World Cup

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Attendance: 41,279

World Cup | Group Stage

Jun 16, 2018 at 11am UK

France
2-1
Australia Australia

Griezmann (58' pen.), Behich (80' og.)

FT(HT: 0-0)

Jedinak (62' pen.)

Bert van Marwijk unhappy with VAR penalty call in Australia loss to France

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter

Published: June 16 2018 | 15:20

Last updated: June 16 2018 | 21:17

Australia head coach Bert van Marwijk slams referee Andres Cunha following the Socceroos' 2-1 World Cup defeat to France that saw VAR used for the first time.

Australia head coach Bert van Marwijk has criticised referee Andres Cunha following the Socceroos' 2-1 World Cup defeat to France that saw VAR used for the first time.

Antoine Griezmann scored from the first VAR-assisted penalty awarded in the history of the tournament to give Les Bleus a 58th-minute lead in Kazan.

Although Australian captain Mile Jedinak levelled from the spot four minutes later following a Samuel Umtiti handball, goalline technology was then used when Paul Pogba's deflected shot crept over the line in the 81st minute.

"I hoped that maybe one time there would be a very honest referee, and in that moment, that he wouldn't go to the video screen," the Dutchman told Sky Sports News. "I saw him standing there. The body language was that he didn't know, from my position.

"And then you have to take a decision - France or Australia. I got a lot of reactions, let's say that out of 10 people seven said it was a penalty and three said no penalty. So I don't know. I have to see [the footage].

"It's very difficult to decide when you have 50,000 people [in the stadium] on his back, he must decide. He was standing very close to the moment of the penalty, and he said directly, 'Go [play] on'. He's also a human being, and everyone makes mistakes."

Australia return to action on Thursday when they take on Denmark at the Cosmos Arena in Samara.