Goal-Line technology to be implemented for 2014 World Cup
GOOOOOOOAAAALLLLL
After a successful trial period at the Club World Cup, the 2013 Confederations Cup and World Cup 2014 will see goal-line technology implemented in matches.
FIFA has decided to use goal-line technology from this summer onwards, starting with the 2013 Confederations Cup.
After what the footballing governing body deemed to be a successful trial at the Club World Cup in December last year, the technology will be used at the upcoming international tournament being held in Brazil this summer.
Subsequently, goal-line technology will be used at World Cup 2014 in the South American nation, and it is safe to assume that if the two tournaments see the technology implemented successfully then it will be used in future competition as well.
FIFA released a statement on Tuesday which said: “The aim is to use GLT in order to support the match officials and to install a system in all stadia, pending the successful installation, and pre-match referee tests.
“With different technologies on the market, FIFA has launched a tender today, setting out the technical requirements for the two forthcoming competitions in Brazil.
“The two GLT providers already licensed under FIFA’s Quality Program for GLT, and other GLT providers currently in the licensing process (that must have passed all relevant tests as of today) are invited to submit tenders.
“Interested GLT companies will be invited to join an inspection visit to the Confederations Cup venues, currently scheduled for mid-March, with a final decision due to be confirmed in early April.”
UEFA president Michel Platini is unlikely to follow the road being trodden by FIFA as he is adamantly against its implementation, which means the likes of the Champions League and the Europa League will not be graced by goal-line technology any time soon.
Fabrice Muamba In Critical Condition After Collapsing During FA Cup
Get Well
Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba was critically ill in a hospital’s heart attack unit on Saturday night after collapsing during an FA Cup quarterfinal at Tottenham. Muamba fell face-down to the field near the midfield line without any players near him.
Medics rushed onto the field with a defibrillator and treated the 23-year-old, pumping his chest for around six minutes of treatment before he was rushed to hospital.
“Fabrice Muamba has been admitted to the heart attack center at London Chest Hospital where he is currently in a critically ill condition in intensive care,” Bolton said in a statement about three hours later. “No further information will be issued at this stage. The club has requested the media to respect his family’s privacy at this time.”
When Muamba collapsed in the 41st minute, Bolton manager Owen Coyle shouted from the sideline: “He’s just collapsed.”
Muamba was carried off on a stretcher with an oxygen mask and with his chest still being pumped as the crowd applauded. All the players also left the field before Webb abandoned the match.
Muamba was still fighting for his life in intensive care remaining in critical condition after collapsing.The 23-year-old midfielder’s heart only started beating on its own when he arrived at a London hospital medics said. There was uncertainty about the causes of the cardiac arrest for Muamba, who was described by former Birmingham manager Steve Bruce as “one of the fittest players I have managed.”
As Muamba’s teammates try to deal with the shock, their game against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Tuesday was postponed.
Lionel Messi Scores 5 Goals In Champions League
Not Made In America
For all the astonishing feats in his young career, Lionel Messi had never scored five goals in a professional game. And no one had ever scored five times in a Champions League match. Well, check both of those off.
With another mesmerizing performance, Messi helped defending champion Barcelona crush Bayer Leverkusen 7-1 Wednesday night to advance to the quarterfinals with a 10-2 aggregate win.
The three-time FIFA player of the year scored in the 25th, 42nd and 49th minutes for a 3-0 lead and his 17th career hat trick for Barcelona, then added goals in the 58th and 84th minutes for the first five-goal game of his professional career.
The last time a player scored five goals in European soccer’s top club competition had been when Ajax’s Soren Lerby did it against Omonia in the old Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1979-80.
“Messi is a joke. For me the best ever,” Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney wrote on Twitter.
MLS & USSF Partner On New Referee Organization
Est. 1993
MLS and the USSF have partnered to create the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), which will manage the officiating program for professional soccer leagues across the U.S. and Canada. The objectives of the new organization are to improve the quality of refereeing, develop younger refs and help officials get to the level of representing the U.S. and Canada at competitive FIFA events.
