SPORT Saturday 30 June 2018 PAGEE | 18 PAGEPAG | 19 VAR checkedd 335 InjuriesInjur es raise doubts incidents in grouproup aboaboutu Brazil’sBrazil’s Cup stage: FIFFIFAA ppreperationsrep rations Portugal’sPortugal’s forward Spotlight on Ronaldo, Messi CCristianoristiano RRonaldoonaldo ggesturesestures dduringuring a tratrainingining sesssessionion as knockout phase begins yyesterday.esterday. AFP TODAY'S FIXTURES World Cup shifts into high avoid is the gear this weekend with drawing of MOSCOW: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel ROUND OF 16 lots,” Colin Messi take centre stage as the World Cup the start of the knockout Smith, FIFA’s shifts into high gear this weekend with the FRANCE VS ARGENTINA matches as the top 16 chief tournament start of the knockout matches in the loaded 5.00PM heavyweights of football and event officer, top half of the draw. said yesterday. Football heavyweights France, URUGUAY VS PORTUGAL begin the battle for African nations Argentina, Portugal and Brazil are all clus- 9.00PM supremacy. are licking their tered in one section of the competition, with wounds after Senegal’s only Spain among recent winners in the elimination meant no team other half. draw and already a record number of pen- Uruguay defence that did not concede a from the continent reached the The unbalanced nature of the knockout alties, with the video assistant referee (VAR) single goal in the group phase. tournament’s second round for phase sparked debate ahead of Thursday’s often in the spotlight. Aside from their watertight defence, the first time since 1982. England-Belgium group match -- was it Of the half-dozen winners of the trophy two-time winners Uruguay boast two of Didier Drogba, who better to win and enter the tougher side of since 1970, Germany have gone home in the the greatest goal-scorers of their gener- appeared at three World the draw or lose and face potentially easier biggest shock of the tournament by far while ation in Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Cups with Ivory Coast, fixtures down the line? In the event, third- Italy never even qualified for Russia. The Uruguayans are aware that said African teams had ranked Belgium won, adding even more The standout last-16 tie on paper pits Ronaldo is not the only threat for the taken a “big step back” firepower to the top half, while if England France against Messi and Argentina, two European champions -- he is supported by in Russia. can get past Colombia they will fancy their teams who laboured through the group younger talents such as Bernardo Silva and “Africa is going to chances of reaching a potential semi-finalsemi final stage.stage. Goncalo Guedes.Guedes. bbe successful one day againstagainst 2010 winnerswinners FranceFrance are packedpacked withwith firepower,firepower, “We“We willwill markmark himhim withwith the samesame butbu we need to think Spain.Spain. boastingboasting Antoine Griezmann, KylianKylian respect we mark everyone, despite hhimim againa how we TheThe first phasephase MbappeMbappe and Olivier Giroud, but being a superstar,” said Sebastian CoatesCoates approachap these big inin Russia featuredfeatured theythey havehave failedfailed to clickclick so far,far, ofof Ronaldo.Ronaldo. competitions,”co he told justjust one goalless finding the net just three times “You“You don’t prepare a match just lookinglooking theth BBC in his role as a in threethree matchesmatches -- one of atat one player.”player.” - ‘Fair play’play’ debatedebate - DebateDebate TVTV pundit. thosethose was a penaltypenalty andand was still ragingraging on over Japan’s approachapproach to another an own goal.goal. theirtheir final group game against Poland afterafter “A wholewhole new competition the AsianAsian sideside sneakedsneaked intointo the last 16 on begins now, direct elimi-elimi- the back of their superior disciplinary record.record. nation,”nation,” saidsaid manamanagerger DidierDidier TheThe Asian sideside facedfaced an angryangry backlashbacklaash Deschamps.Deschamps. for running down the clock in the lastlast 15 “We gotgot whatwhat we minutes even thoughthough theythey were losinglosing 1-01-0 wawanted.nted. Now the mmountainountain on Thursday, gambling that SenegalSenegaal lloomsooms up in ffrontront ooff us bbutut wouldwould not equaliseequalise againstagainst ColumbiaColumbia iin we’rewe’re there and we’rewe’re aimingaiming thethe otherother Group H game.game. to getget throughthrough toto thethe nextnext Kozo Tashima,Tashima, ppresidentresident ooff tthehe roundround afterafter that.”that.” JapanJapan Football Association (JFA),(JFA), Five-timeFive-time worldworld playerplayer ofof insistedinsisted the team deserved a placeplace in thet yeary MessiMessi underlinedu ndernde lined hishis thethe