THE HOT AIR OF CONTROVERSIAL GOALS WHISTLES IN THE WINDS OF IFAB CHANGE Likely the biggest shake up to world football order since the invention and introduction of the referees whistle back in 1878 may just be the nod of a head away when the International Football Association Board convene for a Special Meeting in Kiev the day after this summers EURO 2012 Final. The IFAB a relatively unknown and all-powerful law making collective last gathered just outside London on March 3rd for their AGM. The 126th such time they had staged their annual gathering. On their agenda this particular late winter morning were a combination of eight proposals and amendments to the Laws of the Game. An obscure amendment involved a revision to the officials instructions should from a dropped ball situation the ball end up in the opponents goal. How fortunate then Lampards goal against Germany at the 2006 World Cup Finals didnt come from a dropped ball. Top of that IFAB agenda were discussions on the findings of initial tests into Goal Line Technology (GLT that were conducted in November and December 2011 by EMAP –the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials and Technology). Following that March meeting the IFAB mandated EMAP for a second and final phase of tests and experiments. With the definitive decision on the future of GLT set to be delivered at the meeting on July 2. The issue that divides football right down the middle wavers by the width of a goal line each time a legitimate goal is missed by the officials. Also when a hallucinogenic effort is given similar to Chelseas second goal during last Sundays FA Cup semifinal encounter with Spurs. There is no hotter red button issue in all of world football. Hardly surprising in his briefing with reporters yesterday, MLS commissioner Don Garber did not hesitate when addressing Goal Line Technology. His deft touch going so far as stating MLS would be willing to introduce GLT quicker that it takes to eat a BLT. Opportunity waits for no one. Goal Line Technology was a constant theme of yesterday evenings oranges @ halftime and invoked differing responses when the question was put on a personal basis to an MLS owner, a head coach and a player. Impact President Joey Saputo would certainly be an adopter as long as the flow of the game was not compromised but not so much if Major League Soccer played the role of the unilateralist. Telling TSN Radio 990, "Im a purist and I wouldnt want the league to be an experimental league for FIFA. Nor would I want us to be the renegade league in the sense where everyone in the world is doing it one way, and were deciding to do it another because were in North America." "Its obvious that if it can help the outcome of the game, help alleviate some of the mistakes in the past and it doesnt interfere with the game itself than I dont have an issue with it." Whilst other sports have been very keen uptakers of introducing new technologies as they come on line, football is criticized for deliberating and debating in its own time. An FA Cup Semi Final commanding a global audience is one thing a semi professional match played in front of a few hundred another thing all together. All forms of football no matter how insignificant they may be need to be considered before any leap of faith is introduced according to the Whitecaps Head Coach Martin Rennie. "Its a difficult one because obviously at the highest level its fairly easy for the clubs to be able to get the technology and to be able to afford it but what youve got to always look at is how does that translate all the way through the game. How does that work in the Third division in Scotland do they have the same technology there and if they dont how does that reflect the game?" Renowned for a complete thoroughness Rennie advocates the all-inclusive approach. "So theres always a little bit more to it than people think but I think at the highest level of the game it would be nice and obviously at every level that its possible it would be nice to have the technology. Its something that should have been introduced a long time ago. It seems we may be getting closer to that now which would be good." Speed was the common denominator for Toronto FCs Richard Eckersley, "Well personally I think it depends if it slows down the game. You dont want stop and start. With football its why its so popular because it is so fast paced." "Referees have to make split decisions, linesmen have to make split decisions, if it slows down the game I dont encourage it one little bit. If its fast and theres a guy upstairs watching the TV and he buzzes the referee when its gone in or something I think it can only help." As a defender Eckersley wouldnt like to be on the receiving end of a Juan Mata type marker. "Then again the flip side of that is when youre playing a goal crosses the line in your defence, when youre defending the goal I think you dont want that. If it doesnt slow down the game then I think its good for football, good for the game." Technology is perceived by the majority as footballs version of unforbidden fruit - if that was really the case Howard Webb would have been running round Munich Wednesday afternoon chasing the likes of Ronaldo with a handkerchief. Until Joseph Hudson invented a whistle suitable for football the common hankie was how 19th century Howard Webb would have got a players attention. In a little over 10 weeks time the IFABs decision will be handed down. Its not likely they will pass a verdict that would immediately lead to GLT been implemented on a global scale. Instead they are far more likely to approve on the micro scale. The wait and see approach. MLS could certainly fit the role of pioneer. FIFA after all owe North American soccer for agreeing to abandon the shootout goal. WHATEVER IT TAKES Whilst we can trace back the origins of the Designated Player to the pioneering force that was and still is David Beckham. Some six years later after the First Family of English Football stepped from their helicopter onto the plush lawn that is the Home Depot Centre pitch a pivotal moment has arrived. Raúl González is in the shop window. No La Liga 1 trick pony – one of the greatest goal scoring talents to grace the modern game proved hes pretty adaptable when he made the jump in 2011 to the vastly more rugged and physical confines of the Bundesliga in seamless fashion. MLS should throw the