[Lord Snooty]

Just seen the highlights of today's game. Superb stuff from the team and Lauren James in particular.

The Chinese weren't much cop, particularly the keeper, but that's not our problem, is it.

Not impressed with some of the refereeing. Or rather, the VAR refereeing. Lauren scored a brilliant hat trick, but was denied it because her second goal was disallowed. Lucy Bronze was walking back, but in an offside position when the ball is played. She doesn't touch the ball or is anywhere near it. The ball is knocked around and eventually comes to Lucy, who is now well onside and she lays the ball off to Lauren, who smashes it home into the top bins. Great goal.

But then the VAR chalks it off because of that walking back offside from Lucy Bronze.

Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself, but a player so positioned when the ball is played by a teammate can be judged guilty of an offside offence if they receive the ball or will otherwise become "involved in active play", will "interfere with an opponent", or will "gain an advantage" by being in that position.

The law needs changing. She wasn't in active play when the ball was played. Technically, yes. But we're getting goals chalked off that would never have been deemed offside before. It was a great goal and shit like this ruins the game.

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And also the penalty against Lucy Bronze. Clearly moving her arm away behind her back when the ball hits her arm.

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And just to add on to that. Some of the decisions given to England by VAR in the game against Haiti were stupid as well. This isn't an "it's not fair" rant. I just think VAR stinks and I wish it would just go away. But it won't, will it.

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In other news. How close were the USA away from getting knocked out by Portugal? The width of a post. That's how close.