knockoutknockout stagestage in Russia, won at importanceimpompoortanrt ce toto ArgentinaArgentina with thethe expenseexpense ofof thethe westwest AfricanAfrican team a sublimelysus blimlimely takentaketak n openingopening goalgoal by virtuevirtuirt e ofof havinghaving pickedpicked upup fewerfewer againstagaiinst NigeriaNigeNigg riar butt thattha camecame afterafter yellowyelly ow cards.cardsar . hishis penaltypenalty miss againstagaag instnstn IcelandIcelandand in a “ItIt isi ourour commitmentc ommiom tment to fairfair playplay thatthat lacklustrelackl lustre 1-11-1 drawdraw that set theh tonetone forfor hash got us t through,”hrouhhr gh,gh,” TasTashimahima toltoldd llocalocal a ddidisappointingsappsapa ointi ing campcampaignaignn so far. mediamedia afterafter JapanJapaJappannmo movedmoved on toto facefaace RonaRRonaldoldo ono tthehe ootherther hhandand ststartedarteddh hihiss BelgiumBelgium nextn week.weeeek.k tournamenttournamem nt withwith a hat-trickhat-trt ick againstagaiaag nst SpainSpain “We had fewerfewer yellowyellow cardscarcards soso we werewerw re !"! #$ % % & but hasa slippedslippedpe behindbehihhind England’s England’snd HarryHararry ableable to progress.progress. It’sIt’s thethe resultresultoft of the ‘Japan‘Jaapan Kanea in the raceace for thethe GoldenGolden Boot afteraftaf er Way’Way --- a thoroughthorough dedicationdedication to passingpapasssing ' seeingseeieeing his hiss penaltypenaln ltyysy savedsaved inn Portugal’sPortPortugalugagaal’s’ 1-11-11 footballfootfootballbalallll andana playingplap yingyi in a fairfair manner.”manner.” FIFA drawaw withwitw hIrh Iran.Iran.ann saidsaid it hadad no plansplanslanlaans to changechanc nge itsits fairfair playp (( The Reale MadridMadrid star,starar, whowhooha hashassf fourfour ccriteria.riteriari . ) goalsgoals in RussiaRusRuusssias andand lookslklookooko s certaincertair nnt to be “This“Thi“T s is thee firstfirfi stt timetimeimmem (the( fairfaiaiir playplay rule)rule) crownedcrowcro nednen worldworlw d playerplp ayera ofof thethe yearyear forf a hash beenbeb useduseddin inn aas seniorseenior WorldWorld CupCuupup ini * sixthssixtx h time,time,me willwil comecocommeeueup upu againstagaaaggainstinsini a tighttightigght thist way.waywa . ObOObviouslybviouuslylyy whatat wee wawanta to +%, + -. !" - £. # 0 $ 1 % %2 &' . Guvxv Thqv u ! svhy "! #! $% & Argentina’sArgeArArg ntintini a’sa LionelLiononel MessiM esessissi 3 ' ' 18 SPORT SATURDAY 30 JUNE 2018 Large screen in the VAR checked 335 incidents in stadium displays message after a VAR review during a Group H match between Senegal World Cup group stage: FIFA and Colombia in Samara on Thursday. AFP chairman of FIFA’s referees Collina said the three or even mistakes, so it’s a not committee, said yesterday. cases where the VAR directly a perfection that can be MOSCOW: FIFA said video With 48 matches in the intervened were for an reached having imple- assistant referee (VAR) crews group stage, the figure offside call, an incident that mented VAR.” conducted checks on 335 averages out to almost seven took place inside the area The average time incidents during the World incidents per game in Russia. and mistaken identity. required for a VAR review Cup group stage, helping “Within these 335 Of all the incidents scru- has been 80 seconds, achieve a 99.3 percent rate checks, we had 17 so-called tinised by the video officials, although that number is of correct decisions. VAR reviews,” said Collina. 95 percent of the initial deci- slightly higher for a pitchside The VAR system is being “We had 14 decisions sions taken by referees review. used at a World Cup for the changed by the intervention would have been correct “In a couple of cases the first time in Russia. of the VAR. without VAR intervention. final answer could have been “335 incidents were “We had 14 on-field That rate increased to given even earlier,” Collina checked by the VAR team. All reviews, with the referee 99.3 percent with the said. the goals scored (122) were going to the monitor on the assistance of VAR. “But in terms of being checked by the VAR, and in side of the pitch, while there “VAR doesn’t mean per- very accurate, the VAR pre- addition many other inci- were three decisions taken fection,” Collina said. ferred to spend five to 10 dents occurring on the field,” only by the VAR on direct “There could still be seconds more to be very, Pierluigi Collina, the review.” some wrong interpretation very sure.” Injured Mendy England turn focus to knockout ruled out of Argentina clash games and dreaded shootouts AP MOSCOW: Left-back REUTERS semi-final against Germany at Benjamin Mendy, yesterday Wembley Stadium. ruled out of France’s last 16 ST PETERSBURG: England head He later featured in a pizza World Cup match against into their last 16 clash