To some MLS fans, VAR may seem fickle – but St. Louis City SC fans were in for an unpleasant surprise on Saturday night.
In the first half of St. Louis’ home match against Atlanta United, an early St. Louis goal was disallowed following a VAR review. The goal was verified before offsides and a foul in the build-up to the goal – and although there were no offsides, the refereeing team ruled that there had been I had it was a foul, which means the goal was recovered after all.
The clip of referee Filip Dujic making the announcement about the unconventional call-up went viral on social media. At the videoDujic announces that there were no offsides, provoking applause from the St. Louis fans. He then gestures for the crowd to hold and reduce the applause, before announcing the foul and the result – no goal and a direct free kick in favor of Atlanta.
The clip, while it went viral mainly for Dujic’s slight smile as he dashed fans’ hopes of an early lead, also represents a new era of MLS VAR.
In April, MLS announced a new set of rules at the start of the regular season, which were initially postponed due to referee lockout between PRO and PSRA. Two of the new rules relate to time loss, around injury treatment and substitutions, but the third is the introduction of VAR announcements in the stadium.
In MLS, VAR decisions are now explained and announced by the central referee, with the referee’s voice coming over the loudspeaker. The change gives fans, both at the stadium and at home, the chance to understand the meaning behind the verdict, especially in high-stakes analyzes relating to goals and fouls.
In the end, St. Louis had to settle for a 1-1 draw: St. Louis midfielder Indiana Vassilev, who provided an assist for the goal that was disallowed, scored in the 50th minute. However, Atlanta equalized 20 minutes later, with a shot from striker Daniel Ríos.
