World Cup winners and losers: VAR star of the day, Costa Rica eliminated

Friday’s action at the World Cup saw two dramatic finishes as Brazil and Switzerland took big steps towards going through to the knockout round, and Nigeria earned a big win over Iceland. Here are the day’s winners and losers.

Winners:

VAR. It wasn’t Neymar, nor any of the Brazilian super stars making the headlines of the day. Biggest story of the day is the success of VAR technology. VAR correctly overturned two controversial plays and in the process turned some of the many skeptics into believers.

Neymar was initially awarded a penalty kick after going down in the box way too easily (read “flopping”). The referee consulted the VAR and correctly overturned the decision.

In the second instance, Iceland were awarded a penalty after the referee went to the VAR review. Once again, the correct decision prevailed.

The application of VAR technology is still a work in progress and may continue to divide fans. However, after a day like Friday, perhaps we can start to get why the pros outweigh the cons.

Ahmed Musa. The Nigerian forward scored an impressive double that gave the Super Eagles all three points in a tightly contested Group D affair. Musa’s first goal followed a superb first touch and clinical finish on the counter attack.

Musa added a second goal, all but assuring the win for Nigeria. His second goal was the result of a brilliant solo effort, the kind og goal likely to earn the talented Nigerian forward a hefty contract at one of Europe’s big clubs.

Losers:

Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Iceland No. 10 missed a glorious chance to get his team back in the game against Nigeria. His penalty shot sailed high over the bar, as Sigurdsson failed to obey the first rule of penalty taking: get the ball on the frame.

In a team sorely lacking any star power, Sigurdsson was supposed to be the crafty attacking player, the only player plying his trade for a recognizable European club (Everton) with the talent and ability to shine.

The penalty capped a disappointing campaign so far, as the Iceland campaign failed not only to impress, but to acquit himself of what should be a simple task.

Costa Rica. The Ticos were so, so close to a historic tie against star-studded Brazil. Disciplined tactically, focused on cutting down the passing lanes and not giving the Brazilian attacking players space, Costa Rica looked up to the task for the first 90 minutes.

Unfortunately that was not enough, as it all unravelled for the Ticos in the first minute of stoppage time when Phillippe Coutinho sprinted in the box and poached the ball through Keylor Navas’s legs.

Coutinho took advantage of a tired, slower-to-react Costa Rican defense. All it took were a few feet of extra space, space that had not been there while the Ticos’ legs were fresher.

Next: 3 things we learned in Brazil's win over Costa Rica

It’s unfortunate for the Costa Ricans, as they showed the same grit and discipline that saw them make it to the quarterfinals in 2014. Tournament soccer can be a cruel mistress, as this time around the results, and the narrative, were entirely different.