World Cup 2018: How VAR completely changed Group B for Portugal and Spain in 120 very controversial seconds

Two VAR decisions changed the complete landscape for the rest of the World Cup

Portugal and Iran had played 90 minutes, with Ricardo Quaresma’s stunning strike enough for Fernando Santos’ side to gain three points in Saransk. Over in Kaliningrad, Spain and Morocco had also played 90 minutes, with the Spanish losing and finishing second in Group B, behind their Iberian rivals.

Then the Video Assistant Referee intervened.

First, Iago Aspas – brought on as a substitute for Diego Costa – flicked the ball into the back of the net, only to be flagged offside. Simultaneously, back in Saransk, Iran were having their appeals for a handball by Cedric Soares waved away as nonsense. What followed was utter chaos as both incidents went to VAR.

After a lengthy wait, it was obvious that Aspas’ goal should stand, that he was onside when the ball was played towards him at the front post and that Spain should be level at 2-2. Seconds later, they had found that goal effectively counting as double as Enrique Cáceres, the referee between Portugal and Iran, was running back from the pitch-side monitor pointing to the penalty spot.

Within a matter of seconds, VAR had taken Portugal from Group B winners and a trip to face tournament hosts Russia to runners-up and the far more difficult challenge of Uruguay. The decision to award the handball was universally criticised in the immediate aftermath and again proved that VAR is still down to a referee’s interpretation and the flaws that go with it.

It was not the first time VAR had had its say in that game, either. Cristiano Ronaldo had gone from loving it to hating it in the space of a half of football as he was first awarded a penalty and then given a controversial yellow card.

Ronaldo was brought down midway through the second 45 minutes and retrospectively awarded a penalty – one that he missed – before an off-the-ball clash between Ronaldo and Morteza Pouraliganji retrospectively earned him a yellow card. It could so easily have been a red had Cáceres interpreted it that way.

As a point of reference, the decision in each game now mean Portugal go into the half of the draw likely to contain France, Brazil, Germany and Belgium or England, while Spain have the likes of Japan, Mexico and Denmark in their half.

VAR has already had a huge impact on this World Cup and now it has – rightly or wrongly – taken away a more comfortable route to the final away from Portugal and handed it to Spain. All in 120 very controversial seconds in two cities 1,202.6 miles apart.