2012

FIFA called it a "revolution" but without a Geoff Hurst moment, goal-line technology's grand introduction to football passed almost unnoticed -- and with few clues of success or failure.

After years of clamour for modern technology, there were no obligingly close calls to be made in Thursday's Club World Cup opener in Japan, when one of two rival systems was tested for the first time in a competitive match.

Indeed, when Sanfrecce Hiroshima's Toshihiro Aoyama walloped the ball past Auckland City 'keeper Tamati Williams in the game's only goal, no scientific help was needed to tell it had crossed the line.

World body FIFA gave away little about the first test, but as officials are expected only to give details if something goes wrong, it was a case of no news is good news for the GoalRef system's providers.

"FIFA can confirm the pre-match referee test, conducted in both goals 100 mins before kick-off, were successfully passed," a spokesman told AFP in a brief statement.

"This enabled goal-line technology to be used for the first time by match officials, providing an additional aid, in the event of a contentious 'ghost goal'."

GoalRef's magnetic field system, using a special ball fitted with a chip, is on trial at games at Yokohama International Stadium, which hosted the 2002 World Cup final and is being used for four of the Club World Cup's eight games.

Hawkeye, which is familiar from tennis and cricket and uses cameras to track a ball's position and trajectory, will be tested at the competition's other matches in Toyota.

Results from the trials at the Club World Cup, featuring European champions Chelsea amongst others, will not be announced until next year, when one of the systems will be picked for the Confederations Cup in Brazil.

The trials, hailed as a "kind of revolution" by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, represent a huge step forward for football whose fans have long clamoured for technology to come in to line with other sports.

England forward Hurst provided a memorably contentious moment when his strike bounced off the crossbar and on or near the line -- and was given as a goal -- in the 1966 World Cup final against Germany.

But it was Frank Lampard's similar, but disallowed, long-range effort against the same opponents at the 2010 World Cup which finally galvanised FIFA into action.

Unconvinced by regional body UEFA's test of goal-line referees at Euro 2012, FIFA, after a testing process of about two years, gave licences to Germany's GoalRef and Britain-based, Sony-owned Hawk-Eye.

Both systems transmit their findings to devices that are worn on officials' wrists within a second of the goal being scored.

The referee has the final decision and there are no replays on big screens showing the decision or replays, as in tennis, cricket and rugby.

Following GoalRef's debut, Hawk-Eye will get its first official try-out when Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea play Mexico's Monterrey on Sunday.

GoalRef will be back in action on December 13 when Chelsea -- Lampard's team -- enter the tournament at the semi-final stage.

Monterrey are desperate to avenge last year's exit at the first hurdle of the Club World Cup by going all the way and winning the current edition of the showpiece event, their coach said Friday.

The CONCACAF champions went to Japan in 2011 with high expectations but suffered a loss in their quarter-final opening match, limping out of the tournament on penalties to Kashiwa Reysol -- the host nation representatives.

"We've got a point to prove," said Victor Vucetich, whose Mexican side take on Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai at Toyota Stadium on Sunday.

"This is the second time we have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup and we would like to capitalise on the opportunity and win (the tournament). We are confident that we can get to the final."

Vucetich added that his team were better prepared this time round because of the experience of playing at the seven-team intercontinental event last year and were ready for whatever the South Koreans throw at them in their first game.

"We have already watched videos of Ulsan so we basically have a good understanding of their characteristics and playing style," the 57-year-old said.

European champions Chelsea await the winners in a semi-final match to be held on Thursday in Yokohama.

Corinthians coach Tite insisted Friday that the South American champions were not favourites to win the Club World Cup, despite Chelsea's recent run of poor form.

The Brazilians, led by key players Alessandro and Paulinho, won the Copa Libertadores in July, mirroring the London club's achievement in Europe two months earlier by becoming continental champions for the first time.

Chelsea have been on the slide in recent weeks though and come into the seven-team intercontinental tournament on the back of a Champions league exit at the group stage -- the first time the holders have suffered such an ignominy.

Two goalless draws and a surprise 3-1 thrashing by West Ham have put interim manager Rafael Benitez under pressure just two weeks after replacing Roberto Di Matteo, who led the Blues to that historic victory against Bayern Munich in May.

"I don't believe (those) past results will determine what's going to happen in these games," said Tite, whose side enter the tournament in Japan at the semi-final stage on Wednesday.

"What I believe is you have to play 90 minutes in the first game and 90 minutes in the second game. The degree of difficulty and the pressure is the same (for everyone)."

Corinthians will play either J-League winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima or Al Ahly of Egypt in Toyota, close to Nagoya.

Chelsea will line up against Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai or Monterrey of Mexico, who play in the quarter-finals, in Yokohama near Tokyo on Thursday.

"We don't believe a certain team are the favourites to win the cup," the 51-year-old Tite added.

"This is the sort of tournament where every game has to be decided. There is a chance for everybody."

"There are no favourites attached to Corinthians or Chelsea, or even Al Ahly."

