It was a bit of a comedown from the heady heights of the Spain Portugal match but the France Australia game has given us two talking points as VAR makes it's debut at the World Cup.
The first instance of VAR happened on 55 minutes when the referee went to the Video Assist Referee, eventually giving a penalty against the Aussies.
Joshua Risdon was the man who perpetrated the foul, just clipping Antoine Griezmann as the Atletico Madrid striker burst into the box. Griezmann coolly slotted past Mat Ryan to give Les Bleus the lead.
Antoine Griezmann scores from the penalty spot after VAR review to make it #FRA 1-0 #AUS https://t.co/K0EuiggzwO #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/OIYbYSHPJm
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 16, 2018
Risdon received a yellow card for his troubles.
The linesman would come to Australia's aid just minutes later when Samuel Umtiti inexplicably handballed in the box after a free kick. Crystal Palace veteran and Socceroos captain Mile Jedinak converting from the spot with a low shot to Lloris' right.
62' Umtiti handles under no pressure and Jedinak buries the resulting penalty. It's #Fra1-1 #Aus https://t.co/U9NzZGooNr #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/mJgpnBCNua
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 16, 2018
You'd have to wonder what Umtiti was thinking here.
But despite the fact that the first VAR decision was a clear cut foul, it didn't stop Mark Lawrenson from giving out about the first penalty, the BBC pundit believing that France should not have been awarded a penalty by VAR.
It appeared as if Lawrenson was just waiting to jump on any VAR decision, and this was not lost on the viewers that were watching the BBC coverage of the match:
Really don’t need Mark Lawrenson on VAR.
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) June 16, 2018
VAR working an absolute charm there, stonewall penalty. Well played!
Don't listen to Mark Lawrenson, he wipes his arse with ham
— Fitzgeraldinho ?? (@Fitzy_07) June 16, 2018
Mark Lawrenson going toe-to-toe with VAR in a bid to be the most annoying thing about #FRAAUS pic.twitter.com/N0BsZZYwDT
— NOW TV Sport (@NOWTVSport) June 16, 2018
New VAR process:
1) consult VAR replay
2) consult with Mark Lawrenson
3) make decision— Martin Holliday (@mart_holliday) June 16, 2018
Martin Lawrenson having a meltdown about VAR is the greatest thing about the #WorldCup so far ???#FRAAUS
— alf (@ItsWrestlingBoi) June 16, 2018
But Didier Deschamps men would end up with the last laugh laugh, with technology again coming to their aid when Paul Pogba's deflected shot hit the underside of the bar and just about bounced over the line, referee Andres Cunha getting the signal from his watch that the whole of the ball had indeed crossed the line:
80' #Fra 2-1 #Aus Pogba forces the ball in off Behich and France regain the lead https://t.co/U9NzZGooNr #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/XKvSfdliaN
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 16, 2018
world cup var
