England call for goal-line technology
Fabio Capello and Frank Lampard demanded Fifa introduce goal-line technology on Sunday after the England midfielder had a perfectly good goal ruled out in his team's 4-1 World Cup mauling by Germany.
Germany were leading 2-1 in their last 16 clash just before
half-time when a Lampard shot bounced off the underside of the
German crossbar and landed a yard over the goal-line but it was
missed by both Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his assistant.
The clamour for technology and video replays became even more
vocal later Sunday when Argentina's opening goal in their last 16
clash with Mexico at Johannesburg's Soccer City was allowed to
stand despite Carlos Tevez being in an offside position.
"I am in favour of goal-line technology, especially after
tonight," said Chelsea midfielder Lampard.
"The ball crossed the line, it was over, it was so obvious. If
we had got back to 2-2 at that moment, it could have been
different. It's a huge disappointment."
"We had a meeting pre-World Cup with someone telling us a
million different rules, changes that hardly affect the game and
the big one that affects this game today hasn't been brought in so
it's a no-brainer."
Capello said he was amazed that football is still to fall into
line with many other sports which have embraced technology.
"It's incredible that in a time of technology, the referees
aren't capable of deciding if there has been a goal or not," said
the Italian. "The match could have been different after this goal."
England captain Steven Gerrard also called on Fifa to look at
goal-line technology.
"When you go 2-0 down and then you get a goal back it gives you
a lot of confidence and belief and then to see that ball bounce
behind the line and see the linesman 20 metres behind play is very
disappointing," he said.
"Fifa will have to look at that because I looked across at the
linesman and he was by the edge of the area so how can he see if
that's over the line or not."
But Gerrard said he was not making excuses.
"For me to just stand here and say that one moment is the reason
why we got beat today would be a lie.
"It's one of them things. I'm no expert. I don't know whether
goal-line technology will change things but technology would have
made it two-all today and given us big belief and confidence that
we could beat the Germans."
But goalkeeper David James said Lampard's strike was such a
blatant goal that goal-line technology was not required.
"You don't need technology when the ball's a yard over," he
said, adding he could tell Lampard had scored from everybody's
reaction.
"Unfortunately, the incident has definitely changed the outcome
of the game because (it would have been) 2-2 and we were pressing
after that as well.
"It is a different game by virtue of the scoreline, it's a
different game psychologically because they would have been under a
lot of pressure and we'd have been in the ascendancy."
"Technology, it would be nice but in these circumstances I don't
think it was something that was needed," he added.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) ruled out
the use of goal-line technology and video replays at its meeting in
March as anger still simmered over Thierry Henry's infamous
handball against Ireland which helped France into the finals.
"The door is closed. The decision was not to use technology at
all," said Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke at the time.
The decision was reached after officials watched presentations
of two systems, Cairos - a chip inserted in a ball, and Hawk-Eye -
used in tennis and cricket.
At Soccer City, Carlos Tevez's opening goal against Mexico was
scored from an offside position.
Italian referee Roberto Rosetti allowed the 26th-minute goal to
stand despite the furore caused by a replay of the incident on the
stadium's giant TV screens.