TSN Soccer analyst Gareth Wheelers Midweek Musings on the Barclays Premier League. Camiseta Ivan Rakitic . Welcome to the goal-line technology era in British top-flight football. Seamless, wasnt it? I bet you hardly noticed. Makes you wonder whats taken so long. One of the sights of the opening weekend in the Barclays Premier League came Sunday (as seen on TSN, heard on TSN Radio) as Chelsea right-back Branislav Ivanovic had his header on goal cleared off the line by Hull City goalkeeper Allan McGregor. The play ominous, as it was the first decent shout for the use of the goal-line technology. Instead of running over to the linesman or shouting at the match official, all Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had to do was turn to the fourth official for a verdict. A simple look and he had his answer. Mourinho, in his always-colourful fashion, arms flailing, turned to fourth official Andre Marriner. Holding his wrist, Marriner showed Mourinho his red and black watch. The device wasnt vibrating. No flash of the word goal. And it was understood the ball didnt cross the line. The two men had a laugh. As did Hull City manager Steve Bruce. The two managers even shared a hug. And it was over with. The television replay and subsequent graphic confirmed what we all knew. No lengthy debate. No prolonged protestations. The situation was over. No goal. The technology got it right. Simple. Quick. And effective. Hawk-Eye goal-line technology has been developed since 1999 and used in the Premier League for the first time on the weekend. Its the same technology thats revolutionized tennis with instant replays on hotly contested shots; in or out and a decisive answer. It takes less than a second for the high-speed cameras to determine whether the ball has crossed the line on the pitch. Although its inevitably at the referees discretion to ask the fourth official for the goal/no-goal verdict based upon the encrypted wristwatch, the man in charge would be a fool not to use his help through technology. Sunday was exhibit A how efficient it was executed. Many fought diligently to keep goal-line technology out of football. FIFA president Sepp Blatter dragged his feet accepting the clear benefits of technology, saying rejecting hi-tech progress put the game in a special place, creating more fascination and popularity in the game. Human error was deemed to be charming and a catalyst for conversation and debate. Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand concurs, speaking out against goal-line technology before the season. Ferdinand believes "Incidents like that add to the game because it runs into radio phone-ins, people talk about it in the pub and in other media. Was it a goal or wasnt it." I strongly disagree. Debate will always exist in football. Various approaches to the game, and more importantly, the subjective nature of officiating provides substantial fodder to argue and discuss. A match-officials interpretation and implementation of the rules of the game, what is a foul and how to manage proceedings varies from match to match. Just ask Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway how he felt about the opening weekend officiating. Holloway provided plenty of food for thought. The conversation to do with on field injustice is going nowhere. Penalty calls, foul calls around the box, what constitutes a proper caution or sending off, even a flag offside are entirely unpredictable and an imperfect science. Whether a ball crosses a goal-line is black and white. Its not subjective in nature. Its a game-changing call. And it has to be correct. I covered the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and was in attendance in Bloemfontein for Englands 4-1 loss to Germany in the Round of 16. Germany held a 2-1 lead in the first half. Frank Lampards shot from outside the box hit off the bottom of the crossbar and over the goal-line before spinning back out of the net. The linemans flag stayed down. No goal. The crowd was irate. Mere seconds after the play, a photographer in front of me turned and showed photo evidence. It wasnt even close. The ball crossed the line. The match was immediately riddled in controversy. And England lost their way. In 2005, Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll was bailed out by the linesman for what could have been one of the biggest howlers in Premier League history. Spurs midfielder Pedro Mendes hit the ball from just inside Uniteds half. It was a floater. Carroll stumbled, failed to cover and put the ball into his own net. In a moment of panic, Carroll scooped the ball out and the play carried on. It was a shocking miss by the match officials. And a clear sign technology was needed to help during such critical moments. The match ended in a scoreless draw. And Carrolls blushes were saved. The embarrassment of the referees was not. Goal-line technology is the ultimate helping hand. Argument over whether the ball crossed the line is nonsensical with video replay from multiple angles providing irrefutable evidence. Lets save our debate for the subjective side of the game. Hawk-Eye goal-line technology ensures that. And the Premier League is better for it. - Newcastle manager Alan Pardew and Everton boss Roberto Martinez have criticized transfer activity