VAR is viewed somewhat controversially in Germany — where fans have lobbied to scrap it altogether, since the beginning. But a key moment in Bayern Munich’s DFB-Pokal Second Round victory over FC Köln higlighted what can happen when VAR is not in effect.
It was in the 36th minute, and RheinEnergieStadion was rocking. The home side had improbably punched their way to a 1-0 lead over the soaring Bavarians when Bayern suddenly strung together a beautiful attacking sequence of play. Early in build-up,
Aleksandar Pavlović and Konrad Laimer swapped around in the right-back and midfield areas until Laimer got himself an open lane to jaunt down the full length of the pitch before eventually releasing Josip Stanišić into a dangerous shooting position in the box.
The Croatian fired, Köln keeper Ron-Robert Zieler saved but spilled, and Bayern winger Luis Díaz instantly pounced on the rebound to turn in the equalizer. Only one problem: Díaz was offside at the time of Stanišić’s shot and the goal never should have stood.
But VAR doesn’t kick in until the third round of the Pokal.
Mistakes happen, but this was an egregious example. Díaz isn’t close to being onside here and the officials should have had the call right to begin with. The consequences were worse: Köln was giving the German record champions what-for and were the first side to hold a lead against them all year. Then after the equalizer that should not have been, the floodgates opened the other way — all the way en route to a 4-1 defeat for the Billy Goats.
In the end, significant challenges remain to VAR coming to the Pokal earlier, though it may be just a matter of time. The sheer number of games and lower-tier clubs in the mix in the first two rounds makes implementation a challenge, for one. And the technology will be met with the same complaints it always has — taking time, sucking the energy out of goals, and chopping off glorious moments that maybe could have stood.
Love it or hate it, this is the type of controversy that comes with its absence. So what do you think? Does a mistake like this vindicate VAR — or were you already all aboard?
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