England got away with one as VAR ignores obvious Ezri Konsa penalty | OneFootball

Carlos Queiroz asked if VAR had gone for a coffee after his Ghana side were denied what looked a clear penalty against England.

Much of the aftermath of the goalless draw has been focused on how underwhelming England were against the well-organised defence of Ghana but of the two teams, it was the African side who had the right to feel most aggrieved come the final whistle.

After parking several buses, Ghana had an opportunity to let off the handbrake and break forward late in the game as Prince Kwabena Adu was released beyond the England backline.

As he broke into the box, Ezri Konsa came across and launched himself into the air, wrapping his right leg across the knee of the Ghanaian forward. And yet, referee Hector Said Martinez Sorto saw nothing wrong with it.

If the Honduran official can be excused for missing it given the speed of the play, those in the VAR booth are afforded no such luxury.

There was not even a check of the incident, a laughable fact considering that even something as granular as corners are being overseen by VAR this tournament, and Ghana manager Queiroz seemed as puzzled as the rest of us.

“I’m not sure VAR is still working in the World Cup,” he asked in his post-match presser. “We still have VAR? It’s working?

“I have some doubts about that because another penalty that they need give to Ghana, a clear penalty against England. They’re lucky. They’re very lucky.

“It was a clear penalty, red card. You have any doubts about that? You guys who saw the game have any doubts about that or is it only me that was in the game?

“I’m sorry for my sarcasm, but if I say these kind of things seriously they punish me, so I hope you understand that I’m joking.”

On the BBC commentary, Alan Shearer said Konsa “did well” in reading the touch but ignored the part where the Aston Villa defender lunged into the air. Thankfully, the in-studio panel of Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards said the opposite.

“I think that’s a penalty,” Rooney said.

“Konsa takes a huge risk. His feet are off the floor when he comes flying in and he gets the man, not the ball.

“That could easily have been given in my view.”

Richards meanwhile was more on the fence and said “On another day, that could have been a penalty.”

It’s not the only incident seemingly ignored by VAR this tournament in favour of letting the game flow.

Lionel Messi made headlines in Argentina’s first game for his hat-trick but his studs into the Achilles of Aissa Mandi flew under the radar.

Against Iraq, France’s Kylian Mbappe was swiped out in the box and yet both referee and VAR said play on.

In that same game, Dayot Upamecano had his legs taken out from under him and yet that too was ignored.

FIFA seems determined to let the game flow, something opposed by their mandatory hydration breaks, but as the stakes get higher, those missed VAR incidents will be scrutinised more and more.