...Ghana vs Australia ............all the LATEST NEWS

[Steve#4]

After a good night sleep...............I still feel like sh1t

[admin]

Verbeek:

""I think we were very unlucky with the red card," Verbeek said. "I think it was a mistake from the referee. That was not a red card, we were unlucky with that. But I think the players reacted very well."

[Porcupine]

If Verbeek said it it must be true.

Kewell stuck his arm out at it. Definite red.

[admin]

Good photo because it shows a couple things.

Firstly the referee did have a clear view so no excuses for the poor decision.

Secondly you can see how little time Kewell had - the Ghana player is still in the motion of kicking the ball and its already about to hit Kewell. The ball has been hit directly at Kewell.

I have marked where the ball hit Kewell.

[DOC]

if your going to use photos at least get the point of impact, which was more on the bicep than forearm

[Steve McGarrett]

if your going to use photos at least get the point of impact, which was more on the bicep than forearm

which as the replay shows was by his side... not away from the body.

[Con]

Addy's tackle from behind was terrible! I was sure the ref would even things up and red card him. If Sepp Blatter and FIFA are dinkum to their word, that ref will be on the first plane home for not dishing out a red card for the tackle from behind...

[admin]

It was a tough decision - tough for the Socceroos and tough for the referee.

There was enough in it for the referee to be forced to have to make a decision. Frequently this would not have been given.

On viewing the replay the referee will probably think (but never say it publicly ) that it was not as clear cut as he had thought it was in real time but will still think there was enough in it to justify his decision.

Anyway nothing is going to change the decision. Its frustrating but now its on to the next game.

[10]

It was a tough decision - tough for the Socceroos and tough for the referee.

There was enough in it for the referee to be forced to have to make a decision. Frequently this would not have been given.

On viewing the replay the referee will probably think (but never say it publicly ) that it was not as clear cut as he had thought it was in real time but will still think there was enough in it to justify his decision.

i just do not see how you can send off someone for something completely, COMPLETELY, unintentional - the ball was rocketed at him, he had no time to react and it hit him very high up with his arm by his side. a tough call either way, i suppose if i was supporting the other team i certainly would have called for the penalty. what irks me is that later in the game a studs up challenge (from behind?) gets punished with a yellow card, blatant red - x1000 worse than Cahill's.

i would have no problem with the decision had there at least been a level of consistency throughout the tournament with this sort of stuff. pisses me off.

[admin]

"I'm gutted by the miss. You wait for those moments in a game and I missed a big opportunity for the team, and that's the worst thing."

[Bomber]

Anyone who thinks that was a blatant handball and penalty, has absolutely no idea about the game of football.

[Con]

I had hoped Lucas Neill as captain would have verbally dragged the ref over to speak to his 4th official after Addy's dreadful tackle because that official now has greater reporting powers.
I have seen refs change decisions after being made to consult an assistant ref....

[admin]

On reflection:

* great performance by the Socceroos
* unlucky to have a penalty awarded against them
* lack of good fortune compounded by the red card which swung the game in favour of Ghana
* Ghana fortunate to have 11 players on the field for the full game
* If Australia had taken its chances it would have beaten Ghana

Australia would have won this game with 11 players.

To do well in tournaments a team needs a bit of good fortune and its just not happening for the Socceroos in South Africa. But we are not the only team in this situation.

I dont really mean the following statement - it is just an expression of my frustration - but maybe Australia should roll over against Serbia so that it ensures that Ghana does not make the next round and FIFA does not get any African team through to the next stage that it so desperately wants for this tournament.

[Scholes]

If the handball had happened anywhere else in the penalty area, the ref. may have let it go as unintentional, but because it prevented a goal, he had no choice. As for the red card, it should have been a yellow. If Vidic got a yellow, then so should have Kewell. Aust. fans should put themselves in the reverse position &think of how they would react if a Ghanayan had handled on the line & no penalty was awarded. Its simple, stop whinging, & and concentrate on the Serbian game. And hope the Ghanayans upset the Krauts.

[totsreds08]

Blatant red card and penalty, Kewell moves toward the ball to block it, if anyone doesnt see that they are blind. I don't care what nationality that ref was, he made the right call. At the end of the day blocking a clear goal scoring opportunity on the line with the arm is going to bed a red card any day of the week. If anyone is to blame it's Wilkshire, his defending was absolute crap, he even won the ball and just had to let it run out but he let the Ghana player win it back off him.

lol. not even close with the red card n penalty

your smoking weed if you don't think thats a red. watch the replays and you'll notice that the ball hits his arm>stops a goal>red card. get over it. its nothing about the ref being italian.

[Chelsea4thewin]

wilkshire looks absolutely shattered in that photo

feel sorry for him, he was awesome for us last night

[The one and only]

Blatant red card and penalty, Kewell moves toward the ball to block it, if anyone doesnt see that they are blind. I don't care what nationality that ref was, he made the right call. At the end of the day blocking a clear goal scoring opportunity on the line with the arm is going to bed a red card any day of the week. If anyone is to blame it's Wilkshire, his defending was absolute crap, he even won the ball and just had to let it run out but he let the Ghana player win it back off him.

lol. not even close with the red card n penalty

your smoking weed if you don't think thats a red. watch the replays and you'll notice that the ball hits his arm>stops a goal>red card. get over it. its nothing about the ref being italian.

but there was no intent in the handball it was ball to hand not hand to ball which doesnt merit a red card

[metaldomes]

if we still have the chance to turn out?

