[b]David Owen:[/b] Germany avenge 1966 and all that - but FIFA the real loser

By David Owen in Bloemfontein

June 27 – I need to make one thing clear at the outset: England were beaten today at Free State Stadium by a much better team: the 4-1 scoreline did not flatter Germany.

But, really, for how much longer can FIFA set its face against goal-line technology when incidents like the one that happened in the 38th minute of this pulsating match can affect the course of an encounter of this importance?

England had already been sliced open twice, the first goal, notched by Miroslav Klose, pure route one, the second a powerful but clinical shot by Lukas Podolski.

The play, though, was exceptionally open – and it was little surprise when Fabio Capello’s men pulled one back with a firm Matt Upson header.

We had hardly had time to draw breath when another England attack culminated with an exquisitely flighted lob by Frank Lampard.

The path of the ball took it over German keeper Manuel Neuer’s head and, even with the naked eye, it looked to have landed well behind the goal-line.

Replays quickly confirmed that this was the case.

But England claims for a goal were waved away by the Uruguayan officials.

It turned out to be the Germans’ only point of vulnerability in the entire match.

Midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Oezil and especially Thomas Mueller (pictured), quite simply played their illustrious English opposite-numbers off the park.

“I think the score reflected the game,” said a disappointed England fan, ruefully reflecting that, “I spent an awful lot of money coming out here.”

The episode, of course, is a kind of mirror image of England’s famous/infamous third goal in the 1966 World Cup final.

Then an effort by eventual hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst landed, some say on, some say over the German goal-line.

To German dismay, the Russian linesman officiating at the time ensured himself a permanent place in English football folklore by indicating a goal could be awarded.

If that element of revenge delayed for 44 years was satisfying to German supporters, its greater significance lies in the pressure that will be brought to bear on FIFA finally to sanction the introduction of new technology at least to ensure vital goal-line decisions are correct.

I would now be astonished if the issue is allowed to drag on for another four years and would expect some sort of system to be in place for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

And so, a gifted generation of England players looks destined to leave the world stage unfulfilled.

The team has acquired an unfortunate habit in recent times of always exiting the World Cup with some sense of injustice, even outrage.

In 2002, it was Ronaldinho’s outrageous shot; in 2006, the Wayne Rooney/Cristiano Ronaldo saga; and now this.

It does seem an unfortunate sequence, but let’s not kid ourselves: England were thoroughly outplayed today, just as 10-man Brazil were able to play keep-ball to protect their lead over an extended period eight years ago in Japan.

The final verdict on this group of players now pushing or just over 30 and entering the closing stages of their careers must be that they were not quite good enough.

Nonetheless, this match looks destined to be remembered less for the eclipse of another underperforming England team, than for the influence it might have in dragging FIFA into the 21st century.

Bloomfontein was the birthplace of J.R.R Tolkien, a writer best-known, as Wikipedia sagely advises, as “the author of…classic high fantasy works”.

After England’s goal that wasn’t in this city today, it seems to me to be “high fantasy” to suppose that goal-line technology will not be introduced in top level football sooner rather than later.

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