For all of the millions that both Milan teams have spent on
summer signings this year, the star of the Trofeo TIM Tournament on Wednesday
could eclipse them all: Goal Line Technology (GLT.) It will make its debut on
Wednesday, and will then be called up for every single game of every single
week of Serie A all season long. Like the best bench player, it will sit there,
just waiting to be called into action. But when it is needed, it will be ready
on a split second’s notice, and could very well star in every match, if
necessary. Fans who have long called for its usage have probably already
declared it the signing of the season.
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| Taking the human error out of the equation on one of the most important calls |
It is ironic that former Milan star midfielder Sulley “The
Killer” Muntari will not be around to take advantage of the new technology,
when you consider that it was his infamous disallowed “il gol di Muntari” vs. Juventus in February 2012 that sparked a
new, increased rivalry between the two clubs. But it also started a conversation
that many had been trying to have for a long time. And even if it took three
years to get here, Wednesday will be the beginning of the end of such
controversies, allowing fans and refs to create newer and less easily resolved
ones.
The Premier League has used GLT for two years already. It
was also used by FIFA last year in the World Cup in Brazil. The Bundesliga had
already approved the technology to begin this season when the Lega Serie A
voted to approve it beginning this year as well. The President of the AIA, the
Italian referee association, Marcello Nicchi, recently remarked that the
referees have been waiting for this technology, and that he feels they will be
able to better focus on other elements of the game and thus be able to better
perform their jobs.
Serie A will be using Hawk-eye GLT, the system used by FIFA,
the Premier League, the Bundesliga, and more. Most people are aware of the
concept of Goal Line Technology, but they may not know exactly how this system
works. There are seven cameras per goal installed in the stadium, usually
somewhere on the roof of the stadium. They all have different angles of the
goal line and can locate the ball even if only a portion of it is showing.
They are all synched so that as soon as the ball crosses the line, an encrypted
message will be sent to the referee’s watch or earpiece. And they are accurate
even if only two of the seven cameras catch the goal. The system is accurate to
the millimeter, and they tout that there has never been a goal yet that would not
be able to be detected, even due to body placement, etc.
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| Accurate to the millimeter... now if we can only find some strikers who are also so accurate |
Certainly Milan have had our share of ghost goals, it almost
feels like a curse after Muntari’s infamous non-goal. So I imagine most fans
will be pretty excited about Serie A’s newest signing. But I’m sure fans of all
clubs are looking forward to losing this element of the game, where human error
can cost a result and possibly even influence the league table. So regardless
of what everyone’s new players will do for them, I’m predicting that Goal Line
Technology will be the signing of the season.
This post inspired by the music of
Spandau Ballet’s “True”
Our next match is
The Trofeo TIM Tournament
AC
Milan vs. Sassuolo vs. Inter
Wednesday, August 12
20:45 CEST (2:45pm EDT): AC Milan vs. Inter
21:45 CEST (3:45pm EDT): Sassuolo vs. Loser of the 1st game
22:45CEST (4:45pm EDT): Sassuolo vs. Winner of the 1st game