The Brazilian said his team, the first undefeated Copa Libertadores winners since 1978, would have to be at the top of their game if they are to achieve their objective of progressing to the final and winning the showpiece event.

"We know about our power. We know about our responsibility (towards South America). We came here to go to the final but we know that the first game is going to be a very tough match.

"We are prepared to play for 90 minutes with very little margin for error."

Corinthians won the first edition of the FIFA Club World Championship on home soil in 2000. After a four-year hiatus, the Championship returned in 2005 before being relaunched as the Club World Cup the following year.

Chelsea captain John Terry will be unable to compete in the Club World Cup later this month because of a knee injury, interim manager Rafael Benitez revealed on Friday.

The former England centre-back has been told not to travel to Japan for the tournament so as not to jeopardise his recovery from the ligament injury he picked up in the 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool in November.

"We've been talking with the doctor. The inflammation during the flight will not be the best thing for him so he will not travel," Benitez said.

"He wanted to go and to help, but it's better that he stays here. We don't know when he will play. We have to wait and see how he reacts."

Chelsea qualified for the Club World Cup by winning last season's Champions League but they were knocked out of this season's tournament in the group phase on Wednesday.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat part-timers Auckland City 1-0 at the Club World Cup on Thursday in a landmark match where 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 quarter-final 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, but 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.

The Japanese champions dominated possession in the first half, but several good saves from Auckland goalkeeper Tamati Williams -- including one from close range -- meant the two sides went into the break locked at 0-0.

Hiroshima started the second half with intent, hitting the post from a 20-yard strike on the 50-minute mark before having a header tipped wide shortly afterwards.

The New Zealanders, whose players included a lawyer and a plumber, started to tire and Hiroshima broke the deadlock in dramatic fashion after 66 minutes when midfielder Aoyama lashed the ball into the net from around 30 yards.

The men in purple looked keen to add to their tally but wasted a number of opportunities, going closest with a vicious strike that struck the bar with six minutes of the match remaining as a second goal proved elusive.

They survived a lucky scare at the death but ran out worthy winners and coach Hajime Moriyasu was pleased with the professionalism shown by his players.

"They were highly motivated," he said. "We only scored one goal, however we were able to create many, many chances. The players were very aggressive in the offence and we played our style (of football)."

Auckland coach Ramon Tribulietx said his players should be proud of their performance.

"We have to be very happy with the game we played," the Spaniard said.

"Don't forget we are an amateur side, and coming up here and playing Hiroshima in Japan is very hard for us. We can hold our heads up high."

Hiroshima, who won their maiden J-League title last month, on Sunday will play Al Ahly in Toyota where FIFA are trialling 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.

In July, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) -- custodians of the game's laws -- decided to use goal-line technology at the Club World Cup, next year's Confederations Cup and the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

FIFA gave licences to Britain-based but Sony-owned Hawk-Eye and Germany's GoalRef, following a testing process lasting around two years.

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

European champions Chelsea and Copa Liberdatores winners Corinthians enter the Club World Cup at the semi-final stage.

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke says he expects goal-line technology to be used in the English Premier League "sooner or later", as football's world body prepares to trial two systems in Japan.

Hawk-Eye and GoalRef will feature at the eight-game Club World Cup, which starts Thursday and features continental champions -- including Chelsea and Brazil's Corinthians -- battling to be crowned the best team on the planet.

Speaking ahead of the opening match in Yokohama, Valcke said the high financial stakes involved in England's top flight meant goal-line technology would ultimately be introduced into one of the world's most profitable leagues.

He said it was costing FIFA $1 million to run the two systems in Japan, adding that high installation costs would mean the technology was out of reach for smaller leagues initially but over time would become more affordable.

"At the moment it's a luxury cost. That's why you'll see it mainly in high-level competitions," Valcke told a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.

"I don't think that for the time being you will see this goal-line technology system used in minor leagues.

"But I could expect or could imagine that the English Premier League and such leagues where the result is important, where there is so much interest, money, financial implication, you will see sooner or later a goal-line system in place."

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.

In July, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) -- custodians of the game's laws -- decided to use goal-line technology at the Club World Cup, next year's Confederations Cup and the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

Individual associations and domestic leagues still have the right to decide whether they use the technology in their competitions.

FIFA has given licences to Britain-based but Sony-owned Hawk-Eye and Germany's GoalRef.

The Hawk-Eye system uses between six and eight cameras while GoalRef uses magnetic fields to determine whether a ball has crossed the line. Both systems transmit their findings to devices that can be worn on officials' wrists.

Goal-line technology will be used for the first time ever in a match when J-League winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima take on Oceania champions Auckland City in the quarter-final play-off match on Thursday.

Chelsea's Rafael Benitez goes into the Club World Cup desperate for results and silverware but he will be acutely aware of the 2010 edition, when he was sacked just days after leading Inter Milan to glory.

Critics are circling Benitez, who replaced the popular Roberto di Matteo last month and whose team on Wednesday became the first Champions League holders to exit at the group stage, despite winning 6-1.

