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We all have a reason to hate VAR: its stupid nano-sized offside lines, seeing penalties nobody else sees, the time it takes from the game to review plays — you name it. However, there are times when you wish the technology was around.
Or at least you entertain the idea after seeing how unfair life was with Spanish goalkeeper Manu García last weekend.
Goalkeeper scores goal with his face but ref calls handball and sends him off
Seconds before the final whistle (90+6' to be specific) and trying to equalize, keeper García joined the attack in hopes of connecting with a hail mary set-piece. Miraculously, after a pinball sequence in the box, the ball ended up accidentally smashing his face before going right into the net.
Not very orthodox, but a goal nonetheless.
Well, except for the fact that referee Monter Solans, who for a split second seemed to validate it, decided to call handball in the end.
⚪️L'@atleticbalears s'ha imposat 2⃣-1⃣ al @NASTICTARRAGONA, però li ha tocat patir
Atenció a la jugada que ha pogut suposar l'empat del conjunt català⚽️El porter Manu García marca de cap al temps afegit
❌L'àrbitre li anul·la per mans i l'expulsa per protestar pic.twitter.com/VXhCazblxq
— Esports IB3 (@EsportsIB3) April 23, 2023
García couldn't believe the official's decision and went nuclear, flapping his around arms and yelling – according to the referee report – "It hit me in the fucking face!" several times before he was shown a red card.
Of course, we would not be telling this story if VAR had been present during the game. A simple check on the screen and the goal would've been validated. However, the Tercera División (Spanish third division) can't afford the technology and that's that.
By the way, the league's disciplinary committee suspended García for two games after being sent off, but there was no sanction for Monter Solans' poor judgment.
