I thought Holman played exceptionally well tonight. He really is proving the doubters (including me) wrong!

No way was it a penalty as it hit mostly the shoulder area and I cannot believe the poor referee decisions in most of the games played so far.I think FIFA should have a good look at the stupid and ridiculous decisions made.
Aside from that I feel our boys played an awesome game under extreme pressure on and off the field.
I'am extremely proud of our boys no matter what the final wash up will be and lets repeat the dose against Serbia next week.
Algreco

Johnszaz - technically the Brazil game was also controversial too because the freekick count was about 103 - 1 in favour of the Brazilians. They were over protected that day.

Ghana were also lucky not to have a player sent off.... compare that tackle to Cahill's....
I do feel for Harry.... He was ready to rip in that game I thought.

Totally shattered but absolutely proud of the Aussies, a magnificent performance. Played with 10 men brilliantly. soaking up pressure for 45 mins then putting on fresh legs to get the winner in the last 20 mins. And it nearly worked!!! One day we will get the luck. The gutsiest effort of this World Cup. Moore and Neill, magnficent at the back. Great effort by all players. Although it's very tough, let's hope we have the luck to get us through to the next round so we can see Harry play for the Aussies again, would be a complete injustice if this were to be his last World Cup performance. Go the Socceroos!!!

The refereeing was atrocious. Ghana should have had a corner (how the fuck did the referee not see he saved it?) and funnily enough a handball decision went our way during a Ghana attack when I thought it wasn't a handball. Don't even get me started on the other decisions.

Wilkshire should have buried that chance though....

Guys!!, I am not Australian.. I'm not living in Australia.. I've never been Australia..and I felt like an Australian. your team did simply the best.. great heart, only 10 players, Ghana always need a Penalty and a red card to win.. Be positive, continue with High hopes.. and if is not possible for Australia to go to the next stage, be proud of them..

Guys!!, I am not Australian.. I'm not living in Australia.. I've never been Australia..and I felt like an Australian. your team did simplely the best.. great heart, only 10 players, Ghana always need a Penalty and a red card to win.. Be positive, continue with High hopes.. and if is not possible for Australia to go to the next stage, be proud of them..

great performance with 10 men. We really showed we can compete on the world stage. But im so glad we weren't negative, we went out attacked. And it payed off. Bresciano, Holman wreaked havoc.. I say attack Serbia, let Vidosic and Ruka both get a run..Neva know..Carney was great aswell, always getting forward..its the way we are...we love getting forward :) Let us be aussies Pimbecile...

Our Socceroos can stand up and be proud. They stood tall, infact they were mighty, in all adversity and again showed us that you are indeed Aussies representing our country, the same boys, the same spirit, which came to the fore in Germany 06.

To Paraphrase Craig Foster, we shall never again doubt these boys' ability to compete at a World Cup - This IS where they belong, this IS their stage. Tonight they proved to the world, to the world, that Germany 06 was noo damn fluke. This is Australia and we are for real. We will battle to the very end and indeed it's not over yet, we'll be fighting, Serbia and all and sundry, beware.

This match was a warning, we are coming.

And to that referee, one side of his performance, reminds me of Ed Kavalee's little bit on 'Cup Fever,' in his little, 'harden up,' message to the Italian footballers. Some of his calls were sooo soft, the free kicks given against Kennedy, Moore and others were extraordinarily soft, not even 50/50, it was remarkable. And then, there was, ofcourse, THAT tackle from the young Ghanian defender, which was surely an automatic red, but what - no? Is it let's be gentle on the young Ghanians day?

'Harden Up!'

Though on the other side, THAT red card, well that was the most intense, key, THE turning moment, of the game, and Emerton not sufficiently supporting Wilkshire, earlier, to really snuff out the danger of Ayew, which allowed him to then produce that cross the box pass, was the killer. The Ghanian player who produced the strike then had pretty much an open shot on goal - we were lucky in a way that we had Kewell there to clear it. But going by the comments of the former players etc... even though we're all kind of biased, it still seems, even to my less informed eyes, that that red on Kewell was AWFUL HARSH. Though I guess if that's in the rules then whatever. But interesting you know, in regards to consistency - Hard on Kewell's moment there, then SOFT on the young Ghanian later.

Heck after their first two matches, one would have to wonder if both the referees of their matches have been slipped a suitcase or two of bills, because in both the games, especially this one, the outcome of the refereeing decisions has favourable for Ghana including, the key, match defining moments.

