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Shin backs Park's VAR calls as Indonesia look to put aside first-leg injustice

Indonesia coach Shin Tae-yong has backed his Vietnam counterpart and compatriot Park Hang-seo's calls for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to be introduced in future editions of the AFF Suzuki Cup.

Vietnam were left incensed in Thursday's 2-0 loss to Thailand in the first leg of their semifinal clash after a number of decisions went against them, leaving Park crying out for the need for VAR.

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Like the Vietnamese, Indonesia also had reason to feel aggrieved in their own last-four clash against Singapore the previous evening, after having an injury-time penalty appeal turned down after the foul was adjudged to have happened outside the area.

Although Shin initially refrained from being overly critical of the officiating, replays have suggested that Indonesia should have indeed been given the opportunity to win what ultimately ended a 1-1 draw.

And ahead of the return encounter between his side and Singapore on Christmas Day, Shin is wary that a place in the final could be decided by a wrong call.

"As a coach at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where I experienced the implementation of VAR, I think technology is a must in football today," the former South Korean coach told ESPN.

"Humans are not perfect and make mistakes but, with players giving it 100 per cent on the field, a bad call by the referee could be damaging for the game. As the hosts, Singapore have the advantage in many aspects so the referees have a role to ensure fair play throughout the match.

"A bad call could not only ruin the tempo of a match but could damage the tournament as a whole. Having seen the footage from the end of the first leg, I believe we should have been awarded a penalty, and we also saw a couple of similar incidents in the match between Vietnam and Thailand.

"In order to promote the image of the tournament, and to have a better competition, VAR is something we definitely need moving forward."

Nonetheless, Shin also admitted his players had not performed as well on Wednesday as they previously had in the tournament, and is looking forward to an improved showing in the second leg.

"We saw both teams give 100 per cent in the first match but there were definitely areas where we could have done better," he added.

"With better preparation for the second leg, we will try to play a better match tomorrow.

"The starting XI that I field differs based on the opposition we're facing and on other factors, such as the tactics and our strategy, so it's difficult for me to answer why certain players have not been starting."