2018 A-League Grand Final#Video assistant referee (VAR) controversy

{{Infobox football match

| title = 2018 A-League Grand Final

| image =

| image_size =

| event = 2017–18 A-League

| team1 = Newcastle Jets

| team2 = Melbourne Victory

| team1score = 0

| team2score = 1

| details =

| date = 5 May 2018

| stadium = McDonald Jones Stadium

| city = Newcastle

| man_of_the_match1a = Lawrence Thomas

| referee = Jarred Gillett

| attendance = 29,410

| weather =

| previous = 2017

| next = 2019

}}

The 2018 A-League Grand Final was the thirteenth A-League Grand Final, played on 5 May 2018. The match took place at McDonald Jones Stadium, with Newcastle Jets hosting Melbourne Victory, the first A-League grand final held outside a metropolitan city.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/5369330/newcastle-jets-to-host-a-league-grand-final-after-victory-stun-sydney-fc/|title=Newcastle Jets to host A-League grand final after Victory stun Sydney FC|last=Gardiner|first=James|date=2018-04-29|work=Newcastle Herald|access-date=2018-04-30|language=en}}

Kosta Barbarouses scored the only goal of the game, in the 9th minute. It was a controversial goal, as replays showed that there was an offside offence in the lead up to the goal, but the Video Assistant Referee system had gone down for technical reasons and the goal was allowed to stand.

Teams

In the following table, finals until 2004 were in the National Soccer League era, since 2006 were in the A-League era.

class="wikitable"
Team !Previous final appearances (bold indicates winners)
Newcastle Jets \|1 (2008)
Melbourne Victory \|5 (2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017)

class="wikitable"

Team

!Previous final appearances (bold indicates winners)

Newcastle Jets

|1 (2008)

Melbourne Victory

|5 (2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017)

Records

Kosta Barbarouses's 9th-minute goal was the fastest ever goal scored in an A-League Grand Final.{{cite web|title=A-League grand final: Melbourne Victory beat Newcastle Jets 1-0 to win fourth championship|work=ABC News |date=5 May 2018 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-05/melbourne-victory-beat-newcastle-jets-in-a-league-grand-final/9730796|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=6 May 2018}}

Kosta Barbarouses's 9th-minute goal was the equal 3rd fastest goal ever scored in any previous National Soccer League Grand Final & A-League Grand Final history behind John Anastasiadis in 1998 for South Melbourne against Carlton at Olympic Park, Mile Sterjovski in 1999 for Sydney United against South Melbourne at Olympic Park, and Mark Koussas in 1984 for Sydney Olympic against South Melbourne at Olympic Park.

Melbourne Victory became the first ever team to qualify for the A-League Grand Final from outside the top 3. With their win, the Victory became the first team in A-League history to win 4 championships, and the first team in A-League history to win the Championship from outside the top 2.{{cite web|last1=Rosengarten|first1=Jake|title=Melbourne Victory's grand final win sees Melbourne City without an Asian Champions League spot|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/melbourne-victorys-grand-final-win-sees-melbourne-city-without-an-asian-champions-league-spot/news-story/a23dc5a6ea68feb53e323399d620ab1b?nk=1b3914e74327f5543c04f2ede1cf8774-1525604965|website=Fox Sports Australia|date=6 May 2018 |publisher=News Corp|accessdate=6 May 2018}}

Melbourne Victory also became the first team to win the championship from outside the top 2 positions after regular season since Adelaide City won the 1994 NSL Grand Final from 5th spot on the ladder and Melbourne Victory are only just the 9th team in history to win an away from home Grand Final in 34-year history of season deciders in NSL & A-League history and were just only the 7th team in history to win the NSL Grand Final & A-League Grand Final from outside the top 2 positions after regular season.

Melbourne Victory equal the record for most NSL & A-League championships on four titles along with Hakoah Sydney City (1977, 1980, 1981, 1982), Marconi Stallions (1979, 1988, 1989, 1993), and South Melbourne (1984, 1991, 1998, 1999).

The crowd of 29,410 was Newcastle's biggest ever home attendance.

Video assistant referee (VAR) controversy

Kosta Barbarouses's goal in the 9th minute of the game came about via a header from James Donachie, however Donachie was offside when Leroy George took the free kick which Donachie passed to Barbarouses. The game's video assistant referee (VAR) system failed to detect Donachie's offside position as its video feed had failed in the thirty seconds leading up to the goal. By the time the system was restored, the game had resumed, meaning the decision to allow the goal stood. The Football Federation Australia later acknowledged the technical issues, but offered no real apology to the Newcastle team or fans.{{cite news|title=Major VAR glitch behind offside goal standing in A-League decider|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-06/ffa-reveal-reasons-behind-var-controversy-a-league-grand-final/9732640|accessdate=11 May 2018|work=ABC News|date=6 May 2018|language=en-AU}}

