World Cup 2006 - Ukraine and Italy Through - First Penalty shoot-out
26 06 2006Switzerland 0–0 Ukraine (0–3 on penalties). I didn’t catch this match live, but I think this would have been worth watching simply because of the dreaded penalties to elimination. Ukraine beat Switzerland on penalties and now go through to the quarter finals to meet Italy. The Swiss are going home. But not without a couple of records… they are the first team to go out of the World Cup without having conceded a goal. Pretty remarkable. They are also the first side that did not score a single penalty in a shoot-out. Ouch!
Italy 1 Australia 0. Did Australia want to win this one? I mean really, really? Nice tidy football, but where was the fire to win? Where was the ambition? Did they think they were playing…um… France?
Even though Australia dominated possession, (58% to 42%) they seemed unable to produce anything from it. Even with a 10 man Italian team. Not that Italy made the most of it either; not until stoppage time did Francesco Totti score a penalty during injury time that gave Italy all they needed to go through to the quarter finals. I hear that the Aussie coach thought the penalty award was suspect (No, really?)… perhaps it was, but it hardly matters now. Fact is, Australia hadn’t produced anything up until then anyway, so little point complaining? They paid the price, and it’s back to Oz for the Aussies.
A little harsh on the Socceroos? Compassion — ever heard of it?
They outplayed the Italians, and they (Italians) knew it, hence the number of dives they took. They paid the price for what? They paid the price for shoddy refereeing, and have every right to be angry. Italy also had a right to some anger when their player was red-carded, again, shoddy refereeing.
I guess your comments would be different if the shoe were on the other foot and the Poms had been dealt the same blow.
Harsh? , I don’t think so. I did feel a little sorry for the Aussies, in fact I would have been only too pleased had they sent Italy packing. I wish they had, but it doesn’t change my overall opinion of the game .
Even if they outplayed the Italians they had no goal to show for it and I’m not sure they would have one if they were still playing 90 minutes afterwards. Maybe the ref had some blame (what else is new?), and Italy did limp in, but the Aussies still didn’t produce anything enough to win for all their ball possesion. And my comments would be no different if were it the England team… in fact I give them even less leeway, which you’d see if you had read any of my posts on their games to date.