'Bang, across his chin' - Brady felt Ronaldo had to go

Ronaldo was lucky not to see red, according to Liam Brady

Cristiano Ronaldo was very fortunate not to be sent off in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with Iran.

That’s the verdict of RTÉ soccer pundit Liam Brady, who felt that the Real Madrid forward used his elbow in an aggressive manner towards Iran defender Morteza Pouraliganji late in the vital Group B clash.

As a result, the game was stopped for a VAR review – one of several in the game – and the referee concluded that a yellow card was an adequate punishment for the Portugal superstar.

"I would have given Ronaldo a red card," said Brady, speaking on the panel of RTE's World Cup post-match analysis.

"I thought it was violent conduct. I think the Iranian impedes Ronaldo running for the ball and I think Ronaldo reacts with an elbow. Definitely an elbow, bang across his chin, and that is a sending off."

And Brady also believes that the decision to award the yellow was not the call of the referee but from the VAR team in Moscow.

"I am adamant that these referees are being told what to give from up above, and with Ronaldo he was told to just give him a yellow."

Keith Andrews was not as convinced about whether the incident warranted a red card, however, the former Ireland international, who was also on the post-match panel, believes that the referee’s issuing of a yellow card was a ‘cop out’.

"As soon as he stops to look at that on the VAR, for me, it’s very simple, when he comes back on, there is no card or it’s a red card," explained Andrews.

"The yellow card is a cop out, an absolute cop out and the fact that it is Ronaldo comes into play because he is the superstar. No doubt about it in my opinion.

"He either sees it as he is trying to get through to the ball and in that case it’s nothing. Or it’s an elbow, there is nothing in between."

"He either sees it as he is trying to get through to the ball and in that case it’s nothing. Or it’s an elbow, there is nothing in between..." - Keith Andrews felt that Ronaldo's yellow card was a cop out by the referee.#RTEsoccer https://t.co/kZClbdaPe8 pic.twitter.com/veAlPAuQap

— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 25, 2018

Andrews also believes that the game turned into a ‘circus’ in the second half with VAR again proving the major talking point following the final game of Group B.

In what turned out to be a largely unwatchable game of football with several stoppages throughout the second 45 minutes, VAR was called into play, causing major delays in the game.

"This tournament was too soon for VAR because it has been hit and miss," added Andrews.

"You cannot bring something into the biggest football competition in the world at the stage that it is at, because it is nowhere near the finished article.

"And that second half became a circus with players and management asking for it [VAR], begging for it. And because players and staff know it’s available and what is at stake, they’re going to push the boundaries.

"It’s far from ideal and that was probably the worst 45 minutes of the tournament."

A VAR review resulted in Iran being awarded a late penalty in the game, which led to the equalising goal, however, Brady believes that the wrong decision was still arrived at.

"I don’t think this would have been given in England. It was accidental. You make a deliberate handball when you are facing play. His back was to the play and he doesn’t know what’s going on.

"The referee didn’t give it but I reckon because the Iranians suffered at the hands of VAR a couple of times, that the referee decided to give it.

"Everyone is asking for it now. And it has now entered our game and was something that was never there before. And it is such an important aspect and the game is going to be overtaken by this."

Former German international Didi Hamann has always been a critic of the introduction of VAR and still believes that there are too many ‘grey areas’ for it to do the job that it was intended to do.

"The reason it was brought in was to get the right result and the fair result," said Hamann, the third member of the panel.

"That is the biggest myth we have ever had in football because it only takes one decision in the game and if you get it wrong you don’t get the right result or fair result."

If you watch one VAR discussion tonight, make sure it's this one. The RTÉ panel don't hold back on their opposition of the new system #rtesoccer #worldcup #VAR pic.twitter.com/eCbnM3o2YK

— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 25, 2018

And in relation to the penalty incident, Hamann believes that the delay to the game was ‘unacceptable’.

"It must have taken three or four minutes from the actual incident before the referee went to the touchline to have a look because the rule is, once the game is restarted, it is gone.

"It looked to me that the Iranians stopped playing until he had a look or communicated with the guys in Moscow, or wherever they sit.

"It is unacceptable because there are people at home and nobody knows what is going on. And eventually he did have a look and awarded the penalty.

"I just feel that the discrepancy... the heat of the moment decisions, celebrations, sadness. If you compare it to what we got, did it make our product any better?

"I don’t think it did but it took so much away. And in return we got very little and that is why I have always been against it.

"Football is a fluent game and it is part of the reason why all over the world it is being watched and if you have too many interruptions, people won’t stand for it. There are too many grey areas."

"If you use it for offside, I have no problem but when you bring it in for foul play, I think you open a can of worms because there are some decisions where there is no right or wrong."