Seconds after Frank LampardâÂÂs now infamous shot ricocheted down from the crossbar and bounced well behind the German goal-line, there was an almost audible sense of disbelief in the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein when Jorge Larrionda failed to signal for a goal.
âÂÂOh my godâ was the refereeâÂÂs reported reaction on seeing a replay of the incident during half-time, while fans spent the break raging about whether goal-line technology should be introduced to football.
After the game, England keeper David James was not among those calling for video replays or technological advances. âÂÂI think in this circumstance there were possibly only two people on the pitch who didnâÂÂt see that ball go over the line, one being the referee and one being the linesman,â he said. âÂÂYou donâÂÂt need technology to tell that the ball is a yard over the line.
âÂÂUnfortunately the incident definitely changed the outcome of the game because it would have made it 2-2,â he continued. âÂÂIt would have been a different game by virtue of the scoreline and a different game psychologically because they would have been under a lot of pressure and we would have been in the ascendancy. As for technology, it would be nice but in this instance I donâÂÂt think it was something that was needed.âÂÂ
On the night James was in the minority. Even the British sports minister, Hugh Robertson, joined the clamour for goal-line technology. âÂÂOnce the dust has settled, I hope FIFA reassess their opposition to using goal-line technology,â he announced with the smack of political opportunism.
However, LampardâÂÂs overlooked goal was not the first and only decision to cause such outrage during the 2010 World Cup. In the USAâÂÂs earlier group game against Slovenia a dubious call by Malian referee Koman Coulibaly robbed the Americans of what looked to have been a winning goal, while just a couple of hours after the conclusion of the England v Germany game, Roberto RosettiâÂÂs failure to rule out a clearly offside strike by ArgentinaâÂÂs Carlos Tevez against Mexico also prompted fierce debate.
Against a backdrop of heated discussion about the standard of World Cup refereeing, and calls for the introduction of technological assistance, it may have been seen as slightly bizarre that FIFA should choose to open the doors of its refereeing training camp to the press, with the promise of an âÂÂopportunity to meet referees and assistant refereesâÂÂ.
Faced with this invite the worldâÂÂs media turned up in force, but they were not there to learn about the training regimen of top referees. To a man they were in search of Jorge Larrionda, wanting to hear his justification for over-ruling the infamous Lampard goal-that-wasnâÂÂt, or Roberto Rosetti for his opinion on allowing the Tevez goal to stand.
Arriving at the refereeâÂÂs training base at the Odendaal High School in Pretoria, journalists and camera crews were promised full access to the referees and their assistants. âÂÂWho is here?â we asked. âÂÂIt would be easier to say who wonâÂÂt be here,â answered the FIFA representative, itemizing just the refereeing teams from that dayâÂÂs games. Even English referee Howard Webb would be present, fresh from his game at Ellis Park the previous night.
âÂÂCan you point out Larrionda?â we all asked. âÂÂDonâÂÂt worry about that,â we were told by the FIFA official, âÂÂyouâÂÂll spot him by the crowd of people around him, just try and give him a little space and treat him with some respect.âÂÂ
The training session was spread across two pitches, and after the general warming up exercises, the referees initially worked on their fitness and speed. However, of far more interest to the press was the whereabouts of Larrionda. No-one was quite certain what he looked like and many clutched small photographs of the official in the hope of identifying him, but although there were dozens of stretching referees on the training pitch, there wasnâÂÂt one that seemed to match up to pictures.
âÂÂHe is here, donâÂÂt worry,â said the jovial FIFA official. âÂÂYouâÂÂll have plenty of time to talk to him after training, just give him a chance as everyone will want to talk to him.âÂÂ
After the warming-up session, there was demonstration of offside training, with journalists given a chance to run the line so they could âÂÂexperience the challenging work of the assistant refereesâÂÂ. This exercise was performed under match conditions, which meant the piping of vuvuzela sounds through the public address system for nearly half an hour. The referees seemed oblivious to the deafening cacophony
After the offside training, some of the referees joined in a bizarre circuit of the pitch, complete with tribal chants, alongside the local African footballers that had been recruited for the training games. Then the moment everyone had been waiting for. Referees were separated by confederation and there was a mad dash as we hurdled the perimeter fence and sprinted towards the South American officials. But there was no sign of Larrionda.
âÂÂWhere is he,â we asked the clearly confused FIFA official, who returned moments later with an explanation. âÂÂIt seems that heâÂÂs been receiving so many telephone calls at his hotel from certain sections of the media that heâÂÂs chosen not to come.âÂÂ
In the absence of Larrionda, Howard Webb was sought out for his opinion on goal-line technology, but as with every other referee at the training session, the answers sounded uncannily similar.
