FIFA make drastic VAR change before England vs Argentina as pressure rises

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Video Assistant Referees (VAR) for England's World Cup semi-final against

Argentina

will be located inside the stadium following a decision by FIFA. The VAR officials will now be on-site for the final four following criticism and mounting scrutiny over standards at this summer's tournament.

As a result of high-profile talking points and incidents during the quarter-finals, the governing body have taken evasive action and opted to have the primary VAR and reserve VAR at each venue. This means during the semi-finals between

France

vs

Spain

and England vs Argentina, those behind the

technology

will be in Dallas and Atlanta, respectively.

England saw their penalty overruled despite Djed Spence appearing to be brought down in the box by a Norwegian defender. Meanwhile,

Egypt

saw a goal disallowed for a foul in the build-up to what would have been a two-goal lead through Ziko, it was adjudged that at the beginning of the passage, Lisandro Martinez had been fouled.

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Prior to the quarter-final stage, where the move was trialled at a handful of matches, VAR officials had been working from a central hub at the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas, irrespective of where the game was being played.

This development represents a significant change in how the tournament's review system functions, coming amid fierce scrutiny of refereeing standards ahead of the remaining high-stakes fixtures.

The newly-positioned on-site officials will act as a safety net should any communication or technical difficulties emerge. If contact with the Dallas hub is lost, officials inside the stadium will be able to assess incidents and advise the referee to carry out reviews without causing unnecessary disruption to the match.

"There's a lot of drama that unfolds in these games. And look, when you are asking only four officials to manage what's going on on the field, it's very difficult on a field that's much bigger than an American football field," said Dan Hunt, Owner of FC Dallas and

FIFA World Cup

Organising Committee member.

"I'm glad that there's gonna be on-site. I don't know what that communication's gonna look like."

Ivan Barton has been appointed referee for the eagerly anticipated clash between Spain and France. Barton will be assisted by David Moran of El Salvador and Nicaragua's Antonio Pupiro, both of whom have worked alongside him throughout his previous three matches at this World Cup and are regular members of his officiating team in CONCACAF and FIFA competitions.

Poland's Tomasz Kwiatkowski takes charge as the lead VAR official. A highly experienced video specialist, he headed up the VAR team for the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina.

He will be backed by Dutch official Dennis Higler and Mexico's Guillermo Pacheco.

Barton has already made headlines at this World Cup, becoming the first referee to issue a red card for mouth-covering when he dismissed

Paraguay

's Miguel Almiron last month.

Paraguay held on to their 1-0 victory over Turkiye despite being reduced to ten men for the entire second half, with Almiron subsequently apologising to his teammates for the costly error.