World Cup 2018: VAR controversy and crunch time in Groups C and D – live!

And with Cristiano Ronaldo having avoided a ban yesterday, for those following #XhakaShakirigate (or no -gate suffix, depending very much on your perspective) there has also been confirmation from Fifa that the two Swiss players have escaped a ban over their goal-celebrations from the match against Serbia.

Fans of Germany, Mexico, Sweden or even (albeit remote) South Korea take note should the Swiss qualify, for when the knockout pairings for Groups E and F are decided.

Now if you’re a Group D devotee and you’re worried that we haven’t raked the coals sufficiently about Iceland or Nigeria’s chances in today’s match, this is for you - it’s Guardian’s World Cup Football Daily with very special guests Aanu Adeoye and Maggi Mar Einarsson to give some expert insights into their nations’ chances:

It’s truth perhaps, amid all the amazing stories that are exploding out of this World Cup thus far, that we’ve hardly spoken about everyone’s favourite little Scandinavian nation that could - Iceland; punching above their weight and threatening to send home Argentina at their first ever World Cup.

It’s a remarkable story, and as commenter Zepp rightly points out:

Iceland, with the exception of Icelanders, has to be everyone’s second favourite team in this world cup.

You’d have to be a herring-hating Norwegian to disagree with that statement, one would imagine.

Now a piece that’s been doing the rounds a fair bit among my high-browed associates of the twitter-sphere is the following, and it just so happens to be from your humble friends at the Guardian.

If you’re late to the party that is Russia 2018 and trying to understand how it is that Argentina; the Argentina; could be about to exit the World Cup today, then the following from Jorge Valdano could be a fair place to start:

Uruguay’s veteran coach, Óscar Tabárez, has been credited with overseeing a revolution of his nation’s footballing philosophy following a spell of just one qualification in four attempts. After yesterday they’ve now never NOT made it to the knockout rounds under his stewardship, thanks to a root-and-branch reform that’s become known as “Proceso de Institucionalización de Selecciones y la Formación de sus Fútbolistas”.

If, heaven forbid, Messi and friends depart today, could neighbours Argentina be overdue such an overhaul?

Stephen Holliday writes with one more fascinating aspect of the whole VAR gift-that-keeps-giving:

Brit living in LA here. Maybe my surroundings are rubbing off on me and my knowledge of anything to do with soccer, aka, football, is waning but do the six or seven VAR chaps really have to be decked out in full on refs kit?

Also, it’s not working is it? Here’s a potentially controversial decision, let’s make it more controversial by not quite revealing whether the main ref changes his mind by watching his off-pitch monitor, or whether he’s told to change his mind.

It’s an interesting point, Stephen, and as we posted earlier, one that Iran’s coach Carlos Queiroz definitely took exception to; the lack of transparency surrounding the decision making process. Will we eventually enter a brave-new-world scenario where conversation between the room of VARs and the on-field referee are played live to clarify this?

As for the necessity of the full kit for VARs, that’s one thing I hope will never change. Like your flatmate getting dressed in a full suit ahead of a cup final on Football Manager, it’s absolutely priceless.

I once took Hereford to a European Cup final in Championship Manager. I was in my dressing gown but, and we lost. Not a day goes by that I don’t look out bus windows and wonder if we’d have won that if I was in a Gareth Southgate waistcoat.

And some more of your musings.

The commenter “Nil-all” (a score you’ll remember is yet to feature in Russia 2018) poses the following conundrum:

If VAR can only review red card decisions, penalties and mistaken identity, how come CR7 gets a yellow from a VAR review?

Commenter “ollib” muses along similar lines:

I thought the Ronaldo elbow was a clear red once the ref had decided to penalise it. An off the ball elbow in the face? That’s a red all day, no?

If the ref had decided it wasn’t a foul, fair enough, it was a bit of a 50:50 decision. But if he’s going to give a card it HAS to be red for the foul he’s penalising.

