The Final Moments of the 2006 Soccerooss World Campaign...The Loss
I stayed up and watched the Socceroos lose 1-0 to Italy.
After the heroic run that catapulted Australia from their group, the Socceroos were knocked out 1-0 by the Azzurri after taking the fight to their vaunted opponents with skill and verve.Everybody knows the story by now; the PK in the dying seconds broke the tie and that was it.
A last-minute penalty, harshly given against Lucas Neill, was converted by Francesco Totti, to record a completely unjust result. It was a particularly cruel blow for Neill, who has been the Socceroos' best player of the tournament and was magnificent again today.
Australia, against the world's expectations, had dominated of the game, passing the ball around an Italian side happy - or more to the point, forced - to sit back and absorb the Socceroos' smooth build-up play.
Australia's non-stop pressure told in the second half when a savage tackle on Marco Bresciano earned Marco Materazzi a red card.
It raised the decibel levels even higher from a sell-out 46,000 crowd, with the Australian supporters screaming their boys on.
By contrast, Australia struck forward at every opportunity, once and for all consigning ludicrous claims of being a physical side to the dustbin of history.
Vinnie Grella, against the country where he lives and whose language he speaks, produced the performance of his life, the heartbeat of a team that fears no one and has played like every game is a World Cup final.
Robbed of Harry Kewell, who was unable even to walk thanks to his nightmare groin injury, the Socceroos threw every scrap of energy, defiance and inspiration at Italy, but couldn't force their way past one of the favourites for the tournament title.
Ultimately, it was a travesty of a result after a display by the Socceroos to surpass even the barnstormers against Japan and Croatia.
In my opinion, "they was robbed"! How can the ref sleep? How can he live with himself? It's soccer, mate.
I will remind all of my favorite old saying that I made up: "The road to Hell is paved with Umpiring Decisions".
Which brings me to...
What I Really Think of 'Soccer' and FIFA
I never liked it. I still can't say I do after watching that PK goal. The games I like are not that governed by Referee and clock. Baseball, Cricket and Tennis don't have a clock. They have Option-locks (9-innings, 2 innings/50 overs, 3 sets, 5 sets), but they don't die by the clock.
Time-lock is a worse script device than Option-lock anyway, but that is another discussion. I will say that because in drama-writing, Option-lock is superior to Time-lock, the drama borne by these games are more intrinsically interesting - As in, "Will he, won't he?"
Besides, it means umpiring decisions don't kill entire games except in the most extraordinary of cases - like failure to rule against under-arm bowling.
The drama borne out of Time-lock is extrinsically interesting - As in, "What the hell was the ref looking at?!"
Even with other Time-lock games, the thing about 'Football' is that umpire decisions can really swing a game. It won't happen in Rugby or League or Aussie Rules to that degree. In Rugby or League or Aussie Rules, a team could control close to 50% of events on the field. The impact of the ref is marginal. If I were to judge Football by that one game, I'd say the teams had about 30% control of the game respectively and the ref had the other 40%.
That's why people are saying the outcome was a travesty. Well, I'm beginning to think maybe it's the game itself that just sucks?
But it's not the only time. Italy were robbed in 2002. So I've been here before, having watched a game where the ref sunk a team.
Here's something from the LA Times:
COLOGNE, Germany ? The Aussies should have known it would end this way. It was inevitable.For this even to be in print as a suggestion says we're not alone in thinking something stinks.
The seed for Australia's 1-0 World Cup defeat by Italy on Monday on a blatantly incorrect penalty kick awarded by Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo in the final seconds was sown in South Korea four years ago.
Monday's devastating blow to the Socceroos was a makeup call.
Anyone with any suspicion of just how things are manipulated at soccer's highest level, including the outcome of games, needs only to look back to 2002.
That's when Italy was robbed blind in a 2-1 overtime loss to South Korea in a second-round World Cup game that was atrociously refereed by Ecuador's Byron Moreno. The South American was so bad that Italians named a row of public toilets after him in Sicily.
