Is there a conspiracy against the Socceroos?
Columnist
By Mike Tuckerman, 20 Jun 2010 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
172 Have your say
Related coverage
- Football news
- Socceroos news
- Socceroos Fixtures news
- World Cup Favourites news
- World Cup Roar of the Crowd Competition news
- Football World Cup - South Africa 2010 news
- Tim Cahill news
Referee Roberto Rosetti, pushes away Australia's Harry Kewell after showing him a red card during the World Cup Group D soccer match between Ghana and Australia at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa, on Saturday, June 19, 2010. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
Pride restored, but is there a conspiracy against the Socceroos? First Tim Cahill’s red card, then Harry Kewell’s – and neither foul has been anywhere near as bad as others we’ve seen elsewhere in this World Cup.
Four years ago I was inside the Allianz Arena and watched bemused as referee Dr. Markus Merk awarded every single equally contested challenge in Brazil’s favour, with the Socceroos succumbing to a more fancied opponent despite a typically gutsy performance in Munich.
Now the nation witnesses another lopsided display from Italian referee Roberto Rosetti, as Harry Kewell is harshly red-carded for his inadvertent handball on the line, yet Ghana defender Lee Addy stays on the pitch for an horrendous tackle from behind on Mark Bresciano.
I’m generally the last person to point the finger at refereeing as a deciding factor in a match, but perhaps I’ve reached my threshold regarding the sheer number of decisions that go against the Socceroos.
Living in Japan for a number of years, all I ever heard from Japanese fans was how physical the Australian team was, and how Samurai Blue supporters expected the Socceroos to out-muscle them on the pitch.
It’s the same story from many of my German friends – yet there’s rarely a mention of Mark Bresciano’s dead-ball abilities, nor of Brett Holman’s perpetual box-to-box motion – and I just wonder if referees haven’t fallen into the trap of basing key decisions on unfortunate national stereotypes.
Maybe that’s just the several glasses of Scotch talking – it was, after all, another nerve-shredding display – and had Luke Wilkshire held his nerve in front of goal, the result in Rustenburg could have been so very different.
There’s always a danger dealing in hypotheticals, but it’s tough not to be bitter when one considers the potential outcome had either Wilkshire or Brett Emerton blocked Andre Ayew’s cross, or had Addy indeed seen red for his tackle from behind.
Still, that’s not to take away from a tremendous performance from the Socceroos, and the players deserve full credit for turning a disastrous display against Germany into the kind of performance that we’ve come to know and appreciate from our battle-hardened team.
Craig Moore was inspirational as he turned back the clock with a vintage display in defence, while Brett Holman turned in one of his best ever performances in a national team jersey with a typically tireless display of hard running and the odd touch of finesse.
It’s just a pity that Australia didn’t approach their clash with Germany in the same vein, since the Socceroos looked to have the measure of Ghana for the full ninety minutes – even after Kewell had been harshly sent from the field.
One wonders what might have happened had Verbeek adopted more positive tactics against a German side which proved in their loss to Serbia that they’re anything but invincible.
The Socceroos will now need an avalanche of goals against the Serbians to have any hope of progressing, but that may be a tough ask for a side that isn’t exactly the most clinical in front of goal.
Indeed, with a game plan heavily reliant on grinding out narrow victories, one could argue that Australia perhaps don’t deserve to go through to the Round of 16 compared to some of the World Cup’s more adventurous outfits.
But by the same token, they hardly deserve to be knocked out on the basis of some overly pedantic and conspicuously inconsistent refereeing – especially when it always seems to be the Socceroos who get the short end of the stick in international competitions.
There’s still the match against Serbia in Nelspruit to play for, and with any luck the Socceroos will take out their frustrations against a Serbia side which has twice conceded penalties for handball in each of their games so far.
We’ll need luck on our side to progress, and that includes a referee who doesn’t feel the need to issue red at the sight of every player in yellow!
Re-live the Socceroos vs Ghana clash as it happened with Tony Tannous’ analysis HERE.
