Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo took the optimistic VAR appeal to a whole new level in Portugal’s win over Morocco when he asked for the video referee.
The ace forward was once again decisive in Portugal’s 2018 World Cup campaign as he scored the winner in just the fourth minute of play, powering home a header from inside the box. The Portuguese, who also achieved the incredible feat of surpassing Ferenc Puskas’s record of most international goals by an European footballer, did not exactly cover himself in glory late in the match.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The Real Madrid superstar dribbled his way into the box before cutting inside. However, he then allowed the defender’s trailing leg to catch him before falling down to the floor. While there was contact, the dramatic way he fell to the ground might have indicated to the referee that Ronaldo went down ‘looking for it’.
Ronaldo then made the TV screen motion with his hands, asking for a review. The referee waved play on. Penalty or dive? Ronaldo might count himself a bit lucky the decision was not reviewed.
Why was VAR not used?
The reason is simple. Referees are under no obligation to check VAR. Equally, the video ref can assess incidents as play continues.
Spanish defender Gerard Pique had said that the Portuguese was prone to diving after Ronaldo had hit a hat-trick in the thrilling encounter against Spain in their Group B opening fixture.
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