The loss eliminated the Italians and ? much to the delight of soccer's movers and shakers ? sent cohost South Korea on a run that took it to the semifinals and an eventual fourth-place finish.
Given the massive public support for the team, keeping South Korea alive as long as possible was very much in FIFA's interests. So Italy paid the price.
This time around, the price has been paid back.
Things are all square with Italy. Australia will get the makeup call next time around, at South Africa in 2010, assuming it qualifies.
That's how it works.
It's about making hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate sponsorships and television contracts. Fat cats greasing fat cats. It's not really about sport or sportsmanship. Only the naïve believe that.
Think this is the rambling of a conspiracy theorist? Here's the way the Italians viewed it in 2002:
This from Francesco Totti, who was ejected in the game against South Korea: "It was a scandal. The truth is that he [Moreno] had his mind set against us ? this was a desired elimination. By who? I don't know ? there are things greater than me, but the feeling is that they wanted us out."
Or this, from Franco Frattini, then a minister in the Italian government: "The referee was a disgrace. Absolutely scandalous. I've never seen a game like it. It seemed as if they just sat around a table and decided to throw us out."
And finally this, from then-Italy Coach Giovanni Trapattoni: "I said that it would be tough, that we had additional opposition. I am not talking about a plot but about an additional opposition."
Flash-forward now to Monday afternoon in Kaiserslautern. The Australia-Italy match is nearing the end of its allotted three minutes of stoppage time in regulation. Only seconds remain.
Italy's Fabio Grosso beats one player and makes a run toward the penalty area. Australian defender Lucas Neill slides to make a blocking tackle but fails to make contact. Grosso continues his run, and purposely trips over the fallen Neill.
No foul has occurred. If anything, Grosso has taken a dive.
But referee Cantalejo points immediately to the penalty spot. There is only time left for the kick. No time for Australia to reply.
And who steps up to take it? None other than the formerly affronted Totti, the victim of 2002's "scandal."
Totti scores, and Italy goes through to the quarterfinals. Australia's first World Cup in 32 years is over.
"I just can't believe it," said Aussie midfielder Tim Cahill. "We're in disbelief, because anyone who watched the game could see that it was not a penalty."
Teammate Scott Chipperfield goes further. "They look after the big nations," he said. "They want the big nations through to the semis and final. It's always the way."
And this, from Australia assistant coach Graham Arnold: "We're a small footballing nation that gets no favors. All we asked for was a fair go, and I don't think we received it.
"From the sideline and what we saw on TV, it was a joke."
And then there was Australia's coach, who had this to say: "If you see the replay, there is no doubt that it was not a penalty."
Australia's coach is Guus Hiddink. He was on the other side of the "conspiracy" in 2002. Back then, he was South Korea's coach when Italy was stiffed.
Honest. You can't make up this stuff. Only FIFA has that talent.
Anyone for rugby? Its World Cup is decided on the field.
Yet, it's all said and done now. I'll be back to writing about the Yankees 2006 shortly.
UPDATE:
This is plain Overreacting:
Leading the outrage yesterday was Billy Vojtek, who represented Australia in the Socceroos' only previous World Cup outing in 1974.10 years hard labour at Guantanamo Bay followed by flat-out refusal to grant a visa to Australia in the future plus being classified as a terrorist? Man, that's a bit rough; well-deserved, mind you, but rough. :)
"He should get 10 years at Guantanamo Bay with hard labour, that referee," Vojtek fumed. "He should not be allowed in this country, he should be classed as a terrorist. I am shattered about a decision that, in the last seconds of the game, he can give a penalty which was not there."
Describing it as "so bad it was unbelievable", Vojtek said it awarded the game to the inferior team.
Guus Says Goodbye
Here's the SMH story:
Hiddink, speaking in the aftermath of Australia's last-gasp loss to Italy, said he was proud of his players and would never say never about a World Cup repeat with the Socceroos.Here's another link:
"I am sad that it is finished," Hiddink said. "On one hand it is a joy to work with the players, a joy to work with the staff, and with the FFA. I am also enriched because I met a lot of people in Australia in a short time and I am a little bit sad that it has ended.
