FIFA World Cup: Match-winning goal of Japan comes under scanner

DOHA (QATAR): Football fans watching the FIFA World Cup matches are left to guess with little confidence if all the decisions taken after VAR review are correct ones.

Joining the list of some debatable decisions under VAR is the one involving Japan's match-winning goal against Spain, which took the Samurai Blue to the knockout stage and kicked out four-time champions Germany out of the tournament.

Japan's path to the last 16 stage is now mired in controversy. The 51st minute goal which Ao Tanaka scored is the talking point on social media and debated hotly on television by soccer pundits and experts.

The goal was initially disallowed because the ball, a second before the goal, seemed to have crossed the goal line. The assistant's flag went up for the ball being out of play indicating that Kaoru Mitoma, who cut the ball back into play, had dragged it into the paying area much after the ball had crossed the goal-line,

But the video assistant referee (VAR), after reviewing the play, overturned the call on the field because, although replays and still photos both appeared to show the ball crossing the line, it didn't - at least not fully, apparently.

For the VAR, Fernando Guerrero of Mexico, to overturn the decision of the assistant, he has to have definitive evidence that part of the ball is on the line. Importantly, this isn't just about the ball touching the ground. The curvature overhanging the line also counts, even if a very small part of the ball is doing so. (IANS)

Also Read: FIFA World Cup: South Korea stun Portugal to qualify for knockouts

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