Beginning this year, PRO will manage officials in MLS and MLS Reserve games, the NASL, USL Pro and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Veteran English referee Peter Walton has been named general manager of PRO.
U.S. Soccer and MLS will govern and fund the organization, with support from the Canadian Soccer Association and other leagues.
“Thanks to collaborative work with U.S. Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association, officiating in MLS made significant strides forward in the past year,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “The overall level of MLS refereeing is good, and the creation of the Professional Referee Organization is the logical next stage of development. MLS and U.S. Soccer proudly welcome PRO General Manager Peter Walton, who will utilize his exceptional experience as a referee and as an administrator, along with substantial resources, to help MLS achieve its vision of setting the worldwide standard in officiating.”
“We’ve always understood that the development of referees is an important aspect to the growth of the game in the United States,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said. “PRO is another step towards the improvement and professionalization of our top referees. With the additional resources and funding provided by the formation of PRO, we will continue to build upon the progress we’ve already made.”
Time Drops Lionel Messi For U.S. Cover
Not Made In America
Lionel Messi, three-time FIFA player of the year, is on the cover of this week’s Time, but only if you buy it in Europe, Asia or the South Pacific. The U.S. cover is actually devoted to “The Power of Shyness.”
Messi, whose FC Barcelona team played to a 2-2 tie against Real Madrid on Wednesday, was interviewed by Time’s Bobby Ghosh in Barcelona. Messi is the “shining star of my favorite team,”
Time has excerpts of the Messi interview online. Here’s a sample:
“I never thought that. I always thought I wanted to play professionally, and I always knew that to do that I’d have to make a lot of sacrifices. I made sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream. That’s why I didn’t go out partying, or a lot of other things.”
Funny that Messi is arguably one of the most popular and influential athletes on the planet, but is largely ignored in the U.S. except for those who embrace the beautiful game.
FIFA Awards FOX U.S. TV Rights
For The Good Of The Game
The FIFA World Cup will have a new U.S. TV partner in 2018 and 2022, with several sources saying that Fox will pick up the English-language rights. FIFA has informed the bidders and is planning to announce the winners at some point today or early next week. The decision to award the rights to Fox is a shocking development, since incumbent ESPN was widely believed to be the front-runner to retain the World Cup rights.
ESPN in 2005 paid $100 million for an English-language package that included rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. Fox picked up rights to all FIFA events from 2015-22, including the men’s World Cup in 2018 and 2022; the women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019; and all Under-20 and Under-17 games.
It is unclear who will pick up the Spanish-language rights that both Univision and Telemundo were bidding on, with Univision the incumbent.
Hope Solo vs Steve Nash In FIFA Soccer 12
Soccer star Hope Solo and the NBA’s Steve Nash play FIFA Soccer 12 for bragging rights. Nash, who considers himself a combination of a gorilla and a leopard is a pretty good trash-talker.
The game will be released on Sept. 27.
North Korea Women Banned From World Cup For Deer Gland Doping
Guilty
FIFA has banned North Korea from the 2015 Women’s World Cup after five players tested positive for steroids from traditional musk deer gland therapy at the tournament last month. FIFA imposed bans of up to 18 months on all five players, who North Korean officials said were treated with traditional therapy after being struck by lightning at a pre-tournament training camp.
Jong Pok Sim, Hong Myong Hui, Ho Un Byol and Ri Un Hyang were suspended from all soccer-related activity for 18 months, while Song Jong Sun was ineligible for 14 months, FIFA said. North Korea’s soccer federation was fined $400,000, and team doctor Nam Jong Ae was banned for six years.
The fine “exactly corresponds to the prize money the association would have received for their 13th place in the final ranking of the Women’s World Cup in Germany,” FIFA said.
FIFA’s disciplinary panel also banned Colombia backup goalkeeper Yineth Varon for two years for doping at the tournament.
FIFA Bans Mohamed bin Hammam For Life
Banned
FIFA banned Mohamed bin Hammam from soccer for life after finding him guilty of bribing presidential election voters. A FIFA ethics panel ruled that the Qatari candidate conspired to pay Caribbean officials $40,000 cash bribes to back his ultimately abandoned challenge to FIFA President Sepp Blatter. The verdict was in keeping with the declared policy of the committee to show zero tolerance of unethical behavior.
