Hiroshima through as goal-line system used

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Agence France-Presse

Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat part-timers Auckland City 1-0 at the Club World Cup yesterday in a landmark match at which goal-line technology was available to the referee for the first time ever.

The J-League winners proved too strong for their New Zealand opponents, who were representing Oceania at the intercontinental tournament in Japan, to set up a quarterfinal clash with seven-time African champions Al Ahly of Egypt.

FIFA made football history by trialling the first of two goal-line systems to be used at the showpiece event, however the match in Yokohama passed without GoalRef’s magnetic field technology being required to determine a close call.

Instead, a dramatic strike from Hiroshima’s Toshihiro Aoyama left the human eye in no doubt about whether a goal had been scored, with the ball hitting the back of the net in style.

Hiroshima, who won its maiden J-League title last month, on Dec. 6 will play Al Ahly in Toyota where FIFA is trialing the second goal-line system - camera-based Hawk-Eye.

Fans have called for years for football to embrace technology aimed at eliminating human error, citing its use in other sports including tennis and cricket.

FIFA gave licences to Britain-based but Sony-owned Hawk-Eye and Germany’s GoalRef.

Both systems transmit their findings to devices that can be worn on officials’ wrists. Yesterday’s game was the first time that officials had ever worn the watch-like device during a match.