Ancalagon the Black Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 OK, so I know that 99% of this board won't care, but this is a HUGE deal for Australia and for the world game. They beat a legitimate team that was using all sorts of dirty tactics to gain an advantage. Last night was one huge party. I can't wait to watch the World Cup now--i will have two teams to cheer on! http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer/world-cup-here-we-come/2005/11/16/1132016866332.html World Cup here we come! http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/11/17/wba1soccer_wideweb__470x221,0.jpg Game over: Australia celebrates John Aloisi's winning goal in the penalty shoot-out. Photo: Brendan Esposito By John Huxley November 17, 2005 MISSION accomplished! Magnificently. And in the most dramatic, albeit most cruel way imaginable. It took 90 minutes of normal time, 30 minutes of extra time and a heart-stopping penalty shoot-out. But at last, at long last, after more than 30 years of frustration, tears and trauma, the Socceroos last night won through to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. It had been a night of almost bearable tension for the 83,000 crowd, swimming in the sea of green and gold and screaming with almost un-Australian fervour. And nerves were just as frayed for the estimated 15,000 outside Telstra Stadium watching on a big screen, and the thousands more watching at home and in the pub. Australia's dreams of going to Germany next year for the World Cup finals came within reach when Marco Bresciano put them ahead minutes before half time. But all their dominant promise was for nothing: when the final whistle went, the score was still 1-0, forcing Australia to slug it out in extra time. They needed to be 2-0 up at the end to go through. Australia's fans erupted with joy, with supporters' groups such as the Bay 23 Boys, the Fanatics and the Green and Gold Army revving up the crowd with gusto. Uruguay's supporters tried to hide their disappointment at half-time, with the large contingent cheering their team like there was no tomorrow. Australia had a nervous start. Two free kicks went to Uruguay within the first four minutes, although both of the visitors' attempts at goal were deftly saved. Uruguay dominated possession, keeping the pressure on Australia and testing its defence. Australia's attempts at goal went wide. They won few free kicks but conceded several, with one from the visitors coming dangerously close. Midway through the half, Australia settled down and gradually won more possession. After 30 minutes, Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink substituted Tony Popovic with the man most believed would hand Australia the match, Harry Kewell. It paid off: within minutes Kewell helped set up the stunning goal by Bresciano to make the score 1-0 and the series tally one goal apiece. Australia kept the pressure on in the second half, dominating possession aggressively. But with the score still 1-0 at the end of normal time, the match went into extra time, and while there were some near-misses, there were no goals. Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made two crucial penalty saves during the ensuing penalty shoot-out, the second coming at a pivotal time to cancel out a miss by Australia's Mark Viduka. And then it was all over — John Aloisi kicked the winning penalty and Australia won the shoot-out 4-2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iheartskins Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Just reading that made my pulse quicken. Sounds like a very exciting game. Congratulations to Australia for making it to the World Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Guus is an AMAZING coach. Great for the Socceroos!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Uruguay play dirty? No way! (Chilean soccer fan here knows those ****s well) Off topic, why are you in Australia anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 The draw takes place Dec 9. These are the teams that have qualified- But who knows how the pots will be divided. At this point, even the seeds are unknown. African Zone (5 Teams)- CAF Angola Cote d'Ivoire Togo Ghana Tunisia Asian Zone (4 Teams)- AFC Japan Iran Korea Republic Saudi Arabia European Zone (14 Teams) - UEFA Germany Ukraine Netherlands Poland England Croatia Italy Portugal Sweden Serbia and Montenegro France Switzerland Spain Czech Republic North, Central American and Caribbean Zone (4 Teams) - CONCACAF USA Mexico Costa Rica Trinidad and Tobago Oceanian Zone (1 Team) - OFC Australia South American Zone (4 Teams)- Conmebol Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Ecuador. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stophovr6 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Uruguay play dirty? No way! (Chilean soccer fan here knows those ****s well)Off topic, why are you in Australia anyway? I'm sorry but the Chileans play dirty as well.:2cents: Hooray for Australia though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatty P For The Pulitzer Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 :laugh: Kilmer, you left off the dirty South Americans! I was adding up the numbers, and something wasn't right. I kept coming up with 7 groups of 4. *I believe they are Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Ecuador. