The frenzied events of the days that followed — PSG coach Unai Emery saying Neymar might avoid surgery, surgery happening after the player s father stated a preference for that route and differing recovery timeframes stated by the respective club and national-team setups — gave a taste of the saga to come as one of the world s wealthiest clubs and most iconic footballing nation fret over the wellbeing of their prized asset. Brazil s tournament opener against Switzerland on June 17 looms large.
So near and yet so VAR
The International Football Association Board s unanimous approval of video assistant referees means the much-debated technology is set to be used in Russia, with a final decision to be made by FIFA on March 16. Ever since it was trialed at the Confederations Cup last year, world football s governing body has spoken enthusiastically about VAR as a giant leap forward in terms of just and fair decisions, but similar support is hard to find elsewhere.
It’s official, VAR is here to stay and will be used at this Summer’s World Cup. What could possibly go wrong?
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker)
The game s gone wing of supporters have been volubly resistant, as is its wont, but even advocates have been alarmed by the often confused and clunky implementation across major matches in Germany, Italy, Australia and England. According to IFAB figures, VAR has increased the accuracy of reviewed decisions by 93 percent to 98.9 percent — a return that makes a new and flawed system worth persevering through. Nevertheless, the chance of all the kinks being ironed out by the World Cup is somewhere closer to the other end of the percentage scale, meaning the whole VAR project might be dealt irreparable damage in Russia.
Argentina stars scrap for places
Lionel Messi is certain to provide numerous headaches for opposition defenses at the World Cup, but at the moment he presents a problem for Argentina s enviable batch of world-class forwards. Put simply, there are only so many of them Jorge Sampaoli can pick alongside Messi. The former Chile and Sevilla boss brought Gonzalo Higuain in from the cold for his squad to contest forthcoming friendlies against Italy and Spain but left Paulo Dybala and Mauro Icardi on the outside looking in.
[SELECCIONADOS]
14.00
Lazio
— Selección Argentina (@Argentina)
Sergio Aguero was also dropped earlier this season, although a rich vein of form for a dominant Manchester City means Messi s great mate has probably already done enough. Additionally, Sampaoli has not entirely ruled out a recall for Carlos Tevez, who is back among the goals at Boca Juniors. Serie A stars Dybala, Higuain and Icardi face a high-pressure end to the campaign, while the need to get the balance absolutely right for Messi s final World Cup tilt of his peak years should weigh heavily upon Sampaoli.
Who is England s number one?
Not knowing who your first-choice goalkeeper is heading into a World Cup is a recipe for calamity, as England s then-boss Fabio Capello can vouch for after his South Africa 2010 experience. In defense of the man currently occupying Capello s old role, it is tricky to see how Gareth Southgate could know with any certainty who will don the gloves when the Three Lions face Tunisia on June 18. Instead of rebuilding from painfully being found surplus to requirements at Manchester City, Joe Hart has been consumed within his own rubble and is unlikely to play for West Ham again this season.
