Should England have been awarded a penalty?
As Harry Kane fell inside the penalty area, England appeared to have a prime chance to equalise against DR Congo late in the first half of their last-32 World Cup match.
The Three Lions captain was played through on goal, skillfully rounded the on-rushing goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, but then ended up sprawling on the ground.
There was clear contact, and Kane was insistent that he should have been awarded a penalty. However, referee Adham Makhadmeh dismissed England's appeals.
The Jordanian official indicated that the striker had dived, though he did not issue a yellow card for simulation.
Following a review by the video assistant referee (VAR), the original decision on the field was upheld, leaving England trailing by one goal at half-time after Brian Cipenga's strike in the seventh minute. Kane later scored twice in the second half.
"This is so difficult," former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann told BBC One.
"There are four of us here, two think it's a penalty, two think it's not a penalty and therefore it's not clear and obvious in terms of VAR.
"From live play it looks a penalty, a small touch on Harry Kane's ankle from the goalkeeper and he would be expecting to give away a penalty.
"From the referee's angle, Kane puts his two feet together, he stumbles and it doesn't look as much of a penalty. There-in lies the difference. For me, I think it's a penalty.
"The referee's decision would stand if he had given a penalty, the VAR would not have intervened."
'Stonewall penalty' or Kane 'dived into him'?
As Cann noted, the pundits in the BBC TV studio were divided on whether a penalty should have been awarded, with former England striker Wayne Rooney unconvinced that Kane was fouled.
"I'm all for the forwards, but I think Harry Kane trips himself a bit and jumps into the goalkeeper a little bit," Rooney said.
"I think it looks like he has dived into him, so it probably isn't a penalty."
Rooney's view was in the minority.
"If it's on my water bottle, I am working out where Kane's next penalty is going to be," former England goalkeeper Joe Hart told BBC One.
"Mpasi will be delighted when he looks up and sees the referee not giving it, because I would expect that to be given against me."
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards added:
"I just think Lionel Mpasi touches Harry Kane, so I want that as a penalty."
The BBC Radio 5 Live pundits agreed that Kane did initiate contact but concurred it was a foul by Mpasi.
"Definite penalty," said former Lionesses captain Steph Houghton. "I think even though Kane has initiated the contact, where else is he supposed to go when Mpasi comes out that quick?
"I'm so shocked the VAR didn't overturn the decision to be honest."
Ex-goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who represented England at the 2006 World Cup, commented:
"If England are to lose then there will be a question asked for a long time because it's a stonewall penalty.
"Harry Kane initiates the contact but the contact is there. He's very clever, very experienced and he goes into the goalkeeper."
