World Cup golden goal rule could return

Posted Thursday, January 06, 2011 by cbc.ca

World Cup golden goal rule could return
Joseph Blatter said FIFA is considering reintroducing golden goals to decide extra-time matches at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

FIFA could reintroduce sudden-death overtime at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Wednesday other possible moves aimed at improving the quality of World Cup soccer included scrapping overtime after tied knockout stage matches and changing the points awarded for wins and ties in opening-round games.

"Is it worth taking another look at the golden goal? Some people like it, some people don't," Blatter said in an interview published on FIFA's website.

Potential changes will be recommended by a FIFA-selected panel of experts called "Task Force Football 2014."

The FIFA executive committee created the panel in October to help ensure a "more attractive" World Cup in Brazil after the disappointing quality of soccer in South Africa.

At the time, Blatter was critical of teams' defensive tactics that resulted in seven of 64 matches ending goal-less, including six in the opening group phase.

In 16 knockout-phase matches, four were tied after 90 minutes and went to overtime — including Spain's 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final.

Had sudden-death overtime applied, play would have stopped and Spain declared the winner as soon as Andres Iniesta scored in the 116th minute.

Sudden-death overtime was approved by FIFA's rules-making panel in 1993 to promote attacking play and reward teams for showing ambition.

The rule was used at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and was decisive for Germany in the final of the 1996 European Championship and for France four years later.

It was abolished in 2004 because too many teams chose to defend in overtime and take their chances in a penalty-kicks shootout. Two matches in South Africa went to penalty kicks, including Uruguay's quarter-final win over Ghana.

Blatter said Wednesday that the merit of overtime itself would be studied.

"Is extra time the only option we have when a game ends in a draw?" he said. "And if we stick with extra time, how should we end games?

"There are a lot of issues regarding tournaments we can look at and discuss."

FIFA has not announced the panel's makeup, but it will likely call on members of the Football Committee that features retired greats Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton and George Weah.