Aussies robbed

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1

Strangely, after controlling the (laughable)#12 ranked Italian midfield, and having a man advantage, (on a “red” card foul that looked more like a schoolyard oopsie), and playing their guts out, the Australian Socceroos, get banked on a no touch foul in the box.

Unfortunately for the Aussies, they suffered what many suffer in the WC, basically sound team play, and an unnerving inability to finish. It happens.

But to be forced to give up WC games by an Italian scrub drama actor, who should have been carded for the dive, and a referee who is just asking for a bullet to correct his eyesight, is another instance of just how bad FIFA and their shoddy, myopic, astigmatized referees actually are at managing a match.

Sorry Australia, brilliant attempt, but no cup … maybe start a referee coffer for the next, you might stand a chance of reaching the finals that way.

FIFA, needs to be dismantled. They suck; plain, flat, hoover … suck. Their attempt to “gain control of unruly matches with stiffer booking principles” … is an utter failure. Although this WC has seen more bookings than any other, the only effect of the regulation changes, and FIFA’s wonderous rating system for the referees, is more bookings and more people getting screwed on “No call” fouls. Ask Deco from Portugal, I don’t think anyone knows why that card came out.

I guess the bottom line is, FIFA doesn’t like not being an active visible part of matches, so using referees by proxy is the next best thing.

I might cool off about this before the next World Cup … nah, I’ll still be pissed.

2

Yep, they were robbed. The only good thing about it was that it balances things out for the Italians.

3

I completely agree about the over zealous nature of the referees in this tournament and I don’t mean to kick up another fight but I noted this with regard to the Italy USA game and our ‘discussion’ on that one. Like I said, that game was in keeping with the other refereeing decisions in this tournament (due to FIFA’s nanny-state attitude) and in a way it set a high-profile precedent for other refs at this tournament who have followed suit by booking every potentially dangerous challenge (precisely what FIFA told them to do) and therefore ended up with a pile of red cards in several games.

Still, I dunno what you and James mean about Deco - his first yellow was for the trip on Heitinga after the Dutch refused to give the ball back after Portugal had a man go down injured. That was a classic yellow - a technical foul. The second one was a bit stupid, but Portugal had been time-wasting for ages and the ref had booked the keeper two minutes earlier for the same offence. It’s not like Deco didn’t know full well what he was doing. Of course, I’m English, so it completely works in my favour that Portugal’s playmaker should be banned for Saturday.

I won’t even get into the Figo incident. Coupled with their failure to just ban De Rossi for the whole tournament they’ve basically endorsed throwing elbows and headbutting people. Neither of these players should have a chance to play again in this tournament because that sort of behaviour (even towards Van Bommel) isn’t welcome. Unless you’re an ageing superstar who used to play for Madrid. Or Italian, and therefore exempt from the rules.

4

No sense rehashing the old siatd. My point is exactly something that any footballer will agree to: referees should not be the determining factor in a match … period. So far I’ve seen no less than twelve matches where the ref was more a part of the game than a lot of the players. This WC has surpassed all others for bookings, and still games to go …

As far a Deco. Again, this is the WC and yes, his first yellow was owned and earned, but a red card for “game delay” … bullshit. You just don’t do that in elimination matches.

I won’t argue with you on Figo, he asked for it, he received it, we agree that he had it coming, played as a hack the whole match.

I agree, and my confusion is the same. There is no consistency with FIFA or the referees. One game they lose four to reds, and another, depending on the “who’s who”, dangerous tackles and behaviors seem to “escape” the refs vision.

Fine if FIFA wants everyone booked, make it everyone who does anything dangerous. But like you pointed out, being Azzurri shouldn’t exempt you from rules, neither should playing for Real Madrid.

5

Indeed, regardless of where one wants the line to be drawn, consistency is the key. Specifically regarding Portugal, one has to ask ‘who committed the greater offences, Deco or Figo?’ and the answer is Luis Figo. Deco tripped someone in anger, fair enough - that’s a yellow, but to give a yellow for time-wasting and a yellow for a blatant headbutt is madness.

Also, the ref clearly didn’t see the headbutt (the camera shows him facing the opposite direction) so Figo’s yellow can’t have been for that offence, contrary to the official FIFA story. Bizarre at least, potentially even suspicious.

6

What concerns me greatly is the fact that the referee for the Portugal game was seen by FIFA as doing “a fundamentally sound job”, of which, only FIFA is in agreement on that perspective.

What if this bonehead ends up running the pitch for the semis or the actual final … we likely end up with a WC being decided by a referee who is as clueless as Bush.

I believe Figo was actually carded because of the “discussion” that occurred in the melee, although everyone but the referee saw that headbutt. Of course, after the fact, the ref went over and had a word with the linesmen, even though they are all wearing headsets … yes, dubious indeed.

7

OMFG … no seriously. Unfortunately this is Mundane, so I can’t have it, but this is enough. ENOUGH.

Ghana loses a player to a red card on a “dive”, (although from the replay it appears the Brasilian had his hands on him), and faces the arguably #1 team in the tourny, a man down, and yesterday the Italians won a game they should have been spanked in, on a dive that yielded no card for the perp and a penalty kick.

F* FIFA, no really, F* you hard, with a dry one wrapped in eighty grit sandpaper.

This World Cup officially has become a disgrace to all footballers. Leave the pitch, hang your boots, pick up the AK, it’s time for a non-professional visit to FIFA International HQ.

8

bah, i watched the aus v italy game… enjoyed it, but stupid stupid stupid stupid italian-australians going on about “either way, i win” bullshit, it really pisses me off to see these snivelling dagoes wear their italian flags around their neck looking like Captain Italia, even though they can’t speak a word of dogger, and were born here (and so were their parents).

it is an indictment (sp?) on this country to see these guys going on about how good the mother country is. get stuffed. go back to your ‘motherland’ if thats the case!

for the record, i am italian-australian. my parents were born here and so was i. but i’m fiercely aussie to the end. yay.

9

If I were you I’d stop writing a race-hate blog and start writing to FIFA.

Indeed, for anyone who is particularly interested in just how corrupt FIFA and Sepp Blatter are, I can recommend this excellent BBC Panorama programme that aired a couple of weeks ago.

Should open in RealPlayer

10

On the other hand, this complaint from the Italians is just plain out of order.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal … 141074.stm