Benitez will take a full-strength squad to Japan, where the intercontinental contest kicks off on Thursday with a preliminary match between Oceania title-holders Auckland City and Japan's J-League winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Chelsea, who won Europe's Champions League for the first time under di Matteo, and Copa Libertadores winners Corinthians of Brazil enter at the semi-final stage starting on December 12.

The London side will play either Mexican club Monterrey or Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai, while Corinthians will face the winners of Egyptian outfit Al Ahly's game against Auckland or Hiroshima.

But the bitter experience of 2010 puts Benitez in an unenviable position in Japan, knowing that even victory is unlikely to turn around his fortunes at Stamford Bridge, while defeat will inevitably crank up the pressure.

Comparisons are striking with two years ago, when Benitez joined European champions Inter after the departure of Jose Mourinho but struggled to convince their fans and went into the Club World Cup under pressure.

A 3-0 victory over Tout Puissant Mazembe in the Abu Dhabi final should have earned him credit, but Benitez used the post-match press conference to call for "respect and assistance" from the club -- and was sacked five days later.

Now Benitez, hired on an interim basis by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, finds himself targeted by boos and speculation about the sack, and the return of ex-manager Avram Grant as an adviser, after less than a fortnight in charge.

He was also hit by a broadside from Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, a long-time adversary, who called him "very lucky" for inheriting a team which could win him a trophy within days of his appointment.

"Rafa Benitez is very lucky because on his CV in two weeks' time he could have two Club World Championships to his name -- and (he had) nothing to do with the teams," Ferguson said.

Benitez's Liverpool team lost the 2005 Club World Cup final 1-0 to Sao Paulo in Yokohama, the venue for this year's decider, and Brazilian rivals again shape as his biggest threat.

Corinthians, also from Sao Paulo, in July mirrored Chelsea's achievement by becoming continental champions for the very first time, and as the first unbeaten team since 1978.

If, as expected, Chelsea and Corinthians meet in the final it raises the prospect of a match-up between national team-mates Oscar and Corinthians' midfield dynamo Paulinho.

"I respect Paulinho as a footballer, he's a very good player, but if we meet at the Club World Cup I will be doing everything I can to beat him," Oscar told the FIFA.com website.

Asian player of the year Lee Keun-Ho, who has delayed his military service to compete in Japan, will be looking to drive Ulsan Hyundai to further success after his key role in their first AFC Champions League victory.

Japanese international Hisato Sato, top scorer in the J-League, is the key man for Sanfrecce while seven-time African champions Al Ahly are competing for the fourth time for the world club title.

Auckland City's skipper Ivan Vicelich insists the only non-professional outfit competing at the tournament are not just making up the numbers, with $1 million up for grabs if they win the opening match.

"As an amateur club it's a big challenge and very difficult, but getting to the next stage for any team at this tournament is the aim, and we're no different," he said.

FIFA will trial two goal-line technology systems at the event, with a view to using one of them at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

English Premier League club West Ham United were on Wednesday named 'first bidder' for the right to move into London's Olympic Stadium by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).

It is a major step for West Ham, who are competing with third-tier football club Leyton Orient, a football business college and a Formula One racing group to become permanent tenants of the east London arena.

Referees can reject the use of goal-line technology or even overrule it in the Club World Cup, which starts this week in Japan, a senior FIFA official said.

Two different GLT systems, Hawk-Eye and GoalRef, are to be used in the eight-game competition from Thursday, when continental kings of club football, including Chelsea and Brazil's Corinthians, will battle for world supremacy.

"The referee has the final word when it's about the goal-line technology system," FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke told a news conference in Tokyo.

In July, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) -- custodians of the game's laws -- decided to use goal-line technology at the Club World Cup, next year's Confederation Cup and the World Cup finals in Brazil in 2014.

Valcke said referees at these competitions will test the system 90 minutes before each game to see if it is working to his satisfaction.

"If he has any doubt and if this doubt cannot be corrected by the provider who is on the site, then he has the right to say, 'Sorry, guys. I don't think I can rely on the system'," he said.

"Again, the referee is the most important person. He's the one who's making the final decision and he has to keep this right for the final decision," Valcke said.

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

"It's a big day because it's the first time that the technology will be used officially in a game or games. Up to now, it was just experiment."

Individual associations still have the right to decide whether to they use the technology in their competitions. That means UEFA, for example, could opt not to implement the system.

FIFA, football's world governing body, has given GLT licences to Britain-based but Sony-owned Hawk-Eye and Germany's GoalRef, from a shortlist of some 10 different companies.

The Hawk-Eye system uses seven cameras while GoalRef utilises magnetic fields to determine whether a ball has crossed the line. Both systems transmit their findings to devices that can be worn on officials' wrists.

Both are in the running for installation in stadiums for the Confederations Cup in Brazil next June, but other companies can still apply for the chance to have their technology used, said Valcke.

He said FIFA would have to decide the contractor "by the end of March at the latest".

The Club World Cup kicks off on Thursday in Yokohama, with New Zealand's Auckland City FC taking on Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima.