5 July 2012 - The Times They Are A-Changin'

On 5 July 2012, the International Football Association Board, responsible for the Laws of the Game, finally approved the use of goal-line technology, reversing years of opposition.

According to the Laws of the Game, a goal is counted only when the ball passes completely over the goal line. But the fallibility of referees means that disputed goals have long been a staple of football, even reaching to the highest level. In 1966, England won the World Cup over West Germany 4-2, with their third goal still stirring controversy over whether it should have been allowed.

To address the problem, calls for the use of goal-line technology started in the 2000s, but FIFA resisted the pressure, with President Sepp Blatter saying as late as 2010 that it would be too expensive and would slow down match play.

But high-profile incidents continued to stoke public support, including a disallowed English goal against Germany in the 2010 World Cup that was far over the line (pictured) and another by Ukraine against England at Euro 2012.

Then, in July 2012, the IFAB--which consists of FIFA and the FAs of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland--decided to allow the use of goal-line technology, starting with the 2012 Club World Cup and the 2013 Confederations Cup (although neither tournament presented an opportunity to review a decision whether to allow a goal).

At the same meeting, IFAB voted to allow women to wear headscarves while playing, reversing a rule against religious statements that had been enforced since 2007, and also voted to allow a fifth referee at matches.

19 June 2012 - The Controversy That Never Ends

On 19 June 2012, England beat Ukraine in their last group stage match of the Euros, but not without a little goal-line controversy.

They started the day separated by a single point in the Group D table. England were on top with four points, while France and Ukraine were behind them on three points each and Sweden were at the bottom with no points at all. As the top two teams advanced, everybody was still in the mix.

Playing at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Ukraine had the support of a partisan home crowd, but England quieted them somewhat after Wayne Rooney's 48th-minute header gave the Three Lions a 1-0 lead. Their voice returned in force in the 62nd minute, however, when the referee refused to award a goal for Marko Dević. The striker's high arcing shot was cleared by a scrambling John Terry, but replays showed that the ball crossed the line before Terry got to it. The match ended 1-0.

Afterward, Ukraine manager Oleg Blokhin was so angry that he invited one reporter to step outside for what he called "a man conversation." Dević expressed disappointment with the non-goal, suggesting a 1-1 draw with more than 25 minutes to go could have drastically altered the outcome. As it stood, however, England and France advanced, though both were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

In addition to eliminating Ukraine, the loss to England was also the last international match for their captain, Andriy Shevchenko.

4 June 2006 - The Sign Of Things To Come

On 4 June 2006, the Netherlands won the U-21 European Championship over Ukraine with a stellar performance from striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Coming off a season in which he had scored 44 goals in 47 appearances for Herenveen and Ajax, Huntelaar had been named to the preliminary Netherlands senior squad for the 2006 World Cup. But did not make the cut for the final squad and dropped down to play for the U-21s in the European Championship in Portugal.

There, the Netherlands fell to Ukraine in their opening match, but rallied and advanced to the final where they again faced Ukraine. Playing at Porto's Estádio do Bessa, Huntelaar stole the show, putting his team up 2-0 in the first half. The first goal came in just the 11th minute as the striker got onto the end of a long pass from  Nicky Hofs, controlled it, then fired a low ball past Ukraine keeper Andriy Pyatov. The second came from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute.

Ukraine's attempt at a comeback suffered a blow in the 77th minute, as defender Oleksandr Romanchuck received a second yellow card and took the team down to ten men. Hofs then added a third goal for the Netherlands right before the final whistle to cement the 3-0 victory.

Huntelaar moved to the senior side shortly afterward and was the leading scorer in Euro 2012 qualification with twelve goals.