It took less than five minutes for refereeing controversy to strike at the 2022 World Cup, with hosts Qatar benefiting from a dramatic off-side call that saw Ecuador captain Enner Valencia’s opening goal waved off.
The former West Ham and Everton striker headed the ball into the net from close range after some atrocious defending in the third minute, and celebrated what would have been the fastest goal in a World Cup opener.
But referee Daniel Orsato subsequently ruled it out after VAR (video assistant referee) discovered a marginal off-side in the build-up.
A long ball was played into the box, where Ecuador’s Felix Torres leapt to challenge Qatar keeper Saad al Sheeb. Torres headed the ball, which fell to teammate Michael Estrada – before eventually being played across to Valencia.
Although al Sheeb initially appeared to punch the ball, Torres’ header occurred when Estrada’s foot was closer to goal than both the keeper and Qatari player Abdelkarim Hasan Fadlalla – making the razor-thin decision correct.
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Semi-automated off-side technology (SAOT) is making its debut at this tournament, using a dozen cameras positioned around each of the newly-completed stadiums to track players’ bodies in detail, but the first decision ignited fierce controversy – especially as it took ten minutes for a 3D graphic to reveal the moment the player was off-side.
“I’m going to have a blooming high blood pressure by the end of the month if this carries on this way,” Alan Shearer said on BBC. “I don’t think there’s any person watching this in the world who thinks that this is off-side. Ball goes up, the challenge is there, we’re all thinking, ‘OK, it’s not a high kick there, he wins the header, there’.”
Shearer described the decision as ‘madness’ while Gary Lineker labelled it ‘absurd’, asking: “Really? Is that what VAR is for?”
“Everyone watching the game would have said that’s a goal straight away,” Ashley Williams added.
“That is a call that you would not have seen whistled before this technology,” Fox Soccer commentator Stu Holden said on the US coverage.
Dion Dublin in live commentary for BBC Sport was absolutely dumbfounded, saying: “That is the loudest the stadium has been! That is amazing. I can’t see where the off-side has come from. Is it a push on the keeper, maybe? I don’t know why that has been disallowed.”
And fan-favourite pundit Chris Kamara wrote on social media: “Been rewinding that Ecuador goal & rewound it & rewound it. Hopefully, it’s not our boys on VAR.”
Nevertheless, Valencia made amends with two goals in the opening 31 minutes to inspire a 2-0 win for Ecuador, making Qatar the first-ever Cup hosts to lose the opening fixture.
