VAR storm yet again as Japan progress

IF Arab unity is visible on the streets of Qatar, Europe seemed to come together on the night Japan beat Spain in Qatar.

The second goal, turned in by Ao Tanaka from a ball put in by Kaoru Mitoma, one that effectively knocked Germany out of the tournament, seemed to have the entire lineup for former European footballers, pundits and Twitter warriors on the same page. From their point of view, the ball went out and Spain should have had a goal kick. South African referee Victor Gomes, assisted by VAR Fernando Guerrero clearly thought otherwise. The entire ball had not crossed the line, is what they saw; the goal stood and both Spain and Japan qualified.

Many of the same pundits who normally favour the use of technology, including Gary Neville, suddenly want the entire system to be binned. FIFA took pains to explain the ‘curvature’ of a football, essentially saying that even if the part in contact with the grass was outside the line, not all of the ball had crossed over when Mitoma hooked it back in. That, quite simply, is the rule.