The EFL has elucidated the circumstances surrounding Sheffield United’s disallowed goal against Sunderland in the Championship play-off final. After Tyrese Campbell gave Chris Wilder’s side the lead, hopes were high when Harrison Burrows seemingly doubled their advantage. However, joy turned to disappointment when VAR intervened to rule out the goal. The decision was based on Vinicius Souza being in an offside position and impeding Sunderland’s goalkeeper, Anthony Patterson, from effectively thwarting the goal.
In an official statement shared on social media following the incident, the EFL outlined the sequence of events that led to the VAR overturning the initial on-field decision in favor of Sheffield United. The statement, which referenced the 35th-minute VAR intervention during the #SHUSUN match, clarified that Souza’s offside positioning and subsequent actions had hindered Patterson, resulting in the goal being disallowed.
Former referee Mike Dean provided additional insight into the disallowed goal during a segment on Sky Sports. Dean noted the intricacies of the play, pointing out the late movement of Bellingham and its impact on the goalkeeper’s line of sight, thereby affecting his ability to react in time to the shot. Dean mentioned that the decision ultimately hinged on whether the VAR deemed the offside player had influenced the goalkeeper, highlighting the subjective nature of such calls. He expressed his belief that the goal would likely be chalked off due to the goalkeeper being obstructed by the offending player, aligning with the VAR’s assessment of the situation.
The incident and subsequent deliberations underscored the complexity and contentious nature of VAR’s involvement in football matches, subjecting key moments to intricate scrutiny and interpretation as teams vie for a coveted Championship play-off victory.
