German Star: World Cup Refs Need Technology Aid

Even some German players are calling for new goalline technology after being helped by a wrong decision by the referee in a 4-1 win over England at the World Cup.

Striker Miroslav Klose says he would like to see goal cameras or balls with electronic chips to signal when the ball is behind the line. With such technology, Frank Lampard's goal would have counted against the Germans in the second-round game on Sunday to level the game at 2-2 in the first half. Lampard's shot bounced off the underside of the crossbar and landed behind the line, but referee Jorge Larrionda of Uruguay did not award the goal.

A Day of Shame for World Cup Referees

"If there is a possibility to use good technology, such as goal cameras or balls with chips, then maybe it should be used," Klose said Monday. "I am not sure about video replays but if you have a chip in the ball that sends a signal to the referee's ear or beeps, then why not. If you can have it in other sports, why not in football."

Midfielder Sami Khedira, however, said lasting discussions about wrong decisions were part of football lore.

"We are relatively happy with the way things are now. At the end it all evens out, it's part of the emotion of football," Khedira said.

Many Germans are still convinced that one of England's goals in the 4-2 victory over Germany in the 1966 World Cup final should not have counted, saying the ball never went behind the line.

England's case in Sunday's game was much more obvious, caught on every camera.

FIFA cracks down on stadium screen broadcasts

FIFA will censor World Cup match action being shown on giant screens inside the stadium after replays of Argentina's disputed first goal against Mexico fueled arguments on the pitch.

Angry Mexico players protested to referee Roberto Rosetti after the screens in Johannesburg's Soccer City showed Argentina forward Carlos Tevez was offside before he scored the opening goal in a 3-1 victory on Sunday.

FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot said Monday that replaying the incident was "a clear mistake."

"This will be corrected and we will have a closer look into that," Maingot told a news conference Monday. "We will work on this and be a bit more, I would say, tight on this for the games to be played."

Maingot said the screens were used to broadcast a FIFA "infotainment program" to fans before the match and could be used to replay some match action.

Responsibility for operating the screens falls to South Africa's World Cup organizing committee, which took charge of the 10 stadiums during the tournament.

Organizers' spokesman Jermaine Craig said he had spoken to the stadium broadcasting team about the incident.

"The goal was awarded and it happened relatively quickly," Craig said. "In retrospect, maybe it shouldn't have been shown. It was shown and unfortunately there is nothing we can do about that."

Maingot said FIFA has not yet received feedback from its officials at the match about a mass confrontation between coaches and players behind the Mexico bench as the teams left the field at halftime.

Italian referee Rosetti was at the center of a melee trying to separate heated conversations that included Argentina coach Diego Maradona.