FIFA: 'Heartbeat Graphic' From Chip In Ball Shows Croatia Call Right
TORONTO, July 3 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- FIFA has confirmed that Croatia’s late equaliser against Portugal was correctly ruled out for offside due to technology housed inside the World Cup ball, PA Media/dpa reported.
Goncalo Ramos’s header put Portugal 2-1 up in the fourth minute of added time of the last-32 clash. But it looked like Croatia had scored a dramatic leveller through Joško Gvardiol nine minutes later.
Ivan Perišić sent a ball into the box, which bounced off Renato Veiga and into the path of Mario Pašalić, and his touch teed it up for Gvardiol, who slid home.
The goal stood on the field, and it appeared from television replays that Croatia’s Igor Matanović missed his header as he attempted to flick it on, which would have meant Pašalić was onside before setting up Gvardiol.
However, referee Espen Eskas was sent to the VAR monitor and FIFA’s technology inside the Adidas Trionda ball showed that Matanović did get a slight touch, which meant Pašalić was offside in the build-up.
When the ball was next to Matanović, replays showed a graphic with a slight spike which suggests that he did touch it, ultimately putting an end to Croatia’s World Cup hopes and sending Portugal through to the last 16.
FIFA explained the decision in a post on X which read: “According to the data provided by Connected Ball Technology housed within the @adidasfootball Trionda, the official match ball of the @FIFAWorldCup, it was proven that contact was made by Croatia’s #20 Igor Matanovic in the build-up to the goal against Portugal, allowing the referee to correctly determine offside and disallow the goal.
“IMU sensors housed within the Trionda ball are capable of determining any slight contact, displayed to viewers in the broadcast as a ‘heartbeat graphic,’ and allowing officials an unprecedented level of data to make fast, accurate decisions.”
-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa