Sneijder - No row with RVP

Wesley Sneijder insists that he has not fallen out with striker Robin van Persie ahead of Holland's World Cup quarter-final against five-times champions Brazil in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

The Arsenal striker was unhappy at being substituted in Holland's 2-1 second round victory against Slovakia in Durban and had been accused of suggesting to Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk that Sneijder should have been the man to be replaced with 10 minutes remaining in the match.

Van Persie has scored just one goal against Cameroon at the finals and has struggled to find his best form following an injury-hit season with Arsenal.

Inter Milan ace Sneijder has played down reports of a falling-out with the 26-year-old after they were both reportedly summoned for talks with Van Marwijk following Monday's match.

"Robin assured me that he had not said those words and I have no reason to doubt him,"said Sneijder, who went on to score what proved to be the match-winning second goal against Slovakia.

"I don't have a problem with him and I never have done. He was disappointed to come off, that one can understand and it really isn't a serious matter."

Unity

Sneijder insists that there is a real sense of unity in the Dutch squad, unlike in previous tournaments.

"We will be united as never before against Brazil,"he said.

"We have already drawn a line under the last 16 match and we will be 120 per cent raring to go against Brazil."

The winners of the quarter-final will play the victors of Friday's other last-eight tie between Uruguay and Ghana.

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Fifa to discuss technology

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has taken on board the outcry for goalline technology and will consider the implementation at a meeting in July.

The decision comes in the wake of Frank Lampard's goal that never was against Germany, with Blatter issuing an apology to the English Football Association in the wake of the incident.

Lampard thought he had restored parity to matters when he chipped goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with the score at 2-1 to Germany in their second-round World Cup match.

However, Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and linesman Mauricio Espinoza failed to spot the ball travel almost one foot over the line and bounce back out, resulting in the goal not being given and England going on to lose the game 4-1.

Coupled with a failure to spot Carlos Tevez's clear offside position when scoring Argentina's first goal against Mexico later that evening, it has sparked an outrage over why technology has not been introduced to the game to give a definitive answer to contentious decisions.

"It happened in 1966 and then 44 years later - though it was not quite the same,"said Blatter

"I apologised to England and Mexico. The English said, 'thank you' and accepted that you can win[some] and you lose[some], and the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it."

File re-opened

Blatter has been firmly against the introduction of goalline technology, stating it to not be in keeping with the game and cannot be brought in at grass-roots level, but it seems that the outcry has caused him to now consider its implementation.

He has now stated that it will be further discussed, but also indicated that he will not consider video replays as an option when a contentious decision must be made.

"It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup it would be nonsense not to re-open the file on goalline technology,"said Blatter.

"We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have first opportunity in July at the business meeting.

"Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it's not the end of a competition or the end of football, this can happen.

"The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goalline technology.

"Football is a game that never stops and the moment there was a discussion if the ball was in or out, or there was a goal-scoring opportunity, do we give a possibility to a team to call for replays once or twice like in tennis?

"For situations like the Mexico game you don't need technology."

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Toure admits to 'regrets'

Kolo Toure has admitted toskysports.comthat Ivory Coast have 'some regrets' over their World Cup campaign.

The Ivorians finished third in a difficult group that included Brazil, Portugal and North Korea, after garnering four points from a possible nine.

Manchester City stopper Toure has revealed his understandable disappointment at his country's failure to reach the second round in South Africa.

But the 29-year-old remains optimistic of Ivory Coast's future prospects, stressing the squad's potential.

He said:"We have regrets over some details. In another group we might have qualified as we gained four points.

"We were just unlucky to be in a group of the first and third ranked Fifa nations.

"Hopefully in four years' time we will be much better and will emulate Ghana by going as far as we can. We have some exciting talent coming through.

"We played well tactically against Portugal. Against Brazil we were unlucky to concede the first goal. The second goal was against the rules, a handball.

"We have done okay and will have more chances in the future."

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Fabio laments Lampard 'goal'

Fabio Capello was highly critical of the refereeing decision that wrongly saw Frank Lampard's goal disallowed as England crashed out of the World Cup.

The Three Lions' World Cup campaign unravelled on Sunday afternoon as Germany romped to a 4-1 victory in Bloemfontein to reach the last eight.

Goals from Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and a brace from Thomas Muller meant England were sent packing in South Africa in the second round in what was their worst defeat in a World Cup finals.

Talking point

But the major talking point at the Free State Stadium was the Lampard 'goal' that was not given, a minute after Matthew Upson halved England's deficit.

With the score 2-1 in the 38th minute, Lampard's volleyed effort cannoned off the bar and clearly crossed the line but the Uruguayan officials failed to give the goal to the midfielder before the Three Lions went on to crumble in the second period.

And it came as no surprise that Capello was furious with official Jorge Larrionda and his assistant referee Mauricio Espinosa for their inability to award his side a legitimate goal.

Big mistake

"It was one of the most important things in the game,"said the Italian tactician, who admitted his side had to take a share of the blame for being carved open on regular intervals.

"The goal was very important. We could have played a different style.

"We played I think well at 2-1, but after the third goal it was a little bit disappointing.

"We played well. Germany is a big team. They played a good game. We made some mistakes when they played the counter-attack. The referee made bigger mistakes.

"Little things decide the result always."

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