A contentious VAR decision that disallowed a late potential winning goal for Germany against Paraguay has drawn sharp criticism from former players and managers. The ruling, which led to a penalty shootout that Germany ultimately lost, has been described as "brutal" and "soft" by pundits.
Jurgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, working as a commentator for German television, drew a parallel to Arsenal's scoring methods in the Premier League, suggesting the decision was overly harsh. "If the goal is illegal, then Arsenal won't be English champions. They've scored 60% of their goals that way," Klopp stated on MagentaTV. "We [Germany] win the game when the ball goes in. So, of course, this is brutal."
Darren Cann, a former Premier League assistant referee, offered his assessment of the decision, calling it "soft." Speaking on BBC One, he noted that while the infraction appeared minimal, several goals in the tournament had been disallowed for similarly minor offenses. "We've seen two or three goals ruled out for very small offences. This is hardly anything. It's a small block on the goalkeeper, but for me, it's not enough. I suspect they will be ruling this out. We feel this should not be disallowed."
Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin, providing commentary for BBC Radio 5 Live, also questioned the decision's severity. He observed that while there was an apparent block on the goalkeeper, it was unclear if it had significantly affected his ability to make a save. "It is mayhem around there. There is a block - has it affected the goalkeeper? It looks like it. It is a subjective call. That is not clear," Nevin said.