Assