WILL THE INCLUSION OF VAR BE BENEFICIAL OR DETRIMENTAL TO EL TRI
CONCACAF announced that VAR (Video Assistant Referee) will be implemented in all January and March Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022. VAR’s inclusion into world soccer has been controversial, to say the least. The question is, is such a rustic soccer federation, will it make a difference?
Refereeing has been substandard and second-world for decades in CONCACAF and hasn’t improved. Will the addition of VAR help better the way matches are judged in the area? It is a bit doubtful. The Federation has had years to invest in better training for its officials but hasn’t. Now, we expect those same officials to use this new technology and automatically become world-class referees? I think not. (See Mexico vs USA Nations League Final!)
The main concern I have is, top leagues in the world are having trouble with VAR. Goals being waved off, offsides calls, and cards being issued without fouls have all created more controversy and doubt that the VAR was meant to get rid of. If UEFA, THe Premier League, and La Liga are having issues, what awaits CONCACAF? Heck, even Liga MX can’t seem to get it right!
Every round of qualifying has had controversial plays that have affected the results. In a qualifying cycle that has the top four squads separated by only two points, and the difference between 3rd and 4th place is a two-goal differential, every call can be crucial. A goal being called back due to a millimetric offsides call or a foul that occurred during the build-up may be the difference between heading directly to Qatar or to a playoff. For the top three squads, it can be the difference between being a group head or just another name in the pot.
This window should be a great indication of whether CONCACAF has the infrastructure to support and properly use VAR, and how teams will adjust to playing in this modern era of soccer. With nine crucial points at play, VAR adds another factor to an already intriguing window.
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