"We don't know what will happen in two or three years and by that time I am an old man and they might say that they don't want me any more. But I am not at the end because I feel energetic and the boys give me a lot of energy."
The Dutch coach has led Australia for less than 12 months but said he had already set a precedent for returning to unfinished business. Hiddink said that, without knowing what Australia's plans for his successor were, he would maintain a relationship with football in Australia even as head coach of the Russian national team, a position he takes up next month.
"I went back to PSV after I had success there the first time and then went back and restructured the club a little bit. I don't say no to Australia because it is too far away. In the meantime, I am going to Russia - but … I am sure that even though I don't have a job [in Australia], I will visit."
Hiddink paid tribute to his players and support staff, describing his time with Australia as "tremendous".
"There is emotion," he said. "Sometimes when I am by myself then I feel a lot of emotion about these players. This group, also the staff, all the people that made it happen around the team. I am very proud when I think of all the members of the team.
"What I like about them is that I could be tough to them but I respected them and they respected me. We had one aim and that was first to qualify for the World Cup and then perform really well on the world stage. Sometimes, I worked them so hard they could kill me but they never gave in and it was such a tremendous time."
Hiddink revealed that after the loss to Italy, he told the team of his pride in their performance as the players relaxed over dinner at their hotel.Thanks for the memories; Farewell and Good Luck Guus Hiddink.
"I expressed my feelings that sometimes it (the build-up) was tough, I demanded a lot of them because, with my modest experience, I know what's coming up in a World Cup.
"They responded to the tough approach and did a terrific job. They answered the demands of international standard (soccer).''
Hiddink said the team stayed up late together.
"We played cards until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. I taught them a Dutch game so we said goodbye with a game of cards."
And the Dutchman spoke of how hard it was to part company with the boys.
"Saying goodbye when the circumstances are bad happens a lot in football and is quite easy. But in this case, it's very hard to say goodbye," he said.
You meet people in life and each encounter is important. It was a once in a lifetime thing for the Socceroos and Australia. Guus made it count every last bit. There are no regrets, just broken dreams, but in their place are born new dreams. Life goes on.
Another Dream, Another Promise
The world has noticed Australia now.
No-one gave the Socceroos any chance of winning the tournament but their performances to reach the second round showed they were not out of their depth and with a bit of luck might have gone even further.Here's what folks in Australian Soccer think:
Perhaps ominously, their roller-coaster ride also aroused the imagination and interest of a country that has won virtually every major international sporting trophy on offer but shown little real interest in soccer, until now.
(Sydney FC Coach) Butcher backed Australia to again reach the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.Well, let's hope it's not another 32 years.
"Qualification is a lot more reachable for the World Cup (with the move to the Asian Confederation)," he said.
"In four years time Australia should be playing in South Africa."
Central Coast coach Lawrie McKinna agreed Australia should qualify again in four years time.
"Hopefully the Australian team is dominating the Asian competition," he said.
"In four years time I think they'll be looking to be ranked in the top 20."
Perth Glory's Alan Vest said it was imperative Australia made it to South Africa.
"We should have got ourselves established in Asia," he said.
"We've got the Olympics to look forward to and then the build-up to the next World Cup, we've been there now and we've got make sure we're there next time."
Adelaide mentor John Kosmina said the opportunity was there for Australian soccer to build a proud history.
"I'd like to think we'd be in the same sort of position as we are now (in four years), we've achieved something now, we need to make sure we're still successful.
"A legend or a tradition has now been born and we need to keep re-creating that ... now we need to start to build some history."
But Bleiberg warned qualification for 2010 would be tough.
"It depends on generations, this generation was very successful and had a lot of talent," he said.
"The young generation is not as good and ... we have to qualify through Asia, it will be much harder."
The Legacy Of The 2006 Campaign
Here's an interesting take.