Bin Hammam, a 15-year veteran of the FIFA executive committee, is the most senior soccer official convicted of corruption in its 107-year history.
Iran Arrests Pegah Ahangarani For Trying To Head To World Cup
TALENT
Iranian actress Pegah Ahangarani was jailed last week when she prepared to leave for Germany to blog about the women’s World Cup for a German radio station. Ahangarani, 27, was arrested after being warned by the government not to travel to the event.
The Guardian, an English newspaper, said the arrest appears to be part on an ongoing crackdown on female journalists and filmmakers. A woman sports photojournalist, Maryam Majd, also was detained last month as she prepared to leave for the World Cup.
Iran has been at odds with FIFA, the world governing body for soccer. In June, FIFA banned Iran’s women’s team from playing a qualifying match for the 2012 Olympics, ruling that the team’s tight headscarves broke the association’s dress code. In Iran, all women must cover their hair, neck, arms and legs in accordance with Shiite Islamic tenets.
Iran Women’s Soccer Team Banned From Olympics Over Headscarves
Banned
The Iranian women’s soccer team has been disqualified right before a crucial qualifying match because they wore Islamic headscarves. Ready to play a crucial Olympic qualifying match with Jordan in Amman on Friday, the Iranian team was dismissed by officials of the international football association, FIFA. The officials decided just before the kickoff that the tight headscarves the Iranian players were wearing to cover their hair broke the association’s dress code, FIFA said. After Jordan was awarded a 3-0 victory, Iran’s players took to the field crying.
In the Islamic Republic of Iran all women are obliged to cover their hair, neck, arms and legs according to the state’s interpretation of Shiite Islamic tenets. Female athletes who compete internationally have to obey the country’s dress code. Iranian women athletes have excelled during international events in sports such as karate and volleyball, but are notably absent from sports such as swimming and gymnastics.
“This ruling means that women soccer in Iran is over,” said Shahrzad Mozafar, the team’s former head coach. She said that now that FIFA is no longer allowing Iranian women to wear scarves, the Iranian government will no longer send them abroad for competitions. “Headscarves are simply what we wear in Iran,” she said.
In April 2010 FIFA announced that it was planning to ban headscarves and other religious outings during the 2012 Olympics. Following the ruling, Iran’s team designed special headscarves that players wrapped tightly around their heads and necks. The team said they were in line with guidelines set by the football association.
FIFA did not agree and that its officials had been right to stop the Iranian women from playing the qualifier. Iranian officials were “informed thoroughly” before Friday’s match against Jordan that the headscarf covering a woman’s neck is banned for safety reasons, an unidentified FIFA official said.
Ronaldinho Starts Conga Line Celebration
Former European and horsefaced soccer star Ronaldinho and his mates on the Flamengo squad were taking on rivals Boavista on Sunday. After a foul call, the former two-time FIFA Player of the Year and free-kick specialist buried the ball in the net to give his team the go-ahead goal. Then he and his teammates celebrated with a conga line.
Former Brazil Manager Tells Story Of Game When Ronaldo Wore Diapers
3 Time FIFA Player Of The Year
Former Brazil and Real Madrid manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo told an embarrassing story over the weekend about his former player Ronaldo, who announced his retirement from soccer last week. Luxemburgo claimed that Ronaldo wore adult diapers during the 1999 Copa America tournament after the team explored every possible way of getting Ronaldo to lose weight.
“The team doctor gave him medicine, Xenical, which was effective, but it also accelerated his bowel movements,” Luxemburgo said. “So, in order to avoid any ‘incidents,’ the player had to wear diapers, which embarrassed him.”
The soccer star still managed to score five goals and led La Selecao to its sixth Copa America title. He also won the Golden Boot with teammate Rivaldo.
Brazil’s Ronaldo Set To Announce Retirement
3 Time FIFA Player Of The Year
Three-time World Player of the Year Ronaldo is reportedly set to announce his retirement from professional soccer on Monday. Plagued by injuries since 2009 the 34-year-old has endured a disappointing campaign with Brazilian club Corinthians.
