-attack in stoppage time.
Meanwhile, Sydney FC coach Steve Corica believes his team have thrown away two points after an entertaining 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix at Leichhardt Oval.
(Photo by Mohamed Farag/Getty Images)
The Sky Blues had ten shots on target to three against the Phoenix but had to settle for a point on Saturday after Bobo’s second-half strike cancelled out David Ball’s first-half opener for Wellington.
Phoenix goalkeeper Oli Sail continued his fine return from a hip injury with several crucial saves including a diving effort in stoppage time to deny Bobo a late winner for the Sky Blues.
The results means both teams extend their unbeaten runs, with Sydney holding on to fourth place on goal difference from the Phoenix who have played a game less than Corica’s men.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t get the three points,” Corica said.
“I think we deserved them. We created obviously a lot of chances.
“The keeper made about seven saves so I’m pretty sure he would’ve got man of the match.
“Obviously creating chances is very positive as well and the way we went about it was fantastic but we have to take a couple more chances, we have to have a little bit more composure in front of goals.”
Sydney are now unbeaten in five matches while the Phoenix have won four and drawn two of their past six games.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
It’s the obvious answer if you want advertising during play. Not that I want advertising during play, incidentally.
Saffi
Roar Rookie
You know, we talk forever about how to get more people to our game, we’ll I was at the Victory game on Saturday and that VAR garbage will DEFINITELY stop people going to the games. Linemen no longer make decisions, they just wait for the VAR. Get rid of it. Get rid of the VAR. please help improve our time at the games and just let the referees decide and let the games flow. Please!
Rosario FC
Guest
It’s called Picture in Picture advertising… surely you can do this 10 Viacom? Good grief, I knew this would blow up after the Sydney FC v West Utd had drinks breaks during play.
Coastyboi
Guest
Pretty sure there was some argy-bargy, when a Mariner’s player was pushed in the final minutes. Melbourne’s goal should have been disallowed.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
Some very "interesting" decisions the small teams (mariners, Wellington and adelaide) didn't get against the big east coast teams yesterday All 3 should be asking for please explains from the head of the ref's
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
That must have been why after the other match finished despite having like 5 minutes of stoppage time I switched back and was able to watch the end of the MV CCM including the goal. Those who chose to watch the other match, or dont have Paramount had to endure the delay, but it was quite a nice bonus for those who switched at the end of the other match.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Cummings needs to improve his fitness while I watched the other match a lot more, this was boring not impressed by his workrate now he is complaining too much rest. The referees lost the plot on this weekend. Funny that people should only mention Donachies two yellow card offences but not mention that the same thing happened this weekend quite often not just with Phoenix players , but a lot of players across matches committing professional fouls and going unpunished. If you dont award a yellow card the first time you can expect the players to do it again. You cant argue because a player wasn't a awarded a yellow card the first time, let alone both times like Donachie that they would have been sent off because players are usually more carefully if they have a yellow card. Caletti was as lucky as anyone I think he did at least two yellow card challenges after getting a yellow in a short cameo. I think Faghani is a bad influence he is one to let things go and not award yellow cards and others are copying his example. Corica when for the high risk midfield combo, Amini staying back and Burgess, Amini did well to push forward had the best chances in the game for Sydney but didnt score, however his tracking back was non existent at times, Burgess tracks back well when he is not too far forward. This exposed Sydneys biggest weakpoint Wilkinson, all Wilkinson does is back off and hope someone else comes to do his tackling so DOnachie knows there is no cover so he does yellow card challengers, Donachie had Ball with his back to goal for a time but no other Sydney play came into help with Wilkinson and Amini is that suprising.. Wilkinson did his usual at the end of the match , back off let Sandovhal shoot. I though against Macarthur Adelaide looked very tired and their subs put on too late, Macarthur more sensible line up with Meredith as fullback over Susjnar and most importantly no Mutch to be seen. Most importantly Davilla first match I have seen him in macarthur he has run all over the park the way he did for Wellington. Giannou also showed some good touches with the ball, more like his old self, refreshing to see a Toure who not only ran quite fair beat but pulled off a decent strike though he was selfish for the fourth goal the ball fell to Ruhs anyway. Victory , Mariner coaches too defensive , Mariners need their fullbacks overlapping to be effective, Victory their strikers need the sack, Dagastino at Perth his control and finishing were quite good, he just didnt get the opportunities. At MV he seems to have gone backwards. Margiotta is slow. MV have a big surplus of attacking talent on the wings, they need to bring them into striker because they cant be worse than these two, and they can only have one of the others on a wing at a time.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
SFC protected once again by the bias Ref, how many fouls on Wellington players got unnoticed last night was beyond a joke. Yet as soon as a Nix player even breathed on SFC players the Nix would get a yellow or draw a foul. Feel bad for CCM with Victory getting much needed love from the ref and var to win the game. As for Adelaide, they had it coming as they over achieved so far this season.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
That VAR check only took 4 minutes? Like Cummings said, it felt like 10, it dragged on forever. The worst part, it was immediately obvious to everyone that it was offside, so why were they taking so long to check it?
jbinnie
Guest
So far thIs weekend the biggest losers have been the referees. In the Sydney game the Blues centre-back blatantly, not once, but twice, "body-checked" the Nix's Mexican playmaker. The two incidents went unpunished by the referee despite both being shown on TV in slow motion. Both were send-off offences. The VAR fiasco in the Victory game was unbelievable, leaving the question un-answered, "just who is in charge of the game,?". In these days of small attendances at strange grounds one would imagine the management of the game would be looking long and hard and these hold-ups,and in fact doing something about it. For an idea that was rumoured to have it's origins in proving a ball had crossed the goal line this has grown into a controlling factor that the game could well do without. Cheers jb.,
Kevin
Guest
Here's a thought , open it up a bit more , stop playing 9-1 formations in your own half and there might be a few more goals and therefore less need for drinks breaks , it is Fta TV after all