In a tumultuous AFC Champions League match, Shandong Taishan needed to be extra vigilant, and the on-site VAR video assistant referee's performance was dramatic, as if he was more eager to win than the home team's players and coaches, eager to boost Yokohama Mariners to the title. This VAR was overly aggressive in his calls and stole the show. Especially at the end of extra time, he had no qualms about interfering in the game just to help the Yokohama Mariners.
He intervened with VAR three times: twice for Yokohama Mariners' penalties and once for a red card for a Bangkok United player. If the VAR interventions were justified, the first two were so puzzling that even the referee found them hard to accept.
In the first half of overtime, in the 100th minute, the home team took a corner kick and an attacker fell to the ground while being pulled by both players (see photo below). The match continued as usual, with the Yokohama Mariners players not signaling a foul. However, about a minute later, the VAR video assistant referee intervened - noting that the visiting player had pulled down the home player - and awarded a penalty kick.
However, the referee, after watching the replay in person at the stadium, deemed it a normal defensive action and did not penalize the penalty. Bangkok United was spared, but the Video Assistant Referee did not give up. In the 107th minute of extra time, a Bangkok United defender intentionally tripped the Yokohama Mariners (see below).
The referee showed a yellow card warning on the spot. However, after -1½ minutes, the VAR again reminded the referee that this was a red card action. The referee then went to the pitch again and realized that this was pure nonsense, as the Bangkok United player who committed the foul was not the last defender (see below), and the action was not enough to award a red card at all.
Despite this, the referee did not take the advice of the video assistant referee. However, the drama did not end there! In the final minutes of the game, the video assistant referee finally came into play - it was the last penalty kick.
The penalty kick was quite legendary! The game was in the 117th minute when a home player signaled a foul by a visiting player to stop a cross. The home players then gathered around the penalty kick, but the referee's first call was for a corner. The VAR video assistant referee then immediately intervened.
In the 118th minute, after communicating with the video assistant referee, the referee determined that it was a free kick outside the penalty area (see above). The Yokohama Mariners were not happy and continued to gather around the penalty kick. Surprisingly, the VAR Video Assistant Referee continued to communicate with the referee that it was a penalty kick.
Finally, in the 120th minute, the referee succumbed to the opinion of the VAR video assistant referee and was forced to recognize the penalty kick as valid. It was with this goal that the Yokohama Mariners turned the tables on their opponents and advanced to the next level.
It was undoubtedly a jaw-dropping intervention by the video assistant referee, doing his best to deliver warmth to the Yokohama Mariners, describing his support and help to the home team in blatant terms. Therefore, Shandong Taishan need to be more vigilant when facing Yokohama Mariners in the next round. Such VAR performance even surpasses the level of the Chinese Super League!
