England's highly paid players played well and put in a good performance beating Germany 2-0. In the quarter final, England got revenge for Maradonna's Hand of God goal in 86' World Cup by beating Argentina on a penalty kick from a phantom handball by Messi in his own box...Oh wait, that was the dream, reality is so different.
Here are some questions about England's loss to Germany and the decision not to give the goal by Lampard that clearly went over the line. Would it have changed the outcome of the game?
1. Momentum - Whether Germany were better than England doesn't matter. Momentum is huge in sports. That goal would have given England incredible momentum. It could have given them belief that they could win, that the Germans were fragile. It could have given them the much lacking fire to step up their level of play. On the other hand, the Germans could have started to panic, they could have lost confidence. It could have shaken them to their core. Momentum can make all the difference in the world.
2. Change the way the game is played - At 2-1, England are still chasing a tying goal. Germany could sit back, defend and wait to counter. And that is exactly what happened on their next two goals. England had no choice but to leave themselves open at the back and be vulnerable to counter attacks. At 2-2, it becomes an entirely different game. Each team needs to play and try and score...and guess who had the momentum and the confidence in this scenario?
3. Was it finally some payback for the identical situation only in England's favor from the 1966 World Cup? Or have Germany have had enough payback over the years as they seemingly get beat by Germany in all the important games anyway?
4. Would it really have changed the outcome of the game? Germany were clearly superior in most cases. They looked quicker, sharper, more enthusiastic. In comparison, England looked slow, lethargic and lacking in purpose.
5. Does this make the case for using goal-line technology? This technology has been available for years but FIFA seems intent on not using this or other technology that could help the officials out in situations like this.
Look, for what it's worth, I think it would have been interesting for a while had Lampard's goal stood. England fans would have gone crazy, the players might have stepped up their game, but I think it would likely have been just a temporary phase. I think much of the momentum England might have enjoyed would have been lost when they came out after half time. The German's would have regrouped and regained any lost composure and likely gone on to win the game. But it would surely have been interesting to see how things would have turned out.