“It’s time,” Ronaldo was quoted as saying by newspaper Estado de S. Paulo. “I can’t keep going. I wanted to continue but I can’t. I think about making a play but I can’t execute it.”
Corinthians have scheduled a press conference for Monday, where Ronaldo is expected to publicly confirm his retirement.
Voted the world player of the year in 1996, 1997 and 2002, Ronaldo scored 67 goals in 92 appearances for Brazil and won the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and Korea. He scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany in the final and remains the leading scorer in World Cup history.
Lionel Messi Wins FIFA World Player
Two Time
Lionel Messi won his second straight FIFA player of the year award Monday for his play for Barcelona. The Argentine forward beat out Barcelona teammates Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta for the renamed FIFA Golden Ball Award. Messi became the first repeat winner since Ronaldinho in 2004 and 2005.
Messi received 22.65 percent of the votes cast by national team coaches and captains plus selected reporters. Iniesta followed with 17.36 percent and Xavi received 16.48 percent to finish third for the second straight year.
Jose Mourinho was voted men’s coach of the year after leading Inter Milan to the European Champions League title, Brazilian forward Marta was selected women’s player of the year for the fifth straight time and Germany’s Silvia Neid earned women’s coach of the year honors.
The 23-year-old forward scored 58 goals in 54 games for the Catalan club in 2010 and had two in 10 matches with Argentina but failed to score for the Albiceleste at the World Cup.
Russia & Qatar To Host World Cup’s 2018 & 2022
The World's Game
Russia will host the 2018 World Cup as it was chosen Thursday by FIFA’s executive committee over England and joint bids by Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium.Russia won despite the absence of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Zurich. At the last minute, he declined to make a final pitch for his country.
Qatar was selected as host of the 2022 World Cup, beating out a bid by the United States to bring soccer’s showcase back to America for the first time since 1994. FIFA’s executive committee choose Qatar over the U.S., Australia, Japan and South Korea in a secret vote.
Steve Nash Challenges Landon Donovan To FIFA 11
I’m guessing it would take Phoenix Suns guards Steve Nash a whole five minutes to dominate Landon Donovan in a game of FIFA 11, nothing against Landon but we are talking about Steve here. Look at the confidence.
ESPN Hires Ian Drake To Be Lead Voice Of Soccer Telecasts
Absolute Firecracker
Top British sportscaster Ian Darke, one of the lead commentators during ESPN’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will join the network as its lead soccer voice in the United States.
Darke will be the primary play-by-play voice on ESPN’s U.S. networks for Barclays Premier League matches, the U.S. National Teams (Men’s and Women’s), marquee Major League Soccer events, 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He joins ESPN after commentating on Premier League and UEFA Champions League matches for the past 18 years.
FIFA Considers World Cup Changes
The World's Game
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says soccer’s governing body will consider eliminating ties in all World Cup games. Blatter said that the dramatic change would make the tournament more interesting. He says the change could involve going to a shootout after 90 minutes of regulation or adding sudden-death overtime.
Sudden-death overtime was used in the knockout rounds of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. FIFA then reverted to its previous rule of having teams play a full 30 minutes of overtime if tied at the end of regulation in the knockout rounds. First-round games always have ended in draws if tied at the end of regulation.
2010 World Cup Sets Records For ESPN/ABC
2010 World Cup Champions: Spain
The 64-match World Cup averaged a 2.1 U.S. rating and 3.261 million viewers on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, up 31% in ratings and 41% in viewership from 2006 (1.6, 2.316 mil), and the most-viewed World Cup ever on English-language TV. The World Cup concluded with an 8.1 national rating and 15.545 million viewers for Sunday’s Spain/Netherlands final.
Overall, ESPN/ABC World Cup coverage topped 10.0 million viewers on three separate occasions. USA/England on June 12 (13.130 mil), Ghana/USA on June 26 (15.193 mil) and Sunday’s match. The 3.261 million viewers for ESPN/ABC does not factor in Univision.