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 doh!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Fixed now. Assuming that the seeds are Brazil Argentina England France Italy Germany Spain Mexico We will most likely be drawn in with Africa again. (3+5=8) So we would end up with a draw of- 1 Seeded Team (not Mexico) 1 European Nonseeded team 1 Asian/ nonseeded South American/ Australia/ Left over Euro team US So our group could be as bad as Brazil Holland Czech Republic US or as Good as France Switzerland Saudi Arabia US Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatty P For The Pulitzer Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 While we're on the topic of the final teams qualifying for Germany, here's two interesting articles about the last week's home-and-home series: Way to go Turks! http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news;_ylt=AgnyeNRhWF.U8TXpwAa0GxUmw7YF?slug=ap-fifa-turkey&prov=ap&type=lgns FIFA chief considers 2010 World Cup ban for Turkey By ERNST E. ABEGG, Associated Press Writer November 17, 2005 ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- Turkey could be banned by FIFA from the 2010 World Cup for its part in a fight after a playoff match against Switzerland in Istanbul. "We will act tough," Sepp Blatter, president of world soccer's governing body, said Thursday. "The catalogue of sanctions extends from a simple warning to suspension of the federation, which could mean exclusion from the next international event." The teams tied 4-4 on aggregate Wednesday, but the Swiss advanced to next year's World Cup in Germany on away goals. After the final whistle, the teams raced from the field and there was scuffle between players in the tunnel on the way to the locker room. Blatter said FIFA's disciplinary committee will decide on sanctions by Dec. 9, the date of the draw for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. "In the truest sense of the word, fair play was trampled underfoot," Blatter said at a news conference. "This is unworthy of football. Football should promote understanding among peoples. This didn't happen here." Blatter, who is Swiss, later indicated that lesser sanctions might be possible against the Swiss if the committee finds there was misbehavior in an earlier match in Switzerland. "If we're going to be penalized, we'll work to be sure that Switzerland gets the same penalty," Turkish federation president Levent Bicakci said. Swiss defender Stephane Grichting was hurt in the brawl Wednesday and hospitalized with a groin injury, the Swiss Football Association said. Some of the violence was caught by television cameras. Swiss player Benjamin Huggel is seen kicking Turkish trainer Mehmet Ozdilek in the back of the legs. Turkey's Alpay Ozalan tried to kick Huggel in retaliation but made contact with another Swiss player. Huggel then grabbed Alpay around the neck and fell to the ground, with other players, coaches and security guards piling on. "It was unbelievable," Swiss midfielder Raphael Wicky said on the Web site of his German club, Hamburger SV. "Turkish players and security guards started hitting us. I was hit on the head and the back." But he said Hamit and Halil Altintop, Turkish brothers who also play in Germany, came to his rescue and protected him from their teammates until he got to the dressing room. Blatter said FIFA would consider a range of severe sanctions against Turkey. "Anything can happen -- from nothing at all to the suspension of the Turkish federation or even a ban on participation in the next World Cup," he told a Swiss radio interviewer earlier. Turkish soccer officials accused Blatter of being biased. "Blatter's comments were extremely unfortunate," federation vice president Sekip Mosturoglu said. "This was not a one-sided event." Blatter said FIFA would await the report from the match officials in Istanbul. "What disturbs me the most is the lack of respect shown the official Swiss delegation from their arrival until their departure," he said. The Swiss said they were subjected to hostile treatment, including being held up for several hours in passport control when they arrived in Istanbul on Monday. Fans taunted the players and reportedly threw eggs and rocks at the team bus as it left the airport. Blatter criticized FIFA representatives for not being at the airport for the Swiss team's arrival. "This is incomprehensible," he said. "At least they could have given psychological support." Tensions had been mounting since the first match on Saturday in Bern, which the Swiss won 2-0. The Turkish team complained of poor treatment. Turkey coach Fatih Terim said Swiss striker Alex Frei cursed at him and made an obscene hand gesture after the first match. Frei denied it. FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren noted that there had been previous problems with Turkish fans during the qualifying rounds. FIFA imposed a $7,500 fine on the Turks after a match against Ukraine, a $15,000 fine and a warning after the Greece match, and a warning following the Danish match. And Bahrain hopes that it's luck with annulled games continues. http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-worldbahrainappeal&prov=reuters&type=lgns