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.
Clinton Jay McGregor
Guest
NO, Kewell didn't have to go, because Per Mertesacker was NOT sent off for his Blatant handball on a Goal ward bound header from Garcia, in the 18 yard box. Because it was not intentional, apparently. So, on that precedent, either, Kewell should still be on the pitch, or Mertesacker should be Straight red carded and expelled from further proceedings.
Campbell Watts
Guest
Dave - get over yourself! Should we all stop posting our opinions and just take yours for the god-honest truth? You are sooo... quick to bag someone and tell them they know nothing or must not follow the sport/game cause their opinion differs from yours. Ease up tiger and let everyone feel free to post their own thoughts eh? :-)
dasilva
Guest
http://twitpic.com/1y3aey I think this is what Coulibaly saw. He saw the foul from the US player on the left who is hugging the Slovenian player. ALthough the slovenian players are also fouling the US players as well. what does the referee supposed to do in these situations.
Gob Bluth
Guest
MVDave, How stomach churningly patronising of you. I'm not sure its up to you to decide you knows what about football. For the record, your posts rarely give any evidence that you have a huge amount of knowledge about the game. Owning a membership isn't a honourary degree. Rabbitz is right, the amount of moaning about the cheating referees and grand conspiracy's is embarassing. Losing graciously is an important skill. And for fans we need to learn to not swing so wildly from screaming for blood with every defeat, to claiming we are worthy world champions witha victory or wetting ourselves with pride with a draw.
Hutchoman
Roar Pro
The same thing happens in every sport and is not a "conspiracy" as much as it is always easier to award a 50/50 decision the way of the stronger and/or home team. Amongst other reasons, this is why there is a home ground advantage. A great example of this is cricket decisions. In my opinion, the more dubious decisions (where batsmen are given out) often occur when the tail is batting. Why? Well if I give Ricky Ponting out it could really change the outcome of the match, so better to apply "the benefit of the doubt". If it's Glenn McGrath, I'm unlikely going to be altering the outcome of the match materially so I may not have as greater margin of doubt here. Same applies in major tournaments. The more favoured teams will get favourable treatment. It's far easier to explain away a decision that gets Australia dropped from the group stage than say Germany. It may not be fair, but that's the way it is.
st penguin
Guest
jus one further thing to add - it's not just a goal scoring opportunity but an "obvious goal scoring opportunity"
st penguin
Guest
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.
Colin N
Guest
It means stopping a potential shot on goal, which isn't a definite goalscoring opportunity.
apaway
Guest
I'm not sure that's right. Is their a difference between "preventing an attempt to score a goal" and "denying a goalscoring opportunity?"
st penguin
Guest
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.
aubgraham
Roar Rookie
Disagree, I think the rule is very clear, and it must be deliberate otherwise it is not an offence.
aubgraham
Roar Rookie
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?
st penguin
Guest
Thanks for the link dasilva. It's funny how much confusion there is over the rule. Fos was banging on last night how it was a penalty but shouldnt have been a red card because it wasn't deliberate. The other thing that surprised me is that I always thought deliberate handballs were an automatic yellow.
johnny-boy
Guest
MvDave - "If you are going to be critical of lower ranked teams who play defensively against higher ranked oppposition then a big tip…dont watch the WC". Dear MV - if you're going to take a losers mentality in a sporting contest, guess what, you're probably going to lose.
Guthix
Guest
Well kaka got sent off for just standing there, got his second yellow because someone walked into him, the difference with Brasil and Australia is that they're able to play without their star player that was more bullshit than kewell and cahill put together
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The point remains: zero accountability. Do you know why the 3rd US goal was disallowed? Does anyone know? Does the inept ref who was involved even know? It's the sort of environment where a game that is alrady rife with corruption can only get worse on that front.
Banger
Guest
Yeah especially when you see vidic only get a yellow for trying to catch the ball against the germans, and a red for kewell seems harsh. I thought the decision was correct and by the letter of the law he had to be sent off. The harsh part is that the player and the team get punished for this three times, with the penalty, the send off and the automatic ban.
Dublin Dave
Guest
Apaway is right about the thinking behind red cards for players handling a goal bound ball. It used to be considered expedient for defenders to concede a penalty rather than a certain goal by handling a ball if it would prevent a goal. It happened in the 1966 World Cup semifinal when Jack Charlton did the honours on a shot by Portugal. The Portugese scored from the penalty but that was the limit of Big Jack's penalty. He got to play in the final and win his medal. There have been some notorious decisions regarding penatly area handballs since. In the Euro 2000 semifinal between Portugal and France, the game was in extra time and the golden goal rule applied. Then Portugese defender Abel Xavier was struck on the hand be the ball as it was crossed from the byline. It wasn't going towards goal so he wasn't carded but he did concede the penalty which resulted in a golden goal. So there was no chance of a response. Personally I think FIFA needs to clear this up. Strictly, a handball should be intentional to be a foul and I would very much doubt if Kewell's was that.Again, if a player's arm or hand, inadvertently or not, prevents a goal, then it should be a penalty but not a red card. The thinking there should be similar to an LBW in cricket. Your limb should not have been there; if it hadn't been, the opposition would have scored. Therefore you deserve to be penalised. As for the rubbish about a conspiracy against Australia. I think Mike will wake up one morning,read this screed again and be thoroughly embarrased by this article. I mean, replace the word Australia with England throughout, substitute some English players' names for the Australian ones and read it again. You would say "Whinging Pommy Bastard!" And you'd be right. What about Klose's red card against Serbia! Were either of those yellows justified? I don't think so. That decision gave Germany a mountain to climb. You don't seriously think FIFA want THEM eliminated before the second round, do you? And if they were, who is most likely to benefit from their misfortune? Er, that would be Australia. Or Mexico's first goal against France which was yards offside. (Not that I'm complaining mind :)) You think FIFA, who really did try to rig the European qualifying play offs to favour the likes of France, Portugal and Russia, wanted them to be beaten by the perennially underachieving Mexicans? I don't think so.
dasilva
Roar Guru
Did I bitch about diving from the Italians? I pretty much put diving to perspective saying that all flair players get sinned against more then they ever sin. Maradona made some cheeky handball in his career but the handball doesn't outweigh all the thuggery he face in his career. Similar the diving for most flair players very rarely outweigh all the fouls that were committed against them
James
Guest
im an australian but come on stop bitching about the refs especially the alleged dive in the last world cup by the italian. im still not positive it was, he def went down really easy but what no one ever talks about is the harsher red card that italy got earlier in the game which was the only reason we were really still in teh game anyways