A bizarre Fiorentina disallowed goal vs. Braga confused just about everyone on Thursday when a VAR decision overruled goal line technology.
The introduction of technology to soccer has come with its problems, but most fans can agree the sport is in a better place now. Long past are the days of “no era penal” and Frank Lampard’s ghost goal vs. Germany. Goal line technology and VAR has seen to it that mistakes like those are incredibly rare nowadays.
Thursday’s Europa Conference League playoff was the first time in this writer’s experience that goal line technology and VAR disagreed on a goal.
In the 49th minute Arthur Cabral thought he had tied the game at 2-2. Cabral’s shot looked like it had been saved off the line, but then the referee pointed to his watch to show that the goal line technology system indicated the ball had fully crossed the line.
The referee then went to the VAR monitor and would take away the goal. WTF?
Fiorentina disallowed goal vs. Braga
How close can you get?!
There's VAR decisions and then there's VAR decisions like this❗️ pic.twitter.com/Je03EDbRK8— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2023
Funny enough, Cabral would score in the 83rd minute and for his celebration he mimicked the referee’s VAR decision but instead pointed for a goal. Elite humor from Cabral here.
And after Var incredibly calling illegal Fiorentina goal validated previously by goal line technology,
minutes later Fiorentina’s Cabral actually scored and creates the Var celebration pic.twitter.com/bPAmP4Rqdt— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) February 23, 2023
Arthur Cabral had a goal ruled out by VAR after goal line technology said it was over the line
So he decided to perform his own VAR goal check after scoring the winner for Fiorentina later in the game pic.twitter.com/byu3tbcRpE— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 24, 2023
In the end the disallowed goal didn’t impact the game too much as Fiorentina defeated Braga 7-2 on aggregate.
