ESPN lets you get closer to the action during MLS All-Star Game (update)
Goal-line technology is still a relatively new thing in football, having faced its first real test only about a month ago at the World Cup in Brazil. Here in the US, ESPN is doing something along those lines, mostly for entertainment purposes, during the 2014 MLS All-Star Game -- a match between a collection of Major League Soccer's best players and German club Bayern Munich. As Sports Video Group reports, ESPN has installed a set of cameras inside the goalposts of the Timbers' Providence Park, located in Portland, Oregon, to give viewers at home a better (and much closer) look at what happens in such a critical zone of the field. Bob Frattaroli, the man in charge of directing ESPN's game broadcast, told SVG that having this system in place is perfect for fans to experience "what's going on in the 6-yard box" and to see what movements players are making around it. "First of all, it's a really unique angle, but there's also an intimacy to it that you're not expecting," he said.
Update: ESPN has posted a video clip of the cameras in place plus a highlight from their unique perspective, check it out after the break.
The system features a total of four cameras, two inside each goal post, and has apparently been in test mode since February. And now, after a number of successful trial runs, the MLS has finally approved the use of it in a real match scenario, as it has done in the past with other types of technology. Above all, it brings this one step closer to being a part of every MLS broadcast, which would be a great addition for soccer fans who can't make it to the games. Tune in tonight to see for yourself -- the MLS All-Star Game will kick off at 9:30PM ET on ESPN 2 as well as WatchESPN.
[Image credit: Sports Video Group]