âÂÂShould technology be used to help referees?â we asked.
âÂÂIâÂÂm open minded about anything that makes us more credible as match officials,â replied Webb, âÂÂbut thatâÂÂs a decision for FIFA to take and whatever tools IâÂÂm given IâÂÂll use them to the best of my ability. WeâÂÂll just watch this space with interest and see where it goes.âÂÂ
âÂÂCan the referees make a stand and demand the use of technology to assist them in their job?â we asked.
âÂÂWell, itâÂÂs not really our job to make a stand,â said Webb. âÂÂWe go out there and do our job and you guys can apply pressure if you think thatâÂÂs appropriate, but letâÂÂs hope that we donâÂÂt change the nature of the game by knee-jerk reactions. ItâÂÂs for other people to decide and weâÂÂll see where the deliberations go.âÂÂ
âÂÂWhatâÂÂs your personal opinion?â we asked.
âÂÂIâÂÂve got no personal view,â replied Webb, in a well-rehearsed line being spouted on every corner of the training pitch by referees of all nationalities.
It was a line echoed moments later by FIFAâÂÂs head of refereeing Jose-Maria Garcia-Aranda. One journalist was tiring of the same answer. âÂÂDo you have an opinion?â he demanded. âÂÂWeâÂÂre not in North Korea, you must have an opinion?âÂÂ
Aranda, it turned out, had no opinion. âÂÂIf you are happy with that, you are welcome,â he answered, âÂÂand if not, then it is your problem.âÂÂ
Elsewhere at the training ground there was at least one experienced former referee with an opinion and he could understand exactly what Uruguayan referee Larrionda must be going through.
Urs Meier was vilified by the British press in 2004 for disallowing Sol CampbellâÂÂs 89th minute goal against Portugal in the quarter-final of the European Championship. As a consequence Meier was dubbed âÂÂUrs holeâ and âÂÂidiot refâ by the British press, and he received more than 16,000 abusive e-mails and death threats after the tabloid newspapers published his contact details.
âÂÂThey gave telephone numbers, they gave addresses and they made a campaign against me,â he says today from the safety of his position as a pundit for German television. âÂÂIt was a really a hard time and I can imagine what must be happening for the Uruguayan referee.âÂÂ
While all the referees at this World Cup are sticking to the FIFA line, now he is retired Meier is free to back the use of goal-line technology. âÂÂItâÂÂs either a goal or itâÂÂs not a goal,â he says. âÂÂYou donâÂÂt need video replays, you just need a chip in the ball and it is easy to make the right decision.
âÂÂA shot from 20 or 30 metres out, if it hits the crossbar and bounces down to the ground, itâÂÂs always a situation that you are unable to see. It really is a black zone for the referee and for the assistants. When this happens you cannot give the right decision unless you guess.
âÂÂTen years ago there would only be one player who would try and hit a free-kick from 35 metres out, but today, with the new ball and the players, it happens in every game. If you have a shot from 40 metres out, where is the offside line? ItâÂÂs 20 metres away from the goal and the assistant has to stand there, so itâÂÂs not possible to see the goal-line.âÂÂ
Meier is not necessarily in favour of video replays or extra officials, as he feels this would not help incidents like the crowded goal-line clearance that occurred during the Italy v Slovakia game, but he is a firm believer in the technology of a chipped ball.
âÂÂIf you have another player on the goal-line standing between the fifth official and the situation, then he couldnâÂÂt possibly see if it is a goal or not. You would need a lot of different cameras because you have a lot of different situations. With a chip in the ball it is easy. Also, when the keeper is over the ball, when he blocks the ball on the line, with a chip in the ball itâÂÂs easy to tell whether itâÂÂs over the line.âÂÂ
Having listened to all of the 2010 World Cup referees refusing to voice an opinion on goal-line technology, Meier is certain that his former colleagues would be totally in favour of its introduction if they were free to speak. âÂÂIn such a cases as the Germany v England game, of course it would help, and after the World Cup IâÂÂm sure they will all say yes,â he laughs.
Before we leave the training session, in another bizarrely-timed gesture we are handed a press statement by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in which he apologised to the English and Mexican football associations for the mistakes of referees Rosetti and Larrionda, announcing that football's ruling body was now re-opening the discussion on the use of technology in football. âÂÂI deplore when we see a refereeâÂÂs mistake,â he said, âÂÂbut this is not the end of the World Cup or the end of football.âÂÂ
Later on it is announced that that both Jorge Larrionda and Roberto Rosetti havenâÂÂt made the cut for the latter stages of the competition. For them, the World Cup is over, as it is for England and Mexico, but the debate will rage on regardless.
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