Frank Lampard believes goal-line technology will “add magic” to football as the Chelsea midfielder, whose non-awarded “goal” for England against Germany at the World Cup two years ago convinced Fifa innovation was required, prepares to compete in his first competitive match with a scientific system of verification operating in each goalmouth.

World football’s governing body, much to the Uefa president Michel Platini’s frustration, is using its Club World Cup to test two goal-line technologies, with Hawk-Eye in operation at Toyota City and GoalRef, which uses magnetic fields around the goal and a special ball fitted with a chip, at Yokohama International stadium. Chelsea and Monterrey will benefit from the latter today should there be any controversies.

“It’s been quite a long time coming and it’s too important an issue to let it go any more,” said Lampard, whose chip against Germany cannoned down from the crossbar behind the line and back up to the bar before Manuel Neuer could recover the loose ball, with the officials waving the play on. “It’s a no-brainer to bring it in and make the calls correctly. I think it will add magic. I’m a big cricket fan and it’s added magic to cricket.”

Guardian Service