To put the ESPN/ABC numbers in perspective, ESPN averaged 4.596 million viewers for the 2010 NBA Playoffs (ABC averaged 10.970 million for its 16-game coverage), and 4.311 million for its coverage of 2009-10 college football bowl games (ABC averaged 22.179 million for its three games).
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale was the top market for World Cup coverage, with a 3.9 rating, followed by New York (3.6), Washington, D.C. (3.6), San Diego (3.5), and San Francisco (3.5).
World Cup Final Sets Record With 15.5 Milli Viewers
2010 World Cup Champions: Spain
The 2010 FIFA World Cup concluded with the largest audience ever for a Men’s World Cup match on a single network.
Spain’s 1-0 win over the Netherlands drew an 8.1 rating and 15.545 million viewers on ABC Sunday afternoon making the match the most-viewed Men’s World Cup telecast ever on one network. The previous record was held by Ghana/USA on June 26 15.193 mil.
Sunday’s match also ranks as the fourth-highest rated World Cup telecast on one network, trailing Brazil/Italy in 1994 (9.5), Brazil/USA in 1994 (9.3) and Ghana/USA this year (8.5).
The most-viewed World Cup match (regardless of gender) on a single network remains the 1999 USA/China Women’s World Cup final (11.4, 17.975 mil).
Including the Univision telecast, which drew 8.821 million viewers, the Spain/Netherlands final drew a combined audience of approximately 24.3 million viewers, the largest audience ever for a World Cup match in the United States.
San Francisco led all markets for Sunday’s ABC telecast, with a 14.7 rating. San Diego (13.6), New York (13.1), Miami-Ft. Lauderdale (12.0) and Washington, D.C. (11.9) rounded out the top five.
Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player: Diego Forlan
Diego Forlan
Every Tuesday Sports Grind Entertainment presents you with the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player of the Week. This week the recipient of this prestigious honor goes to Uruguay’s strike Diego Forlan for being awarded the 2010 World Cup Golden Ball which simply is BLAZIN.
Forlan won the best player of the World Cup award after lighting up the tournament with some wonderful goals that helped his team become South America’s only semi-finalist.
Forlan took 23.4% in the Golden Ball poll organized by FIFA while last weeks Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player Netherlands Wesley Sneijder was second with 21.8%. Spain’s David Villa was third with 16.9% of the vote as all three got five goals.
Congratulations Diego Forlan you are this weeks Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player.
NASA Confirms Jabulani Is Unpredictable
Diego Forlan Made It Work
With the 2010 World Cup on the heels of naming a champion NASA has confirmed through series of aerodynamic tests that the Jabulani is unpredictable. Further criticisms voiced by a host of World Cup players, before and during the tournament, of the ball’s inconsistent flight patterns have been attributed to it’s ultra light weight of just 440 grams which makes it vulnerable to a force known as the ‘knuckle effect’. NASA also believe that the effects of altitude could have increased the unpredictability of the ball with most stadiums in South Africa at least 1,000 metres above sea level.
FIFA has announced that the Jabulani issue will be raised at a World Cup debrief meeting to be held in September.
Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown: Nigeria World Cup Team
Nigeria World Cup Team
Every Thursday Sports Grind Entertainment will present you with the Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown. The recipient of this honor goes to the World Cup squad of Nigeria. The president of Nigeria even recognizes the squads meltdown status at this years World Cup that he has suspended the national soccer team from international competition for two years after its poor showing.
President Goodluck Jonathan also noted that there maybe corruption within the ranks of the national team and said that all funds directed toward the Nigeria Football Federation would be examined and all those found wanting will be sanctioned.
Nigeria got eliminated from the World Cup after the group stage, having earned just one point in a 2-2 draw with South Korea in its last game. Nigeria lost to Argentina 1-0 in its Group B opener and fell to Greece 2-1 in a game turned by the first-half expulsion of midfielder Sani Kaita.
Nigeria now risks being banned by FIFA from all international soccer because of the political interference. FIFA rules demand that national federations manage their affairs independently, or face suspension from world soccer.