Whereas “USfan” appears reasonably fatalistic about it all:

Were it not for VAR, there would be an unacceptable number of games in this World Cup whose outcome was determined by poor officiating.

As it is, there is merely an infuriating number of games in this World Cup affected by poor officiating.

All that said and done, despite VAR-cicle outcomes (real or imagined) I’m inclined to nevertheless land on this as Chris Wilson has:

What a night of football last night. What a world cup. Never end. Just, never end.

Meanwhile, a vote from our friend “Birbkamp” on the Isco/Redknapp debate:

Very tidy work. I think further questions might one day be asked.

A name that’s also getting a fair bit of circulation in recent Aust-football-press is Daniel Arzani, who you might recall is the youngest player selected for any nation at this year’s World Cup.

The 19-year-old enjoyed a break-out season in Australia’s domestic A-League competition, and has certainly sparkled in his two brief cameos at the tournament thus far.

And he’s certainly caught the attention of Opta Stats, who offered this fun fact:

Let’s hope the one-time-subject of an alleged bidding war between Australia and Iran hasn’t spent too much emotion following Team Melli’s nerve-jangling exit yesterday and is relaxed and focused for the battle with Peru.

You may have noticed Robbie Kruse’s name in that earlier list of ten most talked about footballers (from an Australian perspective) - and the much-maligned winger’s spot has definitely been under threat given the performances of young Arzani.

Unfortunately for Kruse, much of the anger comes presumably from his “backpfeifengesicht” (German: face that should be slapped) - with Kruse’s hangdog looks after another missed final-third chance perhaps overshadowing the fact that the Bochum flyer often plays a pivotal role during the build up to attacks with his clever movement and mobility, in the minds of many. I speculate.

There’s been a very prominent campaign from outspoken pundits and former Socceroos Robbie Slater and Mark Bosnich to compel coach Bert van Marwijk to select Tim Cahill - he of the golden forehead, and scorer at three consecutive World Cups - a ploy the Dutchman has thus-far resisted at the tournament.

In fact an Australian tabloid has gone even further, laying out its stall with this front page instruction:

In fact, so strong has been the clamour for selection of the 38-year-old Melbourne City-cum-Millwall substitute against Peru, he’s figured highly on the list of footballers Australia’s talking about at the World Cup - despite not even taking part in the action thus far:

Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi, Cahill.

Arguably the tournament’s four biggest names right there.

But enough of the past; to the future!

And for the benefit of our antipodean audience, let’s turn our attention to Australia’s date-with-destiny, and/or Peru.

So first, the permutations. How do the 43rd ranked nation navigate a way to just their second ever knock-out rounds?

As discussed yesterday, statistical wonks Nate Silver and friends at FiveThirtyEight have Australia as just a 14% probability of progressing; but as Han Solo was want to say, “never tell me the odds” - and I’m almost certain Mile Jedinak has ripped the arm off somebody after losing a game of cyber-chess, so..

Kieran Pender sees it slightly more optimistically for Australia, as he writes from Sochi:

Now a result that may have surprised some last night given their stunning form across their first two games was the capitulation of host nation Russia, who appeared to run out of juice against Uruguay, pressing self-destruct inside 45 minutes with a hapless show of defensive urgency and a brain explosion double-yellow, red, for fill-in fullback Igor Smolnikov.

Perhaps it is masterful mind-games from the wily veteran coach, Stanislav Cherchesov; lowering expectations in a fixture that ultimately didn’t matter for his side? In Russia’s defence it was a much-changed line up with an eye on yellow cards and resting veterans like Yuri Zhirkov.

And while the match as a contest may have ended relatively early on, it also gave rise to a new contest - worst barnet at Russia 2018 - as Uruguay introduced Jar-Jar Binks Diego Laxalt at left back.

Jérôme Boateng and Neymar emit a collective sigh of relief.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier - so please help me settle a debate here. Isco. Is he just a poor man’s Iberian Jamie Redknapp?

Like two peas from a pod. A pod that inherited no genetic material from ol’ ‘Arry.