and the approaches of their players as the transfer window remains open despite the start of the Premier League season. The window stays open until September 2nd. Pardew has called for the transfer window to be closed before the first ball of the season is kicked. And hes absolutely right. Get rid of the distraction. Get rid of the excuse. A team should be forced to do team business in the run-up to the season. The preseason instead has become a time to trek around the world on sponsorship and business endeavours. Take care of your transfer business first. And dont let it linger. Close the window early. - Manchester City showed their title credentials in Mondays 4-0 win over Newcastle. The bad news, captain Vincent Kompany will miss three weeks with a groin injury, putting his fitness in question for the match-day five meeting with Manchester United. The positive news, Citys next three matches come against newly promoted Cardiff and Hull, as well as lowly Stoke. Kompanys loss mitigated by poor competition. - Widespread questioning of Manchester Uniteds title chances seemed to have quelled to a certain degree after scoring four at Swansea. But the need for upgrades in the transfer market has not. Uniteds double swoop attempt for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines is a curious one, with Everton going public about the move. Its a curious tactic Everton revealing Uniteds approach. The tactic signals a possible negotiating ploy out of Goodison Park to drive up the price of the players, rather than being insulted by the bid, as Martinez proclaims. There has to be more than what appears. Uniteds bid for Fellaini makes sense to fill a need at central midfield. A move for Baines doesnt make much sense at all. Patrice Evra has been fantastic at left-back for United for the better part of the last two years. United would be better off pursuing a younger successor for the position. A player like Southampton 18-year old Luke Shaw makes much more sense. - It looks like Yohan Cabaye will leave Newcastle for Arsenal. A price needs to be settled, but it seems the Emirates is the most likely destination for the Frenchman. The bigger question; would Cabaye solve Arsenals problems? Arsene Wenger is under pressure to buy, but the team would be better off investing in a new goalkeeper, a reliable centre-back and a top class striker. A player like Cabaye falls further down a preferred shopping list. - Its always good seeing smaller clubs buy intelligently, bringing in players specific to the clubs needs. After a terrible start to last season upon promotion and through a managerial change, Southampton has emerged a dangerous club showing ambition. The spine of the team up the middle is all-important to competing week after week in the Prem. And the Saints have significantly upgraded those areas. Centre-back Dejan Lovren (Lyon), central midfielder Victor Wanyama (Celtic), and striker Pablo Osvaldo (Roma) bring substance to an already talented side. A push for a Europa League spot is not crazy to suggest. - Impressive teams not picking up three points: Everton, Swansea. - Not sure what they are: Fulham, West Brom, Liverpool. - Performer of the week: Robin van Persie (Manchester United) - Biggest disappointment: Arsenal. - Underrated players: Kevin Nolan (West Ham), Steven Pineaar (Everton), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace), Sascha Riether (Fulham) - Match-day two fixture(s) to watch: Manchester United v Chelsea, Tottenham v Swansea You can reach Gareth at gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca or follow him on Twitter, @WheelerTSN Camiseta Luis Suarez Barata .A. Dickey earned an American League Gold Glove on Tuesday to become the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to win the award. Camiseta Sergi Roberto . The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. http://www.camisetasfcbarcelona.es/camiseta-luis-suarez-barca.html . The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the league hasnt announced the award. Crawford was the Clippers third-leading scorer and the NBAs top-scoring reserve with 18.THE FORMATIONS: The New York Red Bulls showed up in Vancouver without some of their key players - Thierry Henry and Jamison Olave, to be specific. Head coach Mike Petke chose to line up his team in a 1-4-4-2 formation, with Peguy Luyindula partnering Tim Cahill up front. The Red Bulls played a flat four across midfield, with Lloyd Sam on the right, Jonny Steele on the left, and Eric Alexander partnering Dax McCarty in the middle. This decision proved to be a fatal one for New York, as Vancouver dominated the game in midfield, especially in the second half. At the back, two former Toronto FC players were in the fullback positions for the Red Bulls - Rickard Eckersley on the right and Bobby Convey on the left. Ibrahim Sekagya and Armando defended centrally, with Luis Robles in goal. The Vancouver Whitecaps lined up in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation, in Carl Robinsons first game as a head coach. Darren Mattocks led the line, with Sebastian Fernandez, Kenny Miller and Russell Teibert lining up from left to right in the attacking midfield three. The impressive Matias Laba partnered Nigel Reo-Coker as defensive midfielders. At the