CREATIVE football fans have taken it upon themselves to explain why Japan’s winning goal against Spain was RIGHT to stand – with their own brilliant home videos.
Kaoru Mitoma did brilliantly to pull the back into play from the very edge of the byline.
He then teed up Ao Tanaka to stick the ball in and cause the Samurai Blue’s second major shock of the World Cup.
Japan’s 2-1 win saw them top Group E ahead of Spain and dumped Germany out on goal difference behind the 2010 champions.
The goal caused controversy, though, with the referee initially giving a goal kick before VAR officials told referee Victor Gomes to award the goal.
But unlike with goal-line technology, there were no graphics or evidence shared by Fifa to prove why the goal was given.
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To the naked eye using the camera angles available to broadcasters, it looked as though the whole of the ball had crossed the whole of the line – which would disallow the goal.
But with Fifa unable or refusing to provide an explanation behind why the goal stood, supporters took to Twitter with their own videos.
Plenty showed a football or even an orange on the floor at home next to a piece of paper, stick or even a carpet threshold to create the equivalent of a ‘goal line’.
The ball does not touch the ‘line’ and looks to be beyond it with the low camera angle but as the video pans to a vertical view above the ball and line.
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It shows the two overlapping with the ball within the plane of the line – meaning it is still in play.
One fan wrote: “Perception and angle are everything!!”
Another said: “The angle you see things from can massively distort whether any part of the ball is overhanging any part of the line. Officials get one look at it (and were right!).”
And a third explained: “Hahaha that was CLOSE. Reminder: ball is spherical and even if bottom portion crosses the line the side might still be touching. To grant goal must have had a definitive angle showing didn’t fully cross. Give us the angle!”
Many fans also referenced John Stones’ phenomenal clearance for Manchester City against Liverpool in 2019 that looked well over the line but was overhanging the line by 11mm.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
