I think so, yes. I mean it's a directive to delay unless there is a chance you could be wrong. The more experienced assistants with VAR now have a lot more data to understand when they might actually be wrong or not. So they are more confident.
One of the times I like NCAA/NFHS clock rules, you can tell the Iranians who are milling around the ball slowing things down "hey, it's your time, you're the team that is behind" while pointing at the running stadium clock.
That definitely is a missed foul on Sargent. And while it's understandable why/how he missed it, I also think Mateu is smart enough to have pieced together and called it anyway.
I’m sorta torn on this. Sargent clearly leaves his leg down to draw contact. He could easily have avoided the Iranian player.
RIght. And I would argue it's a foul whether contact is made there or not. Like the mis-timed tackle caused Sargent to awkwardly hurdle him. That's enough for me. Granted, if he doesn't slip on the ball we aren't even discussing this. So it's hard to get too worked up over it because it is so odd. But still.
That's probably not what happened, though. If he deliberately left his leg, he would have fell just fell over once he drew the contact. He ends up awkwardly stepping on the ball. I think the poorly timed nature of the tackle just through Sargent off. I also think Sargent probably thought his opponent would get the ball.
Fair enough. But I was struck by how Sargent avoided contact with his first leg but not with his second leg, which was left dangling. Ultimately I’m fine with no foul call, but I see the other side of the argument.
This is a very, very, underrated heated ending. You can see the pressure and tension sort of oozing out of the Iranians.