Major Turning Point Fuels Penalty Dispute in Thrilling Victory-Adelaide Encounter: ‘It Was Ridiculous’

Was it a penalty or not? This was the burning question following Melbourne Victory’s thrilling 5-3 victory over arch-rivals Adelaide United on Saturday night in the Isuzu UTE A-League.

Substitute Nikos Vergos came on to score two crucial goals in the 88th and 90th minutes, propelling Victory into the top four. Yet the true “massive turning point” of the match occurred in the 71st minute at AAMI Park.

Adelaide had fought back from a two-goal deficit to lead 3-2 when referee Shaun Evans was prompted by VAR to review a contentious incident involving two-goal star Daniel Arzani and Reds defender Panagiotis Kikianis.

Arzani fell to the ground following a challenge by Kikianis inside the penalty area, and despite his fervent protests, the referee initially chose not to award a penalty. That decision was overturned after Evans reviewed the incident via VAR, much to the frustration of the young Adelaide defender, who maintained he had made contact with the ball.

After his recent appearance with the Socceroos during the international break, Arzani stepped up to take the penalty kick, and post-match, he shared his thoughts on the decision.

“I found it quite ridiculous that he didn’t award the penalty immediately,” Arzani stated during an interview with Network 10.

“He has completely taken my legs out. He might have gotten a slight touch on the ball, but the ball was still in my control.”

“I was disappointed he didn’t give it right away… but it is what it is.”

This result has left Adelaide hanging onto sixth place as they continue to grapple with a seven-game winless streak.

Adelaide’s Stefan Mauk also weighed in on the penalty situation, stating to Network 10: “If the referee believes he touched it—Kikianis says he touched it, after all.”

“He might not be lying, but what does he gain from it?”

“I really don’t understand how he could determine there wasn’t any contact. If he grazed the ball at all, it shouldn’t be a penalty. In cricket, they use technology to make these calls; how can Shaun Evans judge it without any tech support?”

“VAR is designed to correct clear mistakes, and in my view, this wasn’t an obvious error. If he believed he touched the ball, he should trust his own call.”

“For players like us, this inconsistency is frustrating. It affects us significantly. If he made contact with the ball, even just a tiny bit, it’s not a penalty. I admit I sound a bit bitter, but this happens to all teams. The technology is supposed to address the clear and obvious errors; if he thinks he made contact, we should have the tools to verify.”

“That decision was a pivotal moment in the match.”