World Cup 2018: Tunisia’s Sassi is already my World Cup villain.. and the jury’s still out on VAR
The Tunisian forward brought back memories of Ronaldo's wink on Monday, and my blood was boiling
EVERY World cup throws up one name that we never forget.. and not necessarily for the right reasons.
There is always one player from the opposition team that adds drama and pain to our games and for me so far that man is Tunisia’s Ferjani Sassi.
That smug look on his face when he scored that penalty against England on Monday night and then made a heart to the camera with his hands - it was just like that Cristiano wink all over again.
My blood was boiling, and I'm sure I wasn't alone!
The incident raised so many questions in England fans’ minds including had VAR failed us and why wasn't it being used to review the apparent foul by Kyle Walker?
Defenders have to use their arms. I don't see he did much wrong, and shouldn't we see yellow cards handed out for simulation and dives?
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There is still a fair bit of confusion around VAR, and it's not just among the fans.
Walker admitted this week that he and his team-mates aren't too confident about how it works and even went as far as to question if the system should be used at the tournament.
Pundits also seem to be adding to the confusion which then gets fed back to us fans.
Part of me thinks it is a risky move by FIFA introducing it at such a big tournament when it's still relatively new to most of the world.
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It is in use in Italy's Serie A and the German Bundesliga and seems to work well now they’ve got used to it.
And other sports have benefited from VAR for years, so it is about time football caught up.
It is going to take a while for players to get used to it, and hopefully that understanding will eventually filter down to the commentators, pundits, journalists and finally the public.
But it hasn’t been all bad news where VAR is concerned.
Four penalties have been given so far using the new technology and ten penalties have been awarded in 17 matches.
The World Cup record is 18 for an entire tournament, so we are witnessing more goals and more excitement, and that’s what appeals to fans.