The lads had a difference of opinions…
Brazil took their sweet time but they eventually beat Costa Rica 2-0 after injury time goals from Philippe Coutinho and Neymar.
It looked as though the central Americans were going to spoil Brazil’s party as the game edged towards a stalemate. The biggest talking point was destined to be this reversal of a penalty awarded to Neymar after some slight contact in the Costa Rican box.
VAR rules no penalty, the Neymar persecution complex just hit 11 #BRA 0-0 #CRC #Worldcup #RTEsoccerhttps://t.co/xxo2vgzqlD pic.twitter.com/O5anTBfwIp
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 22, 2018
Neymar was fuming for most of the match and was booked for dissent soon after that VAR moment.
The PSG striker was eventually on the winning side but most of the chat in the RTE studio, post-match was about the non-penalty.
Richie Sadlier felt the VAR team were correct to reverse the spot-kick call but Liam Brady was not having it. “If that happens elsewhere on the pitch,” the former Arsenal and Ireland midfielder argued, “it’s an indirect free-kick…
“I felt that Gonzalez almost grabbed Neymar’s shirt momentarily. Neymar felt it and said, ‘Well, I can’t get the ball any more so it’s going to be a foul’, and the referee agreed with it.
“Did the referee go to VAR or did VAR go to the referee? This is what I don’t understand!”
“I didn’t think it was wrong,” he continued.
With that, Sadlier jumped in. “It is. It’s wrong.”
With Brady leaning over and speaking to Sadlier like he was hard of hearing, the former Millwall and Ireland forward then carried out a little re-enactment.
SADLIER: “I’ll say clearly what I mean. This (touching Brady’s arm lightly) is contact… there… is that enough for a penalty kick?”
BRADY: “It was more than that Richie!”
SADLIER: “The degree of contact has to be a feature.”
BRADY: “He grabbed a hold of his shirt and he let it go.”
.@richiesadlier gets physical with Liam Brady as the #RTEsoccer panel debate the Neymar incident and whether VAR got it right #worldcup #BRA #CRC pic.twitter.com/6DX5l0YeXk
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 22, 2018
We can only imagine how physical the Brazilian and Costa Rican pundits are getting if this incident caused such a stir out in Montrose.
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