Follow Mike on twitter @Mike_Tuckerman
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Football articles
- Phoenix need more than flash in the pan crowds (133)
- ‘New football’ fans may help save the game in Australia (124)
- Does Tasmania have a case for A-League inclusion? (119)
- What happened in Port Said was not a football riot (118)
- Magilton struggling to make a mark (68)
- Does the A-League need an injection of humour? (44)
- Socceroos screwed over by FIFA, again (41)
- Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners: A-League live scores, blog (96)
- Liam Miller: Bargain buy of the A-League season? (8)
- Zambia plays Cup of Nations final in memory of their fallen (7)
- Capello’s resignation ends an awkward marriage (8)
- Does the A-League need an injection of humour? (46)
- Redknapp the best bet to clean up Capello’s England mess (2)
- Redknapp tight-lipped over England job
- Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners: A-League live scores, blog (96)
- Liam Miller: Bargain buy of the A-League season? (8)
- Zambia plays Cup of Nations final in memory of their fallen (7)
- Capello’s resignation ends an awkward marriage (8)
- Redknapp the best bet to clean up Capello’s England mess (2)
- Melbourne derby reveals tale of two journeys (3)
- O’ so close for John: How JON almost landed the biggest job in sport (16)
Damo Baresi. said | June 20th 2010 @ 3:54am | Report comment
I reckon FIFA look down their noses at all of the small football nations.
It seems the traditional powerhouse nations get most or all of the refereeing decisions given in their favour.
We sure as hell don’t.
dasilva said | June 20th 2010 @ 3:56am | Report comment
To be fair, Ghana is just as small football nation as we are.
unless you are arguing there’s a conspiracy to benefit african nations.
joeb said | June 20th 2010 @ 4:20am | Report comment
To square the ledger here’s hoping Italy in the next couple of games cop an absolute shellacking by some ref and get ousted from the competition… sweet revenge.
dasilva said | June 20th 2010 @ 3:55am | Report comment
I think the handball was understandable
The ball hit the arm which prevented a goal. Now it may not have been deliberate but we see all the time that whenever the ball hits the arm, there’s always a risk of penalty whether deliberate or not.
However the challenge by Lee Addy. That’s a red card. That was a studs up challenge from behind to Bresciano and we should be livid about that let off.
joeb said | June 20th 2010 @ 4:28am | Report comment
“The ball hit the arm which prevented a goal.”
From the two angle views I got courtesy of SBS it seemed to hit the upper shoulder… well up the arm. Did you also hear the frustration in Basheer and Muscat’s commentary that so many 50-50 calls all seemed to go Ghana’s way? Maybe because one of the Ghanaians is the nephew of Kofi Annan?
Basheer has suggested the standard of refereeing at this cup is pretty p**s poor, and i tend to agree.
dasilva said | June 20th 2010 @ 4:33am | Report comment
Unfortunately, Shoulder is still part of your arm (it’s the upper arm) (have a look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arm )
In anatomical usage, the term arm refers specifically to the segment between the shoulder and the elbow, while the segment between the elbow and wrist is the forearm. However, in common, literary, and historical usage, arm refers to the entire upper limb from shoulder to wrist.
joeb said | June 20th 2010 @ 4:49am | Report comment
the fact is we see that sort of block all the time and no penalty given yet when it’s Kewell in a Socceroos jumper – that italian ref knew the danger Kewell posed to assisting the Roos advance so he pulled the red to thwart Australia’s chances, but i sincerely hope his italians bow out sooner than later the endlessly diving b*****ds!!
dasilva said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:00am | Report comment
Perhaps we see that block all the time but we very rarely see it block point blank right in front of the goal mouth. The fact that Kewell was right in front of the goal when the shoulder ball happen that helped the referee made that decision
Again, I think it was a mistake (not deliberate hand ball) but it’s not the worst decision ever made.
Chris said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:51am | Report comment
under fifa rules, handball extends to the arm up to the shoulder
Lisa said | June 20th 2010 @ 7:57am | Report comment
Chris,
That is why they have yellow cards! They seem happy to give them out for dangerous tackles yet for a hand ball that was obviously a mistake he gives a red card to – that is a joke.
big Kev said | June 20th 2010 @ 8:54pm | Report comment
sorry guys but it has nothing to do with deliberate… Law 12 provides that a defender whose violation of the Law prevents a goal or denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity must be sent off and shown the red card. He handled the ball hence the penalty and he denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity hence the red. Correct decisions both.
aubgraham said | June 21st 2010 @ 9:55am | Report comment
It has everything to do with deliberate. From the same Law 12 “denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball”
Was it deliberate? Is the referee a mind reader?
Roger Rational said | June 20th 2010 @ 3:57am | Report comment
Questions To Which The Answer Is No # 1,346
AA said | June 20th 2010 @ 4:26am | Report comment
You’re forgetting the referring at the Australia vs Croatia game in 2006, the ref did all he could to keep the Croatian players on the field…
El Diego said | June 20th 2010 @ 4:36am | Report comment
Kalac =D
Alders said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:02am | Report comment
Hand of God Part II?
dasilva said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:20am | Report comment
It’s more of shoulder
I don’t think Kewell’s achievement of the game has earnt him a status of god.
