Robots waving flags?
On a cold but crisp April afternoon, the Etihad Stadium buzzed with anticipation. Not just because Manchester City were hosting Crystal Palace, but the real star of Matchweek 32 wasn't a player, it was the all-new Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT), making its Premier League debut. Fans craned their necks, but not just for Erling Haaland's runs or the through balls of Kevin De Bruyne, but for the giant screens that would display SAOT's verdict, a moment years in the making.
The journey to this day began a year ago, when Premier League clubs gave a green light to SAOT after some pretty heated debates. But the promises of quicker, more accurate offside calls, by shaving an average of 31 seconds off VAR's tedious reviews, won them over. Tested in the FA Cup and fine-tuned by Genius Sports, SAOT's 30 high-speed cameras and AI-driven tracking were ready. Yet, a chorus of doubt could still be heard on the terraces from fans, after-all, Video Assistant Referees are less popular than the human whistleblowers, if that is even possible.
Advertisement
In the 22nd minute, Palace's Eberechi Eze slipped a pass to Jean-Philippe Mateta, who slotted the ball past Ederson. The linesman's flag stayed down, but the stadium held its breath. At Stockley Park, VAR officials watched SAOT spring to life. Cameras captured 10,000 data points, mapping Mateta's shoulder against Kyle Walker's boot in picoseconds. A 3D replay flashed vividly on the screens: a red line marked Mateta offside by just a hair. The goal was disallowed. The crowd roared, those in 'Citeh' blue, in some relief, but so did Palace fans, but in frustration, the call though, was clear, swift, and undeniable.
For soccer fans it was a revelation. No more squinting at blurry VAR TV screens, sipping on a halftime Bovril. The fans in the stadium can see the call, and it's concluded so quickly, unlike some very lengthy deliberations that previously tarnished the beautiful game. The technology may not be perfect; complex plays still needed human eyes, but it felt like progress and a step in the right direction.
By full-time, City's 3-1 win was secondary to SAOT's flawless debut. Social media buzzed with clips of the offside call, fans marveling at the crisp graphics. Pundits, though, cautioned that SAOT wouldn't fix VAR's deeper woes, like subjective fouls. Still, as the sun set over Manchester, the Premier League felt a shift. A new era had begun, one where technology promised clarity, even if football's heart remained gloriously, messily human.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Son to 'wait and see' on Tottenham future after Saudi links
South Korea's Son Heung-min has been linked with a move away from Premier League side Tottenham (Jung Yeon-je) Son Heung-min has cast doubt on his Tottenham future after saying he will "wait and see" what happens amid speculation the skipper could move to Saudi Arabia. The South Korean forward has a year left on his contract and has been linked with an exit after helping Spurs end their 17-year trophy drought. Advertisement "Rather than saying anything at this moment, I think we should all wait and see what happens," the 32-year-old told reporters after South Korea's 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Kuwait on Tuesday. "But no matter where I end up, I will always do the best I can. It will never change." Son lifted the Europa League trophy last month to claim his first piece of silverware with Tottenham after helping his team beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao. Spurs have since fired coach Ange Postecoglou following a dismal Premier League campaign that saw them finish one place above the relegation zone. Advertisement Son came under pressure after a series of underwhelming displays but he vowed to come back stronger next season, wherever he is playing. "I know people may say I had a disappointing year but personally, this was a special season because you play football to win, and only winners are remembered," said Son, who joined Tottenham from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. "I wasn't in my best form for most of the season but hopefully I will be in better condition going into the new season." South Korea booked their place at next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico with 2-0 win over Iraq last week. Advertisement They finished top of Group B in the Asian third round of qualifiers and were unbeaten in 10 games. "I know people just assume that we should come out of Asia with ease but nothing has been easy," said Son, who came on as a 75th-minute substitute against Kuwait. "I think we were able to finish well here because everyone came together with the same goal of never losing a match." amk/pst
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
USMNT vs Switzerland player ratings — Who starred after miserable, ghastly first half in Nashville?
