عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

PGMOL Chief Webb Stands by VAR Decision on Gordon Goal 

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon celebrates after the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC in Newcastle, Britain, 04 November 2023. (EPA)
Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon celebrates after the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC in Newcastle, Britain, 04 November 2023. (EPA)
TT
TT

PGMOL Chief Webb Stands by VAR Decision on Gordon Goal 

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon celebrates after the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC in Newcastle, Britain, 04 November 2023. (EPA)
Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon celebrates after the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC in Newcastle, Britain, 04 November 2023. (EPA)

Referees body (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb said there was no conclusive evidence available for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to disallow Anthony Gordon's goal for Newcastle United against Arsenal earlier this month.

Gordon's goal at St James' Park on Nov. 4 was allowed to stand following a lengthy VAR review to check if the ball went out of play, whether there was a foul in the build-up and for offside.

Arteta gave a scathing assessment of the match officials after the 1-0 defeat ended their unbeaten run in the league, with Arsenal backing the Spaniard's stance.

"We know the ball is curved, so it can be over-hanging the line and we need evidence it's out, and we don't have that here," Webb told Match Officials Mic'd Up on Tuesday.

"The ball then comes over and Joelinton challenges Gabriel (Magalhaes), and it could be a foul, might be a foul. The VAR decides that the evidence from the footage isn't clear enough to intervene with a recommendation for a review for a clear error.

"So again, no conclusive evidence that Gordon was offside when the ball was last touched. The VAR went through that diligently and identified no clear evidence to intervene to overturn the goal. The process was actually correct."

However, Webb said VAR fell short during Wolverhampton Wanderers game against Newcastle last month.

Newcastle were awarded a penalty following a challenge by Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan on Fabian Schar, a decision Wolves manager Gary O'Neil labelled "scandalous".

"We feel this is a situation that reaches the threshold for a clear and obvious error even though there is contact and the ball isn't played by Hwang," Webb said. "VAR didn't quite get there and, in our opinion, should have done."

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Djokovic, Alcaraz Will Play for Men's Singles Gold at Olympics

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their men's singles semi-final tennis match on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Stadium during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their men's singles semi-final tennis match on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Stadium during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
TT
TT

Djokovic, Alcaraz Will Play for Men's Singles Gold at Olympics

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their men's singles semi-final tennis match on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Stadium during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their men's singles semi-final tennis match on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Stadium during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on August 2, 2024. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)

When Novak Djokovic's first berth in an Olympics tennis final was secured, when he was assured of a chance to win the gold medal that's missing from his lengthy list of accomplishments, he fell back on the clay, limbs spread apart — the sort of pose generally reserved for securing a championship.
“This,” he said after beating Lorenzo Musetti of Italy 6-4, 6-2 by taking the last four games, “is a big deal.”
Already the owner of a men's-record 24 Grand Slam titles and more weeks at No. 1 in the rankings than anyone in tennis history, Djokovic will try to add to his legacy when he faces Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday in the men's singles title match, The Associated Press reported.
Alcaraz was even more dominant in Friday's semifinals, eliminating Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-1, 6-1.
Djokovic is 37, which makes him the oldest man to play in a Summer Games tennis final. Alcaraz is 21, which makes him the youngest.
“The way he’s playing, he’s definitely a favorite,” said Djokovic, who came into Friday 0-3 in Olympics semifinals.
Djokovic's best medal to date for Serbia was a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games. Now he'll do no worse than a silver.
“Just to secure a higher medal for the first time for my country, whatever happens on Sunday, is a huge, obviously pride and honor and happiness — and that’s why I celebrated the way I did,” he said. “I still need to celebrate, because it’s a big success, of course.”
Was Musetti surprised to see the way Djokovic reacted?
“I know how much it means for ‘Nole’ to win a gold, to win a medal, of course,” Musetti replied, using Djokovic's nickname. “So, no, absolutely not.”
The final will be a rematch of the past two Wimbledon finals, each won by Alcaraz, including three weeks ago.
“It’s always really difficult facing Novak in every round,” Alcaraz said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the first round or final.”
The Spaniard has four Grand Slam titles, one of which came in June at the French Open, the clay-court tournament held at Roland Garros, the site Olympics tennis is being played this year.
Djokovic got injured during the French Open, tearing the meniscus in his right knee and having surgery on June 5. He felt what he described as “sharp pain” while getting past Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals Thursday night, but he seemed fine — and said he was — against Musetti after a lot of work with his physiotherapist to prepare.
“It didn’t bother me at all” Friday, Djokovic said, “so I'm really glad there’s nothing serious about it.”
He acknowledged feeling nervy and seemed that way, bothered by things such as the wind or the footing or the chair umpire calling him twice for time violations and then warning him for an audible obscenity. Over and over, Djokovic gestured at his team up in the stands, muttering or even yelling.
But his tennis was on point, other than when he got broken to begin the second set. Still, he quickly regrouped.
“He deserved to win,” said Musetti who also lost to Djokovic at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024.
Earlier, with dozens of spectators waving red-and-yellow Spanish flags at Court Philippe Chatrier or yelling “Vamos, Carlos!” on a cloudy afternoon — and a soundtrack provided during breaks in the action by a brass band in the stands — Alcaraz was superb against Auger-Aliassime.
He never faced a break point. He won the point on 10 of 11 trips to the net. He made just 13 unforced errors, 10 fewer than Auger-Aliassime, who also lost to Alcaraz at this year’s French Open.
“I just couldn’t find a way to be comfortable in any pattern, any position. Whether it was trying to dominate the forehand cross-court or change of direction, the forehand inside-out, the backhand side,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Every aspect. The movement. The defense. I was dominated.”
Later Friday, Auger-Aliassime went back on court and teamed with Gabriela Dabrowski to give Canada the bronze in mixed doubles with a 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands. The Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac beat China's Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen 6-2, 5-7 (8) for gold.