By Damo Baresi - 21 Jun 2010 11:27 PM
Bleating from Australian camp sounds worse than vuvus
JOHN HUXLEY
June 22, 2010
FIRST, the comeback kid Harry Kewell accused a referee of killing his World Cup. Then, captain Lucas Neill claimed the ''big decisions are not going Australia's way''. And, now, top goal-scorer Tim Cahill has turned up for training and informed the world that ''for us as a nation … we have never been given a fair go''.
Suddenly, Australia has become The Unlucky Country. At least, that seems to be the opinion of several of the Socceroos, after having two players, the aforementioned Cahill and Kewell, sent off in the first two matches. It is a view shared by many of the thousands of supporters who have travelled to South Africa, and by millions who are following them from home.
After Saturday's match in Rustenburg, where 10-man Australia drew 1-1 with Ghana to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the round of 16, fans were seriously discussing a possible ''Italian conspiracy''. It involved ''killer referee'' Roberto Rosetti and Fabio Grosso, whose last-minute dive helped knock the Socceroos out of the World Cup four years ago.
In fact, while there may not have been any intent involved in the offences of either Cahill (late tackle) or Kewell (hand ball), the officials reacted promptly, appropriately and in accordance with the rules. But, ultimately, that may not be the point.
More important, is how players, coaches and supporters handle what Shakespeare - William, the playwright, not Craig, the West Bromwich Albion play-maker - might have called the slings and arrows of outrageous refereeing decisions.
Whingeing is not a good sound, worse even than buzzing vuvuzelas. Whingeing, especially accompanied by tears not of contrition or regret but self-pity, is not a good look for players representing a nation spending $50 million to secure the 2022 World Cup, to persuade more than 200 countries to ''come play''.
One can sympathise with Kewell, whose long-awaited comeback was curtailed after only 24 minutes by a mishap in which he had, quite literally, put his body on the line. As he said, he could hardly be expected to chop his arm off.
Less forgivable was Cahill, whose tackle was ill-advised and ill-timed. It may not have been intended. It was reckless and unruly. Nor was it an isolated incident. Even fans with selective memories must recall his scything tackle in the Socceroos' farewell match against New Zealand.
He escaped a sending-off then. He was lucky. He was given more than a fair go.
Perhaps part of the problem is, according to a character in D.H. Lawrence's book Kangaroo, that ''Australians play their sport as if their lives depend on it'' - spirited, physical, fair-minded, averse to cheating, conning, diving, dissembling.
But as leading sports historian Dr Richard Cashman explained several years ago, originally in the context of cricket, Australian ''fair play'' has increasingly been replaced by hard play, perhaps under the pressures created by ever-increasing financial rewards. Sadly, the two styles of play are not always compatible.
Australians who play hard should accept the consequences. And however they play they must accept that refereeing mistakes, rare at this World Cup so far, will be made.
Meanwhile, the Lucky Country should, as Harry eventually suggested, ''take it on the chin''.
http://www.theage.com.au/world-cup-2010/world-cup-news/bleating-from-australian-camp-sounds-worse-than-vuvus-20100621-ysd4.html
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By GloryPerth - 22 Jun 2010 4:41 AM
Hmm Pim should reign them in a little. That stuff earlier in the week with Kewell's press conference dedicated to Mike Cockerill was all rather embarrassing and distracting. And now more sound bites. I know they're kind of doing the right thing, by giving our media these sound bites, given the generally poor coverage for the game in this country, especially between 'World Cups we're participating in,' but I just wonder, the morale within the team camp etc... can it be affected much? Do the senior players saying this and that - surely that may affect the team morale, perspective etc... Neill made those comments about Germany, though Pim did too apparently? And we saw how that went! Kewell saga aside, I think it was more 'shut up shop,' considering morale and press/fan reaction post German result.
They should batten down the hatches again, as this will be their final, 'grand final,' as Moore put it, they are playing for their NT life, some of them this may well be their last game for the NT. They will want to go out on a bang, know they gave it their all. And IF we somehow make it to the Rd 16 then magnificent, but let's push them all the way, let's really throw a spanner in there, right till the end. Really upset that apple cart, the expectations of Serbia, Ghana, the bookies and all the rest of them.
The players should know, you make your own luck and they need to BELIEVE, that they WILL make their own luck, against Serbia.
Third time's a charm. ;) :D
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