And his performance made me think of Graham Poll and his three yellows to Simunic, which was not the only slip up he made that game - he REALLY felt the pressure of that game.


DAMN, Australia has been UNLUCKY when it comes to these key World Cup matches - Do the referees just crumple when it comes to the intensity of Australia's key matches? We are SOO determined, fight till the very end, the referees just seem to buckle, even the most experienced ones. Just they can't seem to handle it.

I was going to say get Pierluigi Collina from out of retirement to referee our next game, but then he's Italian - so maybe not!

Or please, please, please help us, when it comes to the referee for our Serbia match, PLEASE. Not again, surely not, NOT AGAIN. It just would not be right, just, in the equilibrium of our World Cup experiences, we are due, DUE, DUE! a quality refereeing performance, or heck, just out with it, one more favourable to our outcomes this time, instead of these key decisions that seem to go so awfully against our way.

And yeah, too bad Chippers couldn't get over that header, too bad Wilkshire can't finish like a quality striker, and too bad even Ruka could get a touch on our final half chance of the match.

Edited by GloryPerth: 20/6/2010 02:48:25 AM

Thanks! Hope your team is doing well too. :d

Shame they don't give 3 points for a moral victory but karma will see the Germans eat Ghana alive in a few days time. :twisted:

Might have just saved our 2022 campaign... I mean like FIFA might take courage to the passion for the game the boys showed there tonight.

There is still life for football in Australia. After the euphoria of 06 I was scared after the Germany game that we are coming off that wave. After tonights performance I think we are well and truly still on it and kicking.

WELL DONE BOYS

exactly how i felt after the japan game in 2006 and ive been a huge fan of the socceroos ever since, watching every qualifier and friendly in between. sitting here in my australia jersey, i am very proud of the team.

What a load of cock. All we want is a fair go, if FIFA hate us being at the WC so much why allow us to enter qualifiers?? They can all go fuck their mothers. Shame shame shame FIFA.

Well done to all the boys, to battle for so long down to 10 shows the aussies spirit we were all were desperate to see. Really gutted for Kewell, was a bullshit call. Surely some sort of protest can be submitted against this continuing bullshit.

I have no doubt the boys will come out at tear Serbia a new pisshole, just hope other results go our way as this team deserves better.

LUCK.... has left the building.

al_arcilam, thank you.. Much appreciated. That was a great performance, by the 'roos.

I can understand the penalty (as harsh as it was) but a straight red card has to be a deliberate hand ball according to FIFA rules. The ref could never have seen that (especially as it didn't happen) so there is no question that was an appalling call. Also, he failed to add the regulation extra time on numerous occasions. How FIFA acquires these drop kicks is beyond me. A cricket umpire works with smaller margins and higher quality. So how football refs allowed to be incompetent so consistently is ludicrous.

And with the refereeing again - I mean, did you see those replays with all the free kicks - Moore hadn't even touched him, I mean his arm was in no way pushing, he could not have challenged for a header any more legally, yet, a free kick just outside the box. Remarkable.

Josh Kennedy, time and time again, from the moment he came on - the referee must've had Kennedy marked, unbelievable - did Kennedy get one decision his way, one? Possibly he did, but the other 90% atleast were against, and again, the replays, just unbelievable, nothing in MOST of them, nothing, in many cases Kennedy could not have challenged for those headers any fairer, other referees...

But if we're talking other referees, well we get to that red card and then we get to the one which wasn't a red card, that should've been.

Edited by GloryPerth: 20/6/2010 02:46:42 AM

Lady luck is a fucking WHORE!

I feel for Kewell and all, but at the end of the day nothing can be done about it now and we have to move on and get geared up to cheer on the lads against Serbia.

Cheers for the reminder. I had forgotten why kewell got up the ref after the game. I knew something was wrong in that game too

haha people there is no conspiricy with fifa against us. it was one of those decisions that couldve gone either way, i thought was handball when i first seen it in real time. holemans shutting people up including me n good see the brazlian BEAUCHAMP will get a run next game.

Congrats to Holman for scoring,lost the ball a few times but nonetheless a future player for Australia. Really would like Vidosic to get a run too. it isn't over but I really think Germany have Ghana sorted. a 5-0 win for them and 2-0 for Australia is enough.

Thank you and indeed.

