Inside Sport

Fair or foul? Socceroos' history of being carded


https://forum.insidesport.com.au/Topic758295.aspx

By Damo Baresi - 22 Jun 2010 12:38 AM

Fair or foul? Socceroos' history of being carded
JOHN HUXLEY
June 22, 2010

ON THE eve of one of the most important matches in their history, the Socceroos have been awarded international football's unofficial ''unfair play'' award.

Under the headline ''Australia's red mist'', FIFA officials yesterday pointed out the ''unwelcome'' fact that in the last four World Cup matches played by the Socceroos, no fewer than six players have been sent off.

Two Australians have been sent off in the present campaign: Tim Cahill for foul play in the 0-4 defeat by Germany, and Harry Kewell, more controversially, for hand ball in the 1-1 draw with Ghana.

At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Brett Emerton was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the 2-2 draw with Croatia, who had two players, Dario Simic and Josip Simunic, red carded.

And Italy's Marco Materazzi was given his marching orders in the ''round of 16'' match, which Australia lost by an equally contentious last-minute penalty conceded by Lucas Neill.

Coincidence? Bad luck? Bad refereeing? Or a reflection of how the Socceroos - and the teams they encounter - play the game?

This week, the players and their coach, Pim Verbeek, have pointed out that they play to the rules, and that they have been harshly treated by referees in their two matches in South Africa.

David Lowe, a sports specialist at the Centre for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney, half agrees. ''Australia is definitely not a dirty team. They play hard, the way they play other contact sports hard … But perhaps they shouldn't be surprised at the consequences some times. … They don't go in for the diving, the theatricals of other teams. They play it straight.''

http://www.theage.com.au/world-cup-2010/world-cup-news/fair-or-foul-socceroos-history-of-being-carded-20100621-ysd7.html
By ricecrackers - 6 Nov 2014 11:33 PM

Draupnir wrote:
Quality comment. One major tournament between that comment and now. The world is a very different place. We've now got electricity, telephones, the internet. Oh, wait a second, it was four fucking years ago.

Edited by Draupnir: 6/11/2014 08:31:11 PM


you remind me a lot of afrodope
similar gutter mouth and slow wit