Confederations Cup, mighty Germany...and VAR fails
Crikey Germany! In two days they have won the European Under-21 Championships and the Confederations Cup, and without their best players. As we know, the latter of these was won without Neuer, Hummels, Kroos, Khedira, Götze, Gundogan, Müller... They promoted the best of the under-21 age group who, in turn, were pulled from the youth competition. Well, they have won them both. Moving from natural strength to better control of the ball, Germany are once again where they were: as the footballing terror. Their clubs not so, who knows if that's due to them having fewer Germans in the side and they instead look for combinations that don't work. But on the international scene they have dealt a blow to the footballing world. They are good and they believe in themselves.
A reliable Germany
Chile started and ended the game brilliantly, playing well and pressing the Germans, but the match was decided by a huge error by 'Chelo' Díaz. He tried to play his way out of trouble with what we call in Spain a 'pelopina' on the edge of his own area, a place that even the move's inventor, Xavi Hernández, wouldn't have. Radomir Antić would always say: "One must respect the different zones of the pitch." In other words, what you try to do is relative to where you are. Díaz did it though and from there the game changed. Germany scuffed their other chance that came about in a similar way. In return, their defence didn't give anything away. As we know: the reliability of everything German, whether it be car, washing machine... They have a unified belief. They never think they will lose.
VAR fails this test
So Germany take home the Confederations Cup, which has served as a test for Russia's hosting of the World Cup...and also for VAR. I know that its introduction is inevitable, but I am still not convinced, and neither are many others. Among those others are referees, who do not like to be corrected in public. In Europe they are sucking it up, out of reverance for Collina and Busacca, but in South America there is a revolt. And, by the way, how referee Mazic decided to resolve the disgraceful elbow of Jara on Werner (with just a yellow), does not encourage any more belief. The illusion that it ends controversies is distinguished with an act like that. Imagine if that happened during a Clásico. We will have to return to this topic another day.