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France score off first-ever World Cup final VAR penalty, but was the ref right?
Les Bleus were beneficiaries of the main innovation of Russia 2018, when the video assistant referees suggested Nestor Pitana review a likely hand ball in the Croatian penalty box. Pitana ordered a spot kick, which France scored.
Antoine Griezmann put the ball to the wrong side of Danijel Subasic, and had a chance to do his trademark goal dance.
But online, opinion of the decision to penalize Ivan Perisic, who had scored just minutes earlier provoked controversy, with diametrically opposed opinions.
Shocking decision. Another VAR howler. Never a penalty.
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) 15 July 2018
VAR (via the referee Pitana looking at a replay) awards a penalty kick to France in the #WorldCup finalThe correct decision. Relatively quick and easy. Another superb moment for VAR #FRA 1-1 #CRO #FRACRO #WorldCup
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) 15 July 2018
Shame if the #WorldCupFinal is decided by that terrible penalty decision. Showing that even with VAR mistakes can be made. #FRACRO
— Neil Clark (@NeilClark66) 15 July 2018
two obvious things being missed right now1. If a corner is swung in, and without getting a significant deflection hits someone's hand away from the body, that's a penalty. 2. VAR didn't make the decision, the referee did.
— Hassan Cheema (@mediagag) 15 July 2018
Plus ca change, football.