cheque book at Raul. Better still deploy all those persuasive resources they deployed when luring Beckham across the Atlantic. In fact, send Beckham to go collect his ex-teammate. Its one thing for the Commissioner to say Raul interests the league, quite another to convince the man to join forces with MLS, a league that has its sight set on been mentioned in the same breath as La Liga and Serie A. Theres a lot more at stake here than another 30-something Europhile. The Russians and Chinese are circling the developing football market wagons and in doing so are taking a significant lead in convincing the likes of Samuel Etoo and Nicolas Anelka. The football platelets are shifting. Well past time to seize back the initiative. Over to you Major League Soccer. ONLY GOT EYES FOR LEO Lost in the stewards enquiry of Chelseas surreal victory Wednesday evening was a poignant moment at the conclusion of Wednesdays 1st leg between the diametrically opposed forces that are John Terry and Lionel Messi. The player who must defines Up and Right at Em, John Terry only had puppy dog eyes for the worlds greatest purveyor of proper football. How wonderful it was to see the hard as nails playing Terry reduced to putty when shaking Messis hand at the final whistle. Expect normal John Terry and Chelsea FC service to be resumed in good time for Saturday mornings crunch encounter in North London. A match that could go a long way to determine if the 2012 MLS All-Star opponent will get to participate in Europes showpiece event next season. (Arsenal vs Chelsea FC – Live on TSN2, Saturday at 7:45am et/4:45am pt) LONG HOT SUMMER ON SCHEDULE FOR STADE SAPUTO With much speculation of late surrounding the reopening of Saputo Stadium, a very mild winter has certainly helped as the club stays focused on June 16 and their match against the Seattle Sounders as the stadiums coming out party following a $25 million refit. Club President Joey Saputo telling TSN Radio 990, "It will be. Weve said it from Day One the timeline is tight. We knew that going into it, but weve been relatively fortunate the weather has been on our side. Adding, "Where we are today, June 16 is a reasonable date for the opening game. I can tell you that we are doing everything to ensure the stadium will be complete but it may not be compete at 100 per cent. When I say that it not something that our fans will notice and will not effect the experience of the fans coming into the stadium." Wholesale nfl Jerseys . It was also a frustrating night for Cristiano Ronaldo as his 100th Portugal appearance ended in a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland. England didnt even get a chance to play as a waterlogged pitch in Warsaw caused the match against Poland to be postponed to Wednesday. nfl jerseys china . The four return-legs of the Euro 2012 qualifying play-offs will be played Tuesday to determine the final four teams to qualify for next years tournament. http://www.bizcheapjerseys.com/ . This week, Robin van Persie starts and shines for Manchester United as they earn their first win of the season, meanwhile the Swans show their teeth again and Chelsea is a perfect three-for-three. Cheap NFL Jerseys . of Norway took the overall lead in the Tour de Ski after winning Thursdays 35-kilometre free pursuit cross-country race. Wholesale Jerseys from china . -- New England Revolution midfielder Zak Boggs is retiring and will accept a Fulbright Scholarship to study medical sciences at Englands Leicester University beginning this fall.TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie gets you set for the NHL season with a look at all seven Canadian teams. Next up, the Calgary Flames. There will be no make the playoffs "guarantee" this year from Calgary Flames general manager Jay Feaster, like there was prior to last season, but actions speak far louder than words anyway and its safe to say the goal in Cowtown remains unchanged: its playoffs or bust. While some have wondered for years why the Flames dont embark on a full-scale tear-down, trade Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff and rebuild, last summers free agency spree in Calgary leaves no doubt the mindset of Feaster and new head coach Bob Hartley. You dont trade for Mike Cammalleri or sign Jiri Hudler or defenceman Dennis Wideman if youre rebuilding. The Flames have a burning desire to get into the top eight in the West and will likely go as far as a top line of veterans Iginla, Cammalleri and Alex Tanguay up front and stalwart netminder Kiprusoff take them. Hartley is a coach who isnt afraid to go to the whip and Calgarys best players will be rolled out and rolled out often. That isnt to say the Flames future is going up in smoke. The prospects cupboard, slowly but surely, is being re-stocked with not-quite-yet-ready talent such as John Gaudreau, Tyler Wotherspoon, Patrick Sieloff, Markus Granlund and Mark Jankowski but the crown jewel of the franchises young guns is first-year pro Sven Baertschi, who will be given a chance to shoow he can play in the Flames top six up front.dddddddddddd He could be a rookie of the year candidate if healthy, after coming off a neck injury that kept him out a month. Calgary also needs Jaromir Jagrs old running mate from the KHL - centre Roman Cervenka - to be a player who can contribute offensively along with Hudler, whos had some injury problems this season but looks ready to go now. The Flames will try to backfill with Curtis Glencross, Matt Stajan, Mikael Backlund and Lee Stempniak as potential Top 9 guys and theres no shortage of depth bodies such as Blair Jones, Tim Jackman, Blake Comeau, Roman Horak, Paul Byron, Ben Street and even old warhorse Steve Begin, whos in on a professional tryout. If Mark Giordano, Jay Bouwmeester and Wideman play to potential, Calgarys blueline can be solid, with Chris Butler, Derek Smith, vet Cory Sarich, Anton Babchuk and Brett Carson providing depth. Hartley favourite Steve McCarthy will get a look on a professional tryout and youngsters T.J. Brodie and Chris Breen could challenge. Goaltending is a strength and self explanatory. Kiprusoff will play almost all the games and Henrik Karlsson will be there when relief is required. If things go well, the Flames hope to compete for a playoff spot. If things go poorly, theyll have to reconcile, one more time, why they shouldnt trade Iginla and/or Kiprusoff before the deadline. ' ' '