It was discovered that the VAR system had lost access to the camera views which would have allowed for the offside ruling. The incident only happened once throughout the season. FFA's Head of Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League, Greg O'Rourke, stated "This is important not just for the Hyundai A-League but for other leagues around the world and for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia at which VAR will be used for the first time."{{cite web | url=https://www.a-league.com.au/news/ffa-statement-relation-hyundai-a-league-2018-grand-final | title=FFA statement in relation to the Hyundai A-League 2018 Grand Final | date=6 May 2018 | website=a-league.com.au | accessdate=19 October 2022}}

Roy O'Donovan

Roy O'Donovan was immediately issued a red card, and later on a 10 game ban, for the high kick he delivered against Victory goal keeper Lawrence Thomas's face in the 93rd minute of the final.{{cite web | url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/football/2018/05/05/a-league-grand-final-newcastle-melbourne/ | title=Victory's A-League grand final win marred by referee's shocking call | date=5 May 2018 | website=thenewdaily.com.au | accessdate=10 November 2022}}

Following the 3 days of deliberation after the hearing, the Football Federation Australia's disciplinary and ethics committee decided on the harsh punishment for the Newcastle striker. It is the second-biggest ban ever given in the A-League, over the 8-game ban he had been given two years earlier for headbutting Wellington's Manny Muscat. O'Donovan's representation agreed that his actions were "careless" but also argued that he had been playing the ball in desperation to score an equaliser in the game's final seconds. Arguments which the disciplinary committee dismissed, insisting that his intention was clearly to injure Thomas as he was rushing for the ball. Ivan Griscti, FIFA's counsel, stated that "it does appear that the player is looking at the goalkeeper". O'Donovan attempted to plead his case via video link, stating that his vision at the time was blurred having been elbowed in the face from Besart Berisha only moments before, and that he had not realized that he had made contact with Thomas' head.{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/18/roy-odonovan-handed-10-game-ban-for-a-league-grand-final-assault | title=Roy O'Donovan handed 10-game ban for A-League grand final assault | date=18 May 2018 | website=theguardian.com | accessdate=10 November 2022}}

Route to the final

class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-right:20px; font-size:100%; text-align:center"

! {{Tooltip|Pos|Position}}

! Team

! {{Tooltip|Pts|Points}}

bgcolor=#BBF3BB

|align=left|Sydney FC

|64

bgcolor=#BBF3BB

|align=left|Newcastle Jets

|50

|align=left|Melbourne City

|43

|align=left|Melbourne Victory

|41

|align=left|Adelaide United

|39

|align=left|Brisbane Roar

|35

{{6TeamBracket|seeds=no

| RD1= Elimination-finals

| RD2= Semi-finals

| RD3= Grand Final

| RD1-team1 = Melbourne Victory

| RD1-score1 = 2

| RD1-team2 = Adelaide United

| RD1-score2 = 1

| RD1-team3 = Melbourne City

| RD1-score3 = 2

| RD1-team4 = Brisbane Roar

| RD1-score4 = 0

| RD2-team1 = Sydney FC

| RD2-score1 =2

| RD2-team2 = Melbourne Victory

| RD2-score2 =3

| RD2-team3 = Newcastle Jets

| RD2-score3 = 2

| RD2-team4 = Melbourne City

| RD2-score4 = 1

| RD3-team1 = Newcastle Jets

| RD3-score1 = 0

| RD3-team2 = Melbourne Victory

| RD3-score2 = 1

}}

Match

=Details=

{{football box

| date = 5 May 2018

| time = 19:50 AEST

| team1 = Newcastle Jets

| score1 =

| score2 =

| score = 0–1

| report = Reports{{cite web |title=A-Leagues |url=https://www.a-league.com.au/match/newcastle-jets-v-melbourne-victory-a-league-05-05-2018/982838 |website=KEEPUP |access-date=30 December 2022}}

