Sigh.
Wasn't a penalty, wasn't a red card, was a bloody great display of how Australia have come on leaps on bounds as a footballing nation. Playing out of tight areas, putting in a solid defensive display and matching it with Italy.
It wasn't a penalty, Grosso fell onto Neill deliberately to earn it and it got given. I'm a qualified FIFA referee, wow Marc you're not so special, and if I had seen it close I doubt I would have given it. The key was that Neill for mine did not make any attempt to attack the player or the ball and as such it was Grosso who went into Neill. I have no problems with the referee giving the penalty either, as sad as it is for Australian football. It looked very much like Neill could have brought him down but Cantalejo was looking for the penalty instead of looiking at what Neill had actually done, which was basically remained perfectly still. Other thing to take into account is that normally referees err on the side of caution in the box. It's very often a player who should have won a penalty isn't awarded it, but I think that's a direct result from the amount of diving that also goes on. I still can't help but think of Simunic's efforts on Viduka at a time like this though.
Anyway, put it this way, if I had seen Neill move at all I would have given it and I might have even given that one then, it was a 60/40(In favour of no penalty) or perhaps 70/30 decision for mine. Cantalejo made the wrong decision but it was, in some ways, a fair decision. Neill was our best player and had a remarkable World Cup, but it was his fault really. Not that Bresciano was innocent. They're not the only one's who do it and it's sad for the sport of football. The Italians are historically disgraceful for their diving and Grosso is an absolute disgrace for it. It happens so often these days it's hardly taken into account though. Credit to the Italians in that match though, they played fairly and sportingly throughout and it was just Grosso who tarnished that. Totti is a tool as well, but atleast he didn't get a chance to show that against us.
I just want to put that behind me and think what we've achieved. Very few tipped us to get out of our group, let alone match Brazil and Italy. We were unlucky with refereeing all World Cup and frankly the standard wasn't good enough. But in every game we never stopped fighting and never gave up, which I suppose isn't that different to every other time, but I think that deserves a pat on the back. Bring on Asia and bring on 2010! Congratulations Australia and congrats to the team, they're heroes in my book!
I'm hoping for a Spain v Germany final
At the end of 90 minutes, a draw would have been a very, very fair result, and Australia had all the momentum and the two substitutes going into extra-time. Italy did not deserve to win the match in regular time, and the amount of diving must surely be a huge reason why Australians haven`t fully accepted soccer as yet.
