Among the series of mishaps and failings that caused the United States men’s soccer team to fail to qualify for the 2018 World Cup was a goal that wasn’t — or shouldn’t have been — in Panama City. Though Costa Rica defender Ronald Matarrita slid across the goal line and prevented the ball from entering the net, the referee credited a goal to Panama’s Gabriel Torres in what ultimately resulted in a 2-1 win that sent Panama, and not the U.S., into the World Cup.
Speaking at a Women’s World Cup launch event in Lyon, France on Thursday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino cited that example in making his case for the adoption of the video-assistant referee (VAR) replay system in next year’s Cup.
“When you play a World Cup qualification game and that game is decided by a major error of interpretation by the referee, which can happen because they’re human beings like everyone else, then it is time to rectify things,” Infantino said.
“When the whole world has seen it in just a few seconds and the only one who hasn’t is the referee, not because he doesn’t want to but because he’s forbidden from seeing it, and it could be corrected then I think we should move with the times and take a step forward.”
U.S. men’s coach Bruce Arena, in his first interview after the loss, told the Washington Post, “That’s CONCACAF,” referring to the regional federation’s acronym, before citing other officiating failings (Arena resigned from the post on Friday).
Infantino has been bullish on VAR’s use previously, endorsing its use during this summer’s Confederations Cup in Russia, which essentially serves as an on-site tune-up event a year in advance of the World Cup. FIFA said VAR assisted in making six game-changing decisions at the Confederations Cup, prompting Infantino to say before the final match, “Nothing is standing in the way of using VAR [at the World Cup], as far as I‘m concerned.”
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Approval has not been universal. In the Confederations Cup final, for instance, the system showed what appeared to be a clear red card-deserving elbow, yet no such only a yellow card was issued, prompting one former FIFA and Premier League referee to denounce VAR as in “shambles.” The German Football League released a statement back in August saying their VAR product from Hawk-Eye has had “massive technical problems” during its trial period. Italy’s Serie A and the North American Major League Soccer circuit have also been using VAR.
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On the other hand, after a blatant hand-ball goal was allowed — and proved to be a game winner — in Brazil, the South American country’s top league announced plans the next day to add VAR by the following weekend. England tested the system for the first time in a high-profile charity match.
Infantino has previously conceded a need to hasten decision-making and improve communication between the remote referees monitoring video and the on-field official but said the Confederations Cup would have been “a different tournament” and “a little less fair” without the VAR.
“We are prepared to put VAR into practice [for the World Cup], but the decision hasn’t been taken yet,” Infantino said Thursday.