Lampard effort not given
England's Frank Lampard joined the
calls for goal-line technology after he was denied a clear goal in
England's World Cup exit against Germany.
A Lampard shot
clearly crossed the line but was not spotted by the officials. "We had a meeting before the World Cup when we were told about a million different rule changes that hardly affect the game," he said. "The big one, the one that affects the game today, hasn't been brought in so it is a no-brainer." England were 2-1 down in the last 16 World Cup clash when Lampard hit the bar with an effort that, as TV replays confirmed, dropped well over the line. It was a pivotal moment for England, who went on to lose 4-1, as they had just pulled a goal back through Matthew Upson after falling behind to strikes from Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. "It was a clear goal - 40,000 knew it and I knew it, but there were two people that didn't," added Lampard. "It certainly affected the game and we're bitterly disappointed." 
Disallowed goal was turning point -
Lampard
He said: "I tried not to react to the referee and just concentrate on what was happening - it was difficult. I knew it was close. "Then I saw it on the television in the doping control office and what actually happened. I knew it was tight - probably about two metres!" Fifa has consistently refused to entertain the idea of using goal-line technology and video replays, a position underlined less than four months ago by the International Football Association Board. "The door is closed. The decision was not to use technology at all," said Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke in March, shortly after the handball by Thierry Henry that secured France an equaliser against the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifier. "Technology should not enter into the game, it was a clear statement made by the majority of the IFAB," added Valcke. "Let's keep the game of football as it is." But Ex-England skipper Alan Shearer said: "All the managers and the stars of football are calling for it. Not everyone can be wrong, can they?" Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp said Sepp Blatter, president of world governing body Fifa, should be "embarrassed". He added: "In the modern world we've got technology, let's use it."
Redknapp added: "We've all seen it on the replay - it was just amazing. That was a clear-cut goal and it was absolutely vital to England and it wasn't given. "Technology has got to come into games, we've seen that today." Redknapp's sentiments were echoed by both the England manager Fabio Capello and Shearer. "It was the most important moment of the game," said Capello. "Where is the technology? Instead we are talking about goal or no goal." Shearer added: "It was over [the line] by a good yard, it was not even close. "In fairness to the assistant, he cannot be in line with it because of where the ball has come from. It has come from the edge of the box so he can't be in line with it." Few associated with England would share that view after events in Bloemfontein, but Germany could be forgiven a sense of schadenfreude. The latest incident echoed the famous moment in the 1966 World Cup final between England West Germany when the second of Geoff Hurst's three goals was adjudged to have crossed the line after coming off the bar. England went on to win the game 4-2. Regrettably for England, the referee on this occasion, Jorge Larrionda of Uruguay, did not show the latitude of his 1966 counterpart Gottfried Dienst. | ||
