Oz played like shit for 20 minutes, like they'd never warmed up, gave away 2 goals.
Then Oz played brilliant for 25 minutes, culminating in Foxe's free kick goal and Wehrman's goal (OK I admit assisted by Viduka's backheel), to equalise at 2-2. My ears are still ringing, my throat is still hoarse. The first half was world class football, by 2 skilled teams.
The second half degenerated into a travesty. The Nigerians forgot football and just concentrated on professional fouls, diving, limping, climbing on & off stretchers, pulling, pushing, tripping, elbowing, etc etc. If this is how the game is played, then Australia needs lessons from Greg Louganis(World Diving Champion), not Raul Blanco. When Emerton was turning sharply on the ball, with arms extended for balance, he accidentally brushed one of the 2 defenders sent to block him, in the face. No malice or intention. The Nigerian on the ground then kicked Emerton while still down, and when he stood up and approached Emerton, Brett put his hands on the guys chest to keep him away. The guy then fell over again & claimed he was pushed. There was no "Brawl" as one paper claimed, though it almost boiled over with half of both teams arguing. The lunatic ref then red-cards both Emerton and Babayaro, leaving both teams with vice-captains in charge. The rest was a travesty. Colosimo blames himself for a misguided header, which was overly clever, but it's really the system.
Ref's must give a very clear indication of how much or how little push and shove, grabbing, etc will or will not be tolerated, otherwise the 2 teams are playing to 2 different sets of rules.
Players of the match - Stan Lazaridis, Hayden Foxe, Kasey Wehrman, Michael Curcija. Don't waste the plane fare - Mark Viduka - lazy, slow, never shoots.
Why did Blanco swap Wehrman off ? is Viduka a sacred cow or something ? Why do we have to watch again and again so-called strikers standing in front of goal, go for the overly clever "pass to Stan, cross from Stan, head it in" plan. Stan is great, but these constant weakly struck headers, with neither power nor accuracy, are a piece of cake for a tall skilful keeper like Nigeria's. We needed hard low ground shots. We need quick, nimble, agile strikers, not someone who stands there like a concrete post waiting for the perfect pass, too grand to run.
There was no extra time, no injury time, no scoreboard explanations of who was red-carded.
With minutes to go, and Nigeria leading 3-2, the Nigerian bench deliberately kicked the ball further away, to waste time when Australia was given a free kick. Nigeria played brilliant soccer in the first half, but whatever they were playing in the second half was not soccer.
There was total silence when the final score was officially announced.