Opinion: VAR’s cons outweigh its pros

Forewarning: Below is a mostly negative rant about VAR and how it’s impacting the game.

By now most of you are familiar with Video Assistant Refereeing, or VAR for short. VAR is in its sophomore year in MLS and it’s first time on the big stage at the World Cup. The VAR system has developed its fair share of controversy for those supporting and against it. Several pundits can often point to the tapes and feel justified or aggrieved but the facts are clear, the ball (or man) don’t lie, so they say.

In my opinion the use of VAR has taken away from the beautiful game itself. Long stoppages in play often disrupt the flow and the edge that has teams and fans on the edge of their seats. To put this…