Spoilsport :P

Opi, if you want to deport fractelle, you'd have to lure her out of her very comfy naughty corner first!

Hi squeers,
Did you deliberately leave out the word "deliberate" when quoting CJ? He said, "it clearly wasn't a deliberate hand-ball".
Both CJ and I haven't denied that it was a hand-ball, but only that it was not deliberate and therefore he should've got a yellow card, not a red one.

Anyway, I agree that Cahill should have had a yellow card instead of a red also.
He only clipped schweinsteiger via the momentum of the initial slide.
Even Schweinsteiger said that a red card was too harsh, or something.

But these are the refs decisions, made quickly and on the spot. It's all very easy for us to watch re-plays and slow-mo's in our armchairs and then criticise the decisions a ref made.

I obviously disagree with some of refs decisions, but most of the time I disagree only after I saw the replays and had a minute to make up my mind. Refs do not have that luxury and are pressured to make quick decisions.

Thanks Celivia. I'm actually enjoying the World Cup more as we go - controversies about undeserved red cards aren't exactly the sort of thing I normally care about, but it's quite fun to get all indignant about some BOOFHEADED IDIOT* referee's wrong call.

As you say, they're on the spot and have to make snap decisons. In this competition there's no video ref, nor right of appeal for a referee's decision. Which is pretty cool, really IMHO.

Kewell certainly shouldn't have been given a red card, but it's done and can't be undone. The ref's decision is final.

Mind you, the one match ban might have been waived...

Amen.

* Joke, Joyce

Celivia:
<Did you deliberately leave out the word "deliberate" when quoting CJ? He said, "it clearly wasn't a deliberate hand-ball".
Both CJ and I haven't denied that it was a hand-ball, but only that it was not deliberate and therefore he should've got a yellow card, not a red one.>

Sorry about the sloppy quote, folks. 'Twasn't deliberate. I usually cut and paste but this time transcribed.
I suspect it was deliberate, that is that he deliberately didn't get the arm out of the way; and why would he, standing on the goal line like that. At the very least, I'd have to contend that there is nothing definite about his innocence.
But yes, it all adds to the human drama--the manifest injustice of it all. The Refs are the Gods of the football field and the players "are merely the stars' [foot]balls, struck and banded which way please them".

Opi2, Celivia, CJM

I am enjoying the World Cup vicariously through this thread. Many laughs.

Go Orange stains, I mean Oranje.

I live in bushland and I think I just spotted the rare and shy socceroo, maybe I can coax him over with a round ball.... Nope, the round ball scared him off. Will try with oval ball - more of a challenge, but waving my Saints scarf seems to be helping. That's right little fellow, kick the ball between the goal posts. I predict a St Kilda premiership in 2010.

What was this thread about?

Teee-heee severin!
Maybe opi should take your pc away until you promise to behave in your naughty corner.

That's alright squeers, perhaps it wasn't that important after all that the word 'deliberate' was left out, because a handball, by definition, is ALWAYS a deliberate movement towards the ball. And because Kewell did not make a deliberate movement towards the ball, it shouldn't have been punished as if it were a handball.

Anyway, I agree with CJ when he said: "...quite fun to get all indignant about some BOOFHEADED IDIOT* referee's wrong call."
Hehehe you should hear us -'humble' orange stains on armchairs- bagging everyone who dares making a wrong move and yes especially the referees from our lazy armchairs is very entertaining.

Hehe but that's just for entertainment's sake, and a satisfying outlet for frustrations.

Now, how do we jinx Serbia