back, Steven Beitashour and Jordan Harvey flanked Jay DeMerit and Andy OBrien, with David Ousted in goal. THE GAME: The Vancouver Whitecaps got the 2014 MLS season off to the perfect start, claiming a 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls at BC Place on Saturday. The game started slowly for Vancouver, which can be put down to it being the first game of the new season under a new coach. Players are always a little tense when the season kicks off, and it can take some time to get into the flow of the game - especially when playing alongside new teammates. Once Vancouver settled into the game, though, the midfield partnership of Matias Laba and Nigel Reo-Coker began to dictate the game. Laba showed all of the qualities that tempted Robinson to bring him to the club via a trade with Toronto FC; he broke up countless Red Bull attacks, was composed on the ball and precise in his distribution. The defensive solidity of the two midfielders meant that it was a reasonably comfortable game for the back four. In fact, had it not been for a mistake from David Ousted, the Whitecaps would have kept a clean sheet. The first goal came in the 34th minute, as Kenny Miller converted a penalty kick after Richard Eckersley was adjudged to have handled a Matias Laba strike inside the penalty area. The referee initially waved play on, but his assistant spotted the infraction and raised his flag immediately; replays showed that it was the correct call. The second Whitecaps goal came five minutes into the second half. Some excellent link play from Darren Mattocks allowed Vancouver to catch New York on the counter attack. Mattocks received a clearance just inside Vancouvers half, set the ball back and spun left to get behind the Red Bulls back four. When he received the return pass, he fed the ball to Sebastian Fernandez - who had made a fantastic run to join the counter attack. Fernandez dropped his shoulder to wrong-foot Richard Eckersley, and once the Uruguayan had a half a yard of space, he unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top right corner. It gave thee Whitecaps some breathing room, which they used to tear apart New York. Camiseta Ousmane Dembele. When Pedro Morales entered the game in the 64th minute, he delivered a mouth-watering performance over the final 25 minutes. It was a master class from the Chilean designated player, and it left Whitecaps fans craving more. Morales set up Vancouvers third goal with some exquisite control and a perfectly weighted through-ball to spring Kenny Miller (who clinically dispatched his second goal of the game), and then scored the Whitecaps fourth, firing home a centering pass from Reo-Coker. When substitute Bradley Wright-Phillips flicked home a cross just in front of the fingertips of Ousted in the 90th minute, it took the shine off of an otherwise impressive Vancouver performance. THE TURNING POINT: Sebastian Fernandez put in an outstanding performance on his debut for Vancouver, and it was his goal that swung the momentum in the Whitecaps favour. The strike itself was first class, and the buildup play from Darren Mattocks was crucial. Mattocks has a point to prove this season and his performance on Saturday was one of many bright spots for Vancouver. His link play throughout the game was excellent, and it allowed the Whitecaps to dominate the game in midfield because they retained possession when the ball went forward. THE POSITIVES: Vancouver showed real attacking prowess, and their new players - Steven Beitashour, Sebastian Fernandez, Matias Laba, Pedro Morales and Nicolas Mezquida - have added genuine quality to Robinsons squad. Morales, in particular, looks like a great addition. Tactically, Robinsons formation trumped Petkes, as Vancouver outnumbered New York in the middle of the park and used that to dictate the tempo of the game. Strong contributions from Kenny Miller and Darren Mattocks in attacking roles also helped the Whitecaps stay in control of the game. THE NEGATIVES: New York was flat - literally and figuratively. The midfield duo of McCarty and Alexander never managed to assert themselves in the game, apart from the opening 15 minutes or so. Had New York played a diamond midfield, rather than a flat four, they would have had more depth to their game, both offensively and defensively. This would have allowed them to tighten up in the middle of the pitch, where Vancouver controlled the game, and also to ask more questions of the Whitecaps defensively - it was a reasonably David Ousted will be kicking himself for conceding a late goal. Mistakes happen, but Robinson will need to ensure that this was a one-off, and not an indication of a developing trend. A similar slip up in preseason by Ousted means that everyone will now be watching that much closer. THE STAR MAN: There were plenty of excellent performances on Saturday; Darren Mattocks and Kenny Miller did very well, as did Matias Laba and the back four. I gave the Man of the Match award to Sebastian Fernandez on Saturday for his overall performance as much as for his fantastic goal. But it is hard to ignore the contributions of Pedro Morales. He was only on the pitch for 25 minutes, but if that short period of time is any indication, Morales is going to be a star for the Vancouver Whitecaps. ' ' '