Time for FIFA to allow goal line technology

The Scootish commentator for CBC, Mike Collins, made a good point about bringing high-tech cameras into World Cup soccer goal decisions. The rationale he says, up to now, for not using cameras to determine iffy goals, was because that time to decide whether or not the ball fully went over the goal line, would interrupt the flow of the game. Collins argues that there is already an interruption to the flow of the game because each time there is or is not an iffy goal, time is spent by both teams debating with the refs anyway. In addition, teams get denied real goals, like England and Mexico in the last couple of days. So today FIFA's president Sepp Blatter said sorry to those countries, and finally, also said that it was nonsense not to consider goal line technology in the future. Hence, in July the debate will be re-opened by FIFA's board.

That's good, just that it was too bad that it was not permitted when sooky France qualified for the World Cup by beating Ireland with Henri's hand ball. For now, unfortunately, there is still the real possibility that some team could win or lose because the referee did not see a ball go over the goal line, or that someone was off-side. In any event, the competition is really getting interesting with the big guns Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Holland, and Spain in the field, plus Paraguay, Uruguay, and Africa's own Ghana. Argentina, Brazil and Germany look particularly strong. With so much skill, speed, youth, clinical precision, and drive, it's shaping up to be classic showdowns with the final eight.

FIFA Handily Raises Ire in Ireland

The Olympics of soccer, the World Cup takes place in South Africa next year. Like the Olympics, only the best in the world will compete, in this case, it comes down to 32 countries. So qualifying to squeeze into the coveted 32 has been taking place this year, and a few days ago, two top European teams battled it out for that spot. Unfortunately, FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, has been very rigid in playoff competition, so much so that an obvious handball, which is illegal in soccer, was allowed to pass, when it assisted a game winning goal, and one country's loss.

The unfortunate team was Ireland, and the victor was France. The unfortunate player at the centre of Ireland's ire was Henry Thierry. He is seen in the photo. Thierry has not disputed unintentionally touching the ball, which was lobbed to another French player who easily booted it in the Irish net. In fact, Thierry has even called for a rematch, as did Ireland. But FIFA's decision was final. There were no instant video replays, only what the referee had seen, and judged on at the time. This is FIFA's rule. However, incorrect the ref's decision, or however out of his eyesight the play had been, does not matter, only his immediate decision.

This does not seem like a fair call at a game with such high level stakes, and for an obvious goal based on a handball. It certainly left many Thierry-eyed fans on both teams.