BTW al_arcilam where do you happen to be from? I presume, going by your user nick, that you are from the Middle East, so has Australia played your nation yet, in World Cup or Asian Cup or World or Asian Cup qualifying?

If that ref happens to meet any Aussie fans onthe way home, he'll get bottled for sure. Worst desicion in a long time, Timmy's red was very harsh, but this was stupid. Honestly, and then the Ghanian only gets a yellow for that tackle, how much are they fucking bribing the ref with, i know it sounds sore loserish, but we've had it rough in the world cup in terms of refereeing descicions.

Head up Kewell, you should have given him a jab in the chin.

I think most people realise that there is no conspiracy, but you must notice that the other African teams havent exactly been going well and it would not be a good look if none of them made it through to the next round. South Korea got a very nice run during the 02 Cup.

It just leaves you wondering.

I like this and it made me feel a little better too.

I agree with heineken, its not sore loser-ish esp with the decisions we've had... I guess its one way to harden up.

This world cup is becoming a tournament that is being changed heavily by referee calls and unfortunately for both matches australia has been done hard for it even if some people do disagree with it.

We did well and kept our head up high and I really really enjoyed the fact that we didnt let the sending off get to us. Thanks for showing that spirit that was sorely missing in the first game. Thanks to the socceroos. Bring on serbia :)

And Germany, Germany if you are NOT pretenders, then you have to comprehensively outplay Ghana, performance wise and in the end, result wise. Quite simple. If you are pretenders, then may Ghana beat you because you just don't deserve it. We let you walk over us, we gave you the massive boost from that, early World Cup favourites, then came Serbia and perhaps reality. But now it will be time Germany, time to truly prove, which was the true reality - The Australian result or Serbian one?

You were the villains in the first match, but arguably our players shared that company after that performance. But if you do not product that match one form again, then you will remain the villains and deserve to be on the flight home. We you truly superior, or were you just lucky. You have the Ghana match and all to play for, prove it to our group, prove it to your nation, prove it to the World Cup and World Football and finally, prove it to us, we Aussies, we who were humbled. Did you deserve the Australian result or Serbian one. Which are you? Your still pretenders, time to face up and prove to the world which you truly are.

Damn, too bad we didn't get that second goal, too bad. The fate, the alignment, ying/yang, tragic irony or what have you - It could've been all positioned, we could've STILL put those triumphant bully boys, Germany, to the sword! Zu Deutschland zur Klinge setzen!

Edited by GloryPerth: 20/6/2010 03:07:47 AM

GloryPerth, You Will be surpise, I am from Colombia, South America... I love good spirit, Australian are very competitive, something that my National team do not have. I have followed Australia in Qualifications and even in the Asia Cup... very good.. now I am your fan.

So Aus is on -3 and should they beat Serbia, they need either Ghana to beat Germany or for Germany to beat by a large margin.

And as it stands Ghana are on 4pts with +1 goal difference. While we're on 1pt with -3 goal difference.

So hypothetically, Australia wins 2-0.
That means Germany needs to win 3-0 for us to hit the 4pts and for our goal difference to pip Ghana by the 1 goal difference with us both on 4pts...

Sorry... been drinking :D

Lets look at a simple example of inconsistent refereeing just in our group, GHANA v SERBIA - Kuzmanovic yellow carded for a handball in the box, intentional, yellow card, penalty, Ghana wins. SERBIA v GERMANY, Vidic handballs the ball in the box leaving his arms up in the air for way too long, intentional, yellow card, Podolski misses, Serbia goes onto win. And unlucky last OZ v GHANA, unintentional handball, ball hits bicep/chest, rolls downwards onto forearm, arms close to side, not up, eyes closed. Last defender, straight red, thanks for coming.

It is burden on the game, however Ghana are the weakest team in the group and that was not only highlighted tonight but the fact that they are here over Egypt completely stuns me, Algeria would have been much stronger opposition.

I dont care what anyone says but after everything that has so far gone against us, that game justified why we are at the world cup, that was a solid performance and we have every reason to destroy Serbia.

Ghana will only go through the group if Germany get three red cards, they deserve nothing.

Excellent performance, and extra points for not punching the shit out of the ref. We all wanted to...

...or at least stick a vuvuzela up his arse

Why don't you come to Club Marconi tomorrow night around midnight? I'll be there with a few hundred other Italians. :roll:

Edited by Erebus: 20/6/2010 03:07:47 AM