Alders said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:27am | Report comment
In this country he is about as close to a football God as we have yet had.
JonnyP said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:03am | Report comment
I’ve seen the super slo-mo on the BBC and it hits his bicep and then forearm it such a clear penalty it’s unclear what you’re all disputing?
dasilva said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:12am | Report comment
It hit his shoulder first and then his biceps. If it did hit his forearm it only brush it on the way down but it wasn’t the initial impact and certainly wasn’t hand to ball
I guess the dispute is whether it was deliberate or not
Colin N said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:22am | Report comment
JonnyP is right.
Do you have access to the super slo-mo shots because that gives you the best view of it?
Baz35 said | June 20th 2010 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
May well have been a penalty but people get pretty silly when they use a super slo-mo to assert intent.
It got pelted at point blank range into an upper bicep of an arm very marginally away from the body. It ricocheted from there down his arm. If there is intent than kewell is the matrix
big Kev said | June 20th 2010 @ 8:55pm | Report comment
not relevant whether it was deliberate or not
dasilva said | June 20th 2010 @ 9:06pm | Report comment
Direct quote from laws of football
Page 111
“A player is sent off, however, if he prevents a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. This punishment arises not from the act of the player deliberately handling the ball but from the unacceptable and unfair intervention that prevented a goal being scored.”
The law is incredibly vague
The rule says that it has to be deliberately handling the ball
but it also says the punishment arised NOT from the act of the player deliberately handling the ball but whether the intervention that prevented a goal being scored
The law is quite contradictory and could be right either way.
aubgraham said | June 21st 2010 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Disagree, I think the rule is very clear, and it must be deliberate otherwise it is not an offence.
st penguin said | June 21st 2010 @ 9:57am | Report comment
After reading that link you passed on, I dont think it’s contradictory.
It says that a free kick/penalty should be given for a handball. In addition, the ref may give a yellow card if he deems necessary.
If the handball stops a goal then it is a red card. The rules just clarifies that the red card is given becuase the player committed a foul which prevented a goal being scored. (not entirley sure why they need to make this distinction)
Not sure what Big Kev is on about. The rule clearly says a handball has to be deliberate.
ian said | June 20th 2010 @ 10:46am | Report comment
you need to check the rules champ, the rules state it must be an intentional move at the ball with the hand. and your right, if you look at the slow mo reply, the ball strikes his chest with about 90% of the impact, then rolls of his arm which was held down by his side so by the time the ball was in contact with his arm, it was not goalbound anyway. every single person knows in their mind that this decision was stupid. no one from the euro or south african regions want to see australia in the world cup so they pay off the referee. it aint rocket science
RickG said | June 20th 2010 @ 8:53pm | Report comment
Noone’s diputing the penalty. It’s the red bloody card. AND he misses another game. What a load of bollocks this game is to cop all that for something accidental.
st penguin said | June 21st 2010 @ 12:06pm | Report comment
If the handball is deliberate, it’s a penalty and a red card. If it’s accidental, it’s play on.
check the link dasilva posted above.
Alders said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:29am | Report comment
Fact is that football is a support which is very much against video reply. If you don’t want to use the technology which would prevent these problems then you have to deal with it when the human referees make mistakes which the inevitably will. I have to say though it does seem that Australia gives away a lots of penalties and maybe a reputation has developed.
Alders said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:59am | Report comment
sorry meant sport with supporters rather than support.
dasilva said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:31am | Report comment
Colin N
I have been rewatching this replay from the recording of the game. The referee send off Kewell and then they show the slo mo replay from the sideon angle. Then they repeat the replay from a front on angle. Now I’m not too sure if that’s the super slo mo or not. However it look like the shoulder was the first contact.
Did they replay this handball from a different angle later on this match or are you talking about the first replay straight after the incidence?
Colin N said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:42am | Report comment
It was shown on the BBC at half-time I think – it was a close-up sideon view of Kewell’s arm, and it showed to hit his bicep, as Jonny said. You could see it ripple after the impact.
James said | June 20th 2010 @ 5:46am | Report comment
That super slow mo is in the video highlights underneath this article.
DERBY COUNTY FC said | June 20th 2010 @ 6:07am | Report comment
Ref didn’t have the use of replays and called it as he saw it. Personally i would have given the penalty and red card too.