Goals and Instant Replay

After undergoing two days of intense criticism for a refereeing error that ruled out a legitimate goal that had crossed the line for England in their second-round match against Germany, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that he would consider using technology to help referees decide if shots have crossed the goal line and should be ruled goals. Though this is long overdue, it must be done to ensure that future World Cup games aren't marred by missed goals that change the course of the match (TalkFooty would be an advocate of simply putting an extra referee next to each goal, watching the line to ensure that any shot that crosses is ruled a goal).

So with this in mind, why not implement a system similar to hockey and have a flashing red light go off when the ball crosses the line? That would make it clear to the referee, his assistants, the fourth official and everyone in the stands that a ball has crossed the goal line. And, instead of the horn that is used in hockey arenas to accompany the light, someone could just blow a giant vuvuzela to signify the goal. You're welcome, Sepp.

Sunil Gulati, the head of the U.S. Soccer Federation, said that Major League Soccer would be open to testing any new goal line technology that FIFA wants to use, and this is a good idea for several reasons. American fans are accustomed to having instant replay as a part of most manor league sports, so they would be used to any stoppages that go along with a video review during a game. It would also bring more worldwide attention to MLS, and if the technology is eventually implemented by FIFA, articles around the world would mention that it was originally tested in MLS.