I'm quoting it whole because it's too good to let go into the mists of internet archives. 'The Australian' can sue me.
Neil Clark: A better world is the ultimate goalKinda' cool.
June 27, 2006
REGARDLESS of how the Socceroos fared in this morning's second-round match with Italy, let's agree on one thing: the World Cup has been sensational. Not only for the quality of the soccer we have seen, the tremendous spirit of the players and the spectacular goals, but for the unprecedented way in which it has brought together people from across the world.
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the nuclear arms race were supposed to usher in global peace and understanding. Sadly, it never happened. Instead, since 1990 the world has become more divided, more dangerous, more unstable. The globalisation model that was adopted - involving the imposition of a one-size-fits-all political, economic and social template by the world's wealthiest nations, if necessary by military force - has not made the world a smaller, friendlier place. If anything, it has pushed peoples further apart.
The World Cup represents an alternative model of globalisation, and a far better one: it involves not the domination of one country or economic system over another, but the celebration of global diversity and respect for, rather than the destruction of, national sovereignty. All across the world, people are once again taking delight in their national identity, to the horror of globalists of the Left and Right. In Germany, flags are once more fluttering on rooftops: a sign that, 60 years after the horrors of World WarII, the country has at last returned to normality. The exuberant, attacking football Jurgen Klinsmann's team has played embodies the spirit of the new Germany: positive, confident, looking forward rather than back.
Australia, too, has advertised its finest, most admirable qualities to a global audience. The never-say-die attitude and buccaneering spirit the Socceroos showed in their matches against Japan, Brazil and Croatia will live long in the memory. Ditto the astonishing ball skills of the Ivory Coast, the best team not to make it to the knock-out stage.
The US has also won friends and admirers, even among those who regard its foreign policy with disdain. Bruce Arena's team played with courage and tenacity, and support for it exposed just how misguided are those who seek to politicise the World Cup. For instance, the World Development Movement's website www.whoshouldicheerfor.com offers advice on which countries we should be supporting on "ethical" grounds. Each country in the World Cup was assessed according to criteria ranging from health spending to carbon emissions: Ghana came first (the most supportable), the US last.
All very useful, but not when football matches are at stake. The Ghanaian team's play-acting and the blatant dive that earned it a decisive penalty in its match with the US would have raised the hackles of any neutrals, regardless of the country's superior record on greenhouse gases. And which pathetic souls would have cheered on Croatia against Australia on the basis that it stands at No.6 in the WDM's ethical assessment, while Australia is at No.28?
The po-faced politicisers fail to understand that in football, it's how teams play the game that determines the reaction of neutral supporters, not the policies of their governments. I knew nothing about The Netherlands or its politics when as a child I cried myself to sleep the night Johan Cruyff's magical team undeservedly lost the 1974 final. And my views on the war in Iraq had no bearing on my cheering on the nine-man US squad in its heroic, gutsy performance against Italy. The World Cup should be about transcending political differences, not extending them.
In Germany, if not on whoshouldicheerfor.com, that has largely been achieved. The atmosphere in the cities of the host nation, apart from the boorish behaviour of a minority of England fans, has been incredible, with supporters from all across the world - from Togo to Paraguay and Iran to South Korea - mingling peacefully. Each set of supporters has brought something special to the tournament: the Trinidadians and Tobagans their steel bands, the Togolese their witch doctors, the Aussies their irrepressible enthusiasm.
My favourite images of the tournament include Argentinian and Mexican fans linking arms together in the stadium in Leipzig during their teams' second-round tie, and a stunningly beautiful German girl, her face painted in black, red and gold, blowing a kiss to the world's television audience during her country's victory over Sweden.
The legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once remarked: "Some people think football is a matter of life and death ... I can assure them it is much more serious than that." He was right. The past three weeks have done more to engender a spirit of global community than any politician, pop star or secretary-general of the UN ever could.
Neil Clark is a lecturer in politics and history at Oxford Tutorial College in England.
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