[Mr Magoo]

I dont really mean the following statement - it is just an expression of my frustration - but maybe Australia should roll over against Serbia so that it ensures that Ghana does not make the next round and FIFA does not get any African team through to the next stage that it so desperately wants for this tournament.

Admin needs a lie-down.

[Mr Magoo]

if we still have the chance to turn out?

Hit rate for making sense dropping below 10%.

[totsreds08]

if the decision was the other way and it went in favour of australia, would you lot still be saying that it was accidental?

[juve4ever]

your smoking weed if you don't think thats a red. watch the replays and you'll notice that the ball hits his arm>stops a goal>red card. get over it. its nothing about the ref being italian.

but there was no intent in the handball it was ball to hand not hand to ball which doesnt merit a red card

You have to look at it from the other side. If a definite goal is stopped by a handball (intentional or not) and the penalty is saved or missed, then it's pretty harsh on the other team.

[The one and only]

your smoking weed if you don't think thats a red. watch the replays and you'll notice that the ball hits his arm>stops a goal>red card. get over it. its nothing about the ref being italian.

but there was no intent in the handball it was ball to hand not hand to ball which doesnt merit a red card

You have to look at it from the other side. If a definite goal is stopped by a handball (intentional or not) and the penalty is saved or missed, then it's pretty harsh on the other team.

i know that but the reward to them considering its not intentional is the penalty them missing it or it being saved has nothing to do with them actually getting a penalty.

[admin]

SMH poll on the decision:

9% spot on
26% unlucky
65% harsh

21000 votes.

This probably lines up with what would normally happen in a game....

65% of the time - play on - no penalty
26% of the time - penalty and a yellow card
9% of the time - penalty and a red card

We can debate the exact numbers but my thoughts are it is a reasonable reflection of what would be the usual outcome.

[admin]

I dont really mean the following statement - it is just an expression of my frustration - but maybe Australia should roll over against Serbia so that it ensures that Ghana does not make the next round and FIFA does not get any African team through to the next stage that it so desperately wants for this tournament.

Admin needs a lie-down.

[reflex]

wilkshire looks absolutely shattered in that photo

feel sorry for him, he was awesome for us last night

1.The Ghana goal was his fault.
2.He should have scored in the one-on-one with the keeper.
3.If he didn't mess up on those two occasions, Australia wins by at least 2 to nil.
4.Apart from that, he played well.
5.Its a harsh game.

[SpursOnTheRise]

I rekon that poll is a load of crap, a bunch of no hoper bandwangoners who don't know the rules and think will still claim that Podolski's goal was offside.

At the end of the day, contact with the arm was made on the goal line preventing a goal, those decisions are given as a penalty most of the time. People who are talking about Vidic's handball...well clearly that wasn't denying a goal! Yes it was unfair because sure, Kewell didn't have much time to move but he did lean towards the ball with the arm. Not sure who said something about him having his eyes closed, but WHAT DOES THA HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING. If a player comes in and crunches you from behind with studs up, ref sends u off what are u gonna say? Ref my eyes were closed i thought i got the ball....

RED CARD

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

[admin]

I rekon that poll is a load of crap, a bunch of no hoper bandwangoners who don't know the rules and think will still claim that Podolski's goal was offside.

At the end of the day, contact with the arm was made on the goal line preventing a goal, those decisions are given as a penalty most of the time. People who are talking about Vidic's handball...well clearly that wasn't denying a goal! Yes it was unfair because sure, Kewell didn't have much time to move but he did lean towards the ball with the arm. Not sure who said something about him having his eyes closed, but WHAT DOES THA HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING. If a player comes in and crunches you from behind with studs up, ref sends u off what are u gonna say? Ref my eyes were closed i thought i got the ball....

RED CARD

Regardless - it still needs to have been intentional hand ball ie intent to handle the ball ie hand moving towards the ball. In Kewell's case he was trying to get his should to the ball and partially succeeded - given another fraction of a second and the ball would have come off his shoulder. There was no intent to handle the ball. He is trying to move his hand away from the ball but just does not have the time to do it.

It is a clear example of un-intentional hand ball.

Closing his eyes is relevant because it adds to the argument of lack of intent. It is similar to turning your back to the ball and the ball then striking your upper arm. Intention means a conscious decision to handle the ball - if you were intending to handle the ball you would keep your eyes on the ball - it is natural human behavior to have your eyes open when you are using your hands.

[Loppermann]

"I'm gutted by the miss. You wait for those moments in a game and I missed a big opportunity for the team, and that's the worst thing."

shouldn't be playing the next game if he has that attitude
ok, he missed an easy chance
now get on with it and forget about it