Remember the past World Cups when your team got screwed and you wished there was a technology that could keep your team from getting screwed? Well, the future is now. VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is being used for the first time at a World Cup and I think it's great (so far). The first four games went by without the need of VAR. Rugby has been using a form of VAR (called TMO) since 2001.
This game was closer than it really should have been. The talent of the French team is head and shoulders above the Socceroos (stupid nickname) and yet this game was in doubt until the last ten minutes of the game. Both sides had quality chances that they squandered.
Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring by converting a penalty at 58' when VAR confirmed shenanigans inside the box. At first, the referee allowed play to continue until a stoppage in play. The play was reviewed and a penalty was called in about a minute. That's the way it should be. Four minutes later, Jedinak leveled the score on a penalty at 62'. VAR was also used to confirm Samuel Umtiti handled the ball in the area. Paul Pogba put the game away at 81' with a goal that needed GLT (Goal Line Technology) to confirm. Welcome to the technology World Cup.
France has work to do. This team is one of the favorites, but it played down to the level of Australia. Can someone explain the point of Olivier Giroud? I just don't see the value. He never seems to be uninterested in playing until he actually scores. Karim Benzema + Olivier Giroud = 0