FIFA Needs To Bring Back The Golden Goal To The World Cup

I'm going to make this Rant pretty quick, but after viewing this past weekend's round of 16 games I think FIFA needs to re-think how they decide games in the knockout stage and bring back the Golden Goal which FIFA started using in 1993 but later abolished in 2004 (this includes other FIFA related tournaments, not just the World Cup).  While shootouts can be exciting, I don't think they should be the way a team's fate is decided in a tournament with the magnitude the size of the World Cup.

The NHL in my mind has the perfect overtime system.  Some argue that the regular season overtime could use some tweaking,  but I think one thing we can all agree on is how awesome the NHL playoff overtimes are.  The intensity of play is off the charts, and the best part is the players decide the outcome, whereas a shootout is more a game of chance than anything else.  I think it's perfectly fine to determine a regular season game with a shootout just because the season is so long, but come playoff time the game should be determined by having the first team to score win, since the playoffs are meant to test a team's will and heart.  The only adjustment I'd personally make to the NHL regular season format is if a team scores in the 5 minute overtime that the winning team should get two points and the losing team zero, and only in the shootout should the losing team be awarded one point.  This way it gives a greater incentive for a team to score a goal, and not just roll the dice and take their chances in a shootout.

Similarly,  I think FIFA should adopt the NHL playoff format for their knockout stage.  Having watched the overtimes this past weekend, one could see that there wasn't much action in the overtime, and it seemed most teams were willing to just play for a shootout.  If the Golden Goal was instituted I believe the play would be a lot more aggressive and would be more entertaining to watch for the fans.  If it was up to me there would be a coin toss to determine what side a team would want to defend, then there would be unlimited 45 minute halves until a goal is scored.  If a goal is scored the game would end right then and there, and if no goal was scored after the first 45 minutes then there would be a standard break and the teams would come out again and repeat the same process until a goal is scored.  While I know fatigue is a factor in why FIFA's limits how long an overtime can last, I would add one addition ruling for overtime in that each team would get one substitution each overtime period. By allowing a substitution each overtime period, even if a team has used all three of their substitutions already, it would allow the team's to stay little more fresh.

I know my ideal overtime is a long shot of ever happening, but I really hate seeing a team who has spent four years qualifying have their fate decided by a shootout.