And if Morocco departed the tournament with their reputations and pan-African pride slightly more intact, there was no such luck for north African neighbours Egypt in Group A, who at least allowed Saudi Arabia to save face after a tournament that seemed to go downhill ever since before they even started with coach Bert van Marwijk walking out after qualifying.

We’ve seen some late goals across the tournament but 90+5 sure does seem an unnecessarily cruel dagger to take. And then there’s the fallout of whether or not Mohammed Salah has in fact played his last game for the Egyptian national side (see yesterday’s blog). Poor old Héctor Cúper. He seems a nice man. No?

The high drama of Iran-Portugal was made even more thrilling with the knowledge that simultaneously all manner of untold fresh mayhem was breaking out in the concurrent fixture between Spain and Morocco.

Morocco taking the lead? Morocco re-taking the lead late with one of the best headed goals you’ll see at the tournament? A late Spanish lifeline chalked out for offside; but then re-instated? Iago Aspas!

Dr-ah-ma. With Noureddine Amrabat on a one-man mission to just destroy people (by fair means or foul) and Gerard Pique handing out two-footed slides like nobody’s business, it only lacked Diego Costa flicking a switch to full-Hulk-mode to make this one a five-star classic.

Bad news for lovers of chiseled dreamboats, therefore. The one, the only Herve Renard has therefore had to leave the tournament. But not before he stole your heart.

Twitter and the Daily Mail certainly made a fair bit of the Moroccan coach, didn’t they? Funny, nobody seemed to mention it when he coached Cambridge United.

Nor was coach Carlos Queiroz too happy with VAR’s interventions, especially in the decision to award Cristiano Ronaldo just a yellow card for an off-the-ball elbow thrown at Morteza Pouraliganji.

In fairness the contact wasn’t as blatant as simulation from Pepe, but depending on your subjective allegiance the biggest name in world football could have been out of the tournament, thanks to the robot men upstairs. Imagine that. On your bike, CR7, hello VAR-heaven.

I don’t know. I seem to always get these wrong. Yussuf Poulsen’s handball v Australia was 100% a penalty for mine, and yet Cédric Soares’s one last night in similar circumstances? 0%.

Should Ronaldo have gone? Let us know. Yay. Nay.

In all honestly, after the fighting way that Iran approached that match, and the pure courage with which they conducted themselves, you can’t help but feel moved by their heartbreak.

Coach Carlos Queiroz said the team had no interest in “heroic failure” but unlucky for them; they got it in spades.

There were beautiful moments amid the sadness, the manner in which players consoled one another, with genuine sympathy and shared pain spoke volumes to the character of these Iranian men.

A lot like how Brazil’s teammates rushed to a tear-ridden Neymar.

So four cracking matches ahead. I’m still licking my lips like a kitten at milk following the sudden upgrade from three to four per matchday. But before we delve too deeply into today’s games, how bout that which proceeded last night? Phwoar.

Queiroz v his native land; Suárez v the host nation; the Red Sea derby; the Straits of Gibraltar derby (or Alboran Sea derby, if that’s what you prefer) - four great fixtures with more subplots than Cleopatra could clasp to her bosom. Iago Aspas! (A 45 year-old keeper! At the World Cup! A goal-tending Roger Milla!)

VAR reared it’s forked-tongued head not once but at least thrice in a tempestuous clash between Portugal and Iran. After 0/12 wins at World Cup 2014 the West Asian giants looked to strike a significant blow for AFC nations; and came within a veritable whisker near the end of doing so.

Fans have come within minutes of contemplating the World Cup knockout rounds without either Germany, Brazil or Argentina thus far; but imagine no Cristiano Ronaldo as well? Madness.

Poor Mehdi Taremi. We’ve seen our fair share of tears at World Cups over the years but if ever there’s been a soul who wanted the ground to just open up and swallow him whole, it was the Al-Gharafa striker, whose 90 +4 minute shot could have produced one of the all-time World Cup miracles.

If you missed any of that match, do take the time to relive the match report. High. Drama. Personified.