| team2 = Melbourne Victory

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

Barbarouses {{goal|9}}

| location = Newcastle

| stadium = McDonald Jones Stadium

| attendance = 29,410

| referee = Jarred Gillett

}}

width=92% |

{{Football kit

| pattern_la = _nujfc1718h

| pattern_b = _nujfc1718h

| pattern_ra = _nujfc1718h

| pattern_sh = _nujfc1718h

| pattern_so = _nujfc1718h

| leftarm = FFFFFF

| body = FFFFFF

| rightarm = FFFFFF

| shorts = FFFFFF

| socks = 0000FF

|title = Newcastle Jets

}}

|{{Football kit

| pattern_la = _victory1718a

| pattern_b = _melbvic1718a

| pattern_ra = _victory1718a

| pattern_sh = _adidasonwhite

| pattern_so = _color_3_stripes_on_white

|leftarm = 05093F

|body =

|rightarm = 05093F

|shorts = 05093F

|socks = 05093F

|title = Melbourne Victory

}}

width=25\|	width=25\|
style="width:100%"
style="vertical-align:top; width:40%"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	20	{{flagicon\|NZL}} Glen Moss
RB	17	{{flagicon\|MKD}} Daniel Georgievski	{{yel\|51}}	{{suboff\|74}}
CB	4	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Nigel Boogaard
CB	44	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Nikolai Topor-Stanley
LB	18	{{flagicon\|AUS}} John Koutroumbis
CM	27	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Riley McGree
CM	6	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Steven Ugarkovic
CM	8	{{flagicon\|VEN}} Ronald Vargas		{{suboff\|65}}
RW	3	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Jason Hoffman	{{yel\|90+1}}
CF	9	{{flagicon\|IRL}} Roy O'Donovan	{{sentoff\|0\|90+3}}
LW	7	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Dimitri Petratos
colspan=3\|Substitutes:
GK	30	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Ivan Necevski
DF	22	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Lachlan Jackson
DF	16	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Nick Cowburn
FW	11	{{flagicon\|ARG}} Patito Rodríguez		{{subon\|74}}
FW	24	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Joe Champness		{{subon\|65}}
colspan=3\|Manager: {{flagicon\|SCO}} Ernie Merrick
colspan=4\|

|valign="top"|

|style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"|

width=25\|	width=25\|
cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-size:90%; margin:auto"
GK	20	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Lawrence Thomas
RB	22	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Stefan Nigro		{{suboff\|77}}
CB	17	{{flagicon\|AUS}} James Donachie
CB	14	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Thomas Deng
LB	6	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Leigh Broxham
DM	21	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Carl Valeri (c)
DM	24	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Terry Antonis
RM	9	{{flagicon\|NZL}} Kosta Barbarouses
AM	10	{{flagicon\|AUS}} James Troisi
LM	41	{{flagicon\|NED}} Leroy George
CF	8	{{flagicon\|KVX}} Besart Berisha
colspan=3\|Substitutes:
GK	1	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Matt Acton
MF	16	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Joshua Hope
MF	18	{{flagicon\|ARG}} Matías Sánchez	{{yel\|90+2}}	{{subon\|77}}
FW	23	{{flagicon\|NZL}} Jai Ingham
FW	7	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Kenny Athiu
colspan=3\|Manager: {{flagicon\|AUS}} Kevin Muscat
colspan=4\|

style="width:100%; font-size:90%"

Joe Marston Medal:

Lawrence Thomas

Assistant referees:

Matthew Cream

Paul Cetrangolo

Fourth official:

Kurt Ams

|style="width:60%; vertical-align:top"|

Match rules

90 minutes.
30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
Five named substitutes.
Maximum of three substitutions.

A-League 2018 Champions
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; width: 20%"
{{flagicon\|Australia\|size=100px}}
Melbourne Victory Fourth Title

=Statistics=

width=100\| !width=80 \| Newcastle Jets !width=80 \| Melbourne Victory
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Overall statistics{{cite web\|title=Newcastle Jets v Melbourne Victory\|url=https://www.a-league.com.au/match/newcastle-jets-v-melbourne-victory-a-league-05-05-2018/982838#!/stats\|website=A-League\|accessdate=5 May 2018}}
Goals scored	0	1
Total shots	14	7
Shots on target	4	2
{{nowrap\|Ball possession}}	58.3%	41.7%
Corner kicks	4	5
Fouls Conceded	12	17
Offsides	1	2
Yellow cards	2	1
Red cards	1	0

Broadcasting

The Grand Final was broadcast live throughout Australia on Fox Sports and Network Ten.{{cite web|title=New TV deal for Football|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/article/new-tv-deal-for-football/6phf6g6mrfew1m28c535u1f42|website=Hyundai A-League|publisher=Football Federation Australia|accessdate=2 June 2017}}

References

External links

[http://www.a-league.com.au/ Official A-League Website]

Category:2017–18 A-League season

Category:2018 in New South Wales

Category:A-League Men Grand Finals

A-League Grand Final

Category:Melbourne Victory FC matches

Category:Newcastle Jets FC matches

Category:Soccer in Newcastle, New South Wales

Category:Association football controversies

Category:A-League Men matches

width=25\|	width=25\|
style="width:100%"
style="vertical-align:top; width:40%"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	20	{{flagicon\|NZL}} Glen Moss
RB	17	{{flagicon\|MKD}} Daniel Georgievski	{{yel\|51}}	{{suboff\|74}}
CB	4	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Nigel Boogaard
CB	44	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Nikolai Topor-Stanley
LB	18	{{flagicon\|AUS}} John Koutroumbis
CM	27	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Riley McGree
CM	6	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Steven Ugarkovic
CM	8	{{flagicon\|VEN}} Ronald Vargas		{{suboff\|65}}
RW	3	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Jason Hoffman	{{yel\|90+1}}
CF	9	{{flagicon\|IRL}} Roy O'Donovan	{{sentoff\|0\|90+3}}
LW	7	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Dimitri Petratos
colspan=3\|Substitutes:
GK	30	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Ivan Necevski
DF	22	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Lachlan Jackson
DF	16	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Nick Cowburn
FW	11	{{flagicon\|ARG}} Patito Rodríguez		{{subon\|74}}
FW	24	{{flagicon\|AUS}} Joe Champness		{{subon\|65}}
colspan=3\|Manager: {{flagicon\|SCO}} Ernie Merrick
colspan=4\|