FIFA has produced evidence that proves beyond doubt that Japan’s winning goal against Spain was legitimate.
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Germany were sent crashing to an ignominious group stage exit for the second World Cup in a row after Japan launched a remarkable second half fightback against Spain last night.
Germany’s 4-2 win over Costa Rica was effectively rendered meaningless after Ao Tanaka’s goal helped Japan record an unlikely victory.
The Japan star profited from Kaoru Mitoma’s astonishing, and successful attempt, to prevent the ball from going out of play, although initial replays suggested the ball had crossed the line.
It has taken the world governing body close to 24 hours to produce images and video of the angles they used to determine that a goal should have been awarded vindicating the VAR who ordered that the on field decision be reversed.
The controversial decision, allied to FIFA holding back the decisive images, have sparked conspiracy theories but former Premier League referee Peter Walton argued that the governing body would have used technology not available to TV companies to arrive at their decision.
‘I’m seeing the same angles as you, there’s a misconception in law that just because the part of the ball that is on the floor is over the line is out – well it clearly isn’t because it’s the curve of the ball,” Walton said.
‘We see it often with corner kicks where it’s over the line but not quite over the line. In this instance, what the VAR is looking for is the evidence to suggest to the referee that the ball has clearly left the field of play and on the evidence that we’re seeing, he doesn’t have that in front of him.
‘What I would suggest is the goal line technology, those cameras are being used for VAR to discover whether it has left the field of play so there are angles that will show that. If, however, a player’s boot or a player’s shin has gone over the top of the ball can’t see it clearly then the VAR will say to the referee: ‘I don’t have that evidence to give you, Mr Referee, stay with your on-field decision’.
‘We’ll see what pictures FIFA show us but the law is specific, the ball is still in play if the curvature of the ball breaks that line – do we have that evidence to show?’
ITV pundits Graeme Souness and Gary Neville were left furious with the lack of definitive imagery which proves the ball had remained in play, an issue which also perplexed Walton.
‘Well that is very peculiar because at the start of this tournament for offside decisions was that those decisions would be shown automatically to the stadium so the people in the stadium could see it, that technology is still available for the people in the stadium.
‘I’m at a miss why they haven’t showed it yet, they’ve got their reasons and only time will tell. I do think the evidence will appear sooner or later whether that ball hasn’t crossed the line.’