A horrendous first half in Nashville almost made it feel unfair to assign player ratings to the USMNT against Switzerland, trailing 4-0 after 45 minutes at Geodis Park. But you know what? We would certainly be writing them up if the Yanks piled misery on the Swiss and built a four-goal lead. And if we weren't committed to this post, we might've missed a couple of star turns in the second half. Yes, Switzerland was happy to give the Yanks the ball and coast to a near-certain win, but two halftime subs added to their performances against Turkiye to the extent that you'd bet on their being a part of the World Cup roster at this point. Let's dig into a rough Tennessee four-step. USMNT vs Switzerland player ratings — Did anyone star in embarrassing loss? Matt Turner: 4.5 — With no club action since the fifth round of the FA Cup on March 1 and just two USMNT appearances that same month, he might've been rusty. It's hard to say as he was under fire from about the fifth minute through halftime. Definitely wants a goal back. Max Arfsten (Off HT): 4 — Here's why you can't trust counting stats all the time. Arfsten was fun going forward and nearly played a part in an early goal, and he was engaged in trying to win duels. However, the stats don't show poor performances on at least three of the four Swiss goals during his shift. Mark McKenzie: 5 — Was excellent on the ball, especially in the second half. A pair of mistakes amongst the Swiss goals. Walker Zimmerman: 6 — Might he have reacted quicker on the Swiss opener? Feels like he gets scapegoated when the team has a bad game, but he remains a solid option. Nathan Harriel: 5 — Showed good mental strength to play a decent second half after a first frame that was about as ugly as it gets, even allowing for the deflection that helped the Swiss open the scoring behind him. Johnny Cardoso: 6 — Tidy enough with the ball but quiet overall. Sebastian Berhalter (Off 75'): 6 — Looked like a man earning his first cap in the first half, but there's no shame in that especially against a very good Swiss midfield. Comfortable when the play improved in the second half. Paxten Aaronson (Off HT): 5 — Touched the ball just 18 times, as did his brother. Brenden Aaronson (Off HT): 4 — Touched the ball just 18 times, as did his brother. Quinn Sullivan (Off HT): 4.5 — Gave the ball away on Switzerland's fourth goal. Brian White (Off HT): 6 — Got on the ball 19 times in cutting an isolated figure up top. Created a chance early up top and drew two fouls. He's the one halftime sub that was a bit of a surprise. Subs Diego Luna (On HT): 7.5 — It's going to be difficult to keep him out of the XI, let alone the World Cup roster. Patrick Agyemang (On HT): 6 — Perfectly adequate. Tim Ream (On HT): 7 — It's not great that he's still possibly a World Cup starter at CB in that no one's clearly passed him, but Ream is a wonderful footballer. Malik Tillman (On HT): 8 — A fantastic week for the player during a trying time for the team. Marvelous work rate and technical acumen. John Tolkin (On HT): 7 — Looked better than he did in any of his first four caps. Damion Downs (On 75'): — N/A
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Lazy':Roy Keane slams Kyle Walker after England concede goal against Senegal
Roy Keane has criticised Manchester City defender Kyle Walker following his role in Senegal's equaliser against England. The Three Lions, who took an early lead through Harry Kane, were pegged back shortly before half-time when Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr turned home Nicolas Jackson's cross. Advertisement Sarr was able to get in front of Walker at the back post to pounce, also getting the better of his club teammate Dean Henderson in the process. Upon analysing the equaliser, Keane - on punditry duty for ITV - singled out Walker for criticism, going as far as to accuse the experienced defender of being 'lazy' in the build-up to the goal. He said: 'If this is a young right back, you're thinking it's inexperience. 'But I think he's being lazy. 'He almost can't be bothered getting back. For a vastly experienced player, you can't be making mistakes like that.' At fault: Kyle Walker (The FA via Getty Images) England head coach Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to be pleased with Walker's defending either after being very critical of the team's overall performance against Andorra at the weekend. Despite a 1-0 win in the World Cup qualifier, Tuchel felt the display was lacklustre and called for an immediate response in the international friendly against Senegal on Tuesday night.
