Neville ‘hurt’ after England denied by a VAR decision
Phil Neville admitted VAR has left him unsure “where the game is going” after Ellen White’s potential equaliser was disallowed for handball in England’s 2-1 third-place play-off defeat by Sweden.
White thought she had pulled the game back to 2-2 with her low finish past Hedvig Lindahl but was adjudged to have handled the ball when bringing down Beth Mead’s delivery. Footage from behind appeared to show White pushing the ball forward with the crook of her elbow past Linda Sembrant.
“Do you think it was a handball?” said Neville. “We’ve had two referees give us really in-depth analysis, reviews. I’ve just been going through it there with my two analysis staff, the reason that they give handballs – silhouettes and all of that.
“I saw a ball that was bouncing that Ellen went for. The angle I saw – I don’t think you can see that it’s handball.
“I’m not going to complain but I don’t know where the game is going, to be honest. We’ve benefited. I’d say the first four games, VAR was one of our best players, the help that we got. In the last two games, I wish VAR would have been sent off, because it’s not gone for us. It does hurt.
“I didn’t think it was a handball. I really didn’t. One of the causes before the game was, let’s get Ellen White the golden boot – and we couldn’t do that.
Neville also clarified comments he made to the BBC in a post-match interview that the third-place play-off was a “nonsense game”. Neville was criticised on Twitter by Siobhan Chamberlain, the Manchester United goalkeeper, who wrote: “Try telling the 23 players thought [sic] went to Canada that a bronze medal match is a ‘nonsense game’!” and Eniola Aluko highlighted the “huge contradiction” from his pre-game comments.
“People can dramatise things and I think it’s important we get the facts,” Neville said. “Winning is all that matters. My players feel exactly the same as me on this matter. We came here to finish first and win gold.
“In 2015, we won bronze with magnificent performances, and a manager and players that were great. We celebrated and we applauded. It’s now 2019 and we wanted gold.
“We’ve not disrespected it. We wanted to win gold. That’s why I said it was a nonsense [game]. Accepting second best, for this set of players and me, is something that we’re not going to do. I’m not disrespecting anyone, I’m talking about how we felt as a group.
“You saw the effort that the players put into it, and that has to be respected. But nobody remembers the losers – they just remember the winners.”