Bahrain appeal to FIFA to have World Cup result annulled MANAMA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Bahrain plan to appeal to FIFA to have their World Cup playoff defeat by Trinidad & Tobago annulled because a late goal was disallowed by Colombian referee Oscar Julian Ruiz Acosta for dangerous play. "We have appealled to FIFA about cancelling the goal, and we asked them to reconsider that goal," Sheikh Ali al-Khalifa, the vice-president of the Bahrain Football Association, told Reuters on Thursday. "We stated that there was no danger in the attempt to take the ball. We're not so optimistic about FIFA's response but we did what we think is right in the circumstances." FIFA Director of Communications Markus Siegler said the world governing body would wait for the official protest, but added it would only be considered if the Bahrainis had made it immediatly to the match referee and delegate. He added: "Like with all the other qualifying matches around the world, if there is a protest it will appear in the referee's report and the match delegate's report and be dealt with by our disciplinary committee." Bahrain, bidding to reach the World Cup finals for the first time, lost the match 1-0 and Trinidad qualified for the first time, themselves, winning the two-legged playoff 2-1 on aggregate. Bahrain had previously squeezed through the Asian playoffs against Uzbekistan on a technicality. Bahrain originally lost the first leg of that playoff 1-0 to Uzbekistan in Tashkent on September 3, but the result was annulled by FIFA because of a refereeing error. The match was later replayed and ended in a 1-1 draw, a result that was enough for Bahrain to advance to the playoff final against Trinidad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatty P For The Pulitzer Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 So our group could be as bad asBrazil Holland Czech Republic US Arena would **** a brick if that happened. I would hope they wouldn't do that, seeing as us and Netherlands are pretty much 9th and 10th in the seeding breakdown. But who knows, I'm sure the Euros would love to sacrifice one of the better sides to try and keep us from advancing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Arena would **** a brick if that happened. I would hope they wouldn't do that, seeing as us and Netherlands are pretty much 9th and 10th in the seeding breakdown. But who knows, I'm sure the Euros would love to sacrifice one of the better sides to try and keep us from advancing. If they continue with tradition, there would be no way to guarentee it didnt happen. They draw the groups from pots on live TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatty P For The Pulitzer Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 If they continue with tradition, there would be no way to guarentee it didnt happen.They draw the groups from pots on live TV. Ah, I see. I guess that's fair, I trust that more than I do them picking the groups themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Oh, if they have a chance to screw the US, I guarentee they will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomerics Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 OK, so I know that 99% of this board won't care, but this is a HUGE deal for Australia and for the world game. They beat a legitimate team that was using all sorts of dirty tactics to gain an advantage. Lets hope your not like THIS GUY if they actually win. . . :laugh: Fan Goes Balls-Out Over Team's Win Wales A drunk Welshman cut off his own testicles after his country’s rugby team beat world champion England. Twenty-six-year-old Geoff Huish told mates at a bar in Caerphilly,“If Wales wins, I’ll cut my balls off.” When his team triumphed, 11–9, Huish walked home, lopped off his coin purse with a knife, then trotted nearly an eighth of a mile back to the watering hole to show off his impressive handiwork and newly detachable beanbag. Onlookers rewarded his stick-to-itiveness by calling him a ride in an ambulance, resolving to rename the sac-free Huish “Geoffy No-Nuts” once he recovered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancalagon the Black Posted November 17, 2005 Author Share Posted November 17, 2005 Uruguay play dirty? No way! (Chilean soccer fan here knows those ****s well) Not just dirty play--crap like changing the game time at the last minute in Montevideo so that the Aussies would miss their flight home and have to charter a flight, setting fireworks off outside their hotel window in the middle of EVERY NIGHT...that sorta thing. Off topic, why are you in Australia anyway? Love. And work. But mainly love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted November 17, 2005 Share Posted November 17, 2005 Not just dirty play--crap like changing the game time at the last minute in Montevideo so that the Aussies would miss their flight home and have to charter a flight, setting fireworks off outside their hotel window in the middle of EVERY NIGHT...that sorta thing. Typical crap. Home field advantage means something entirely different in the world of international soccer. Love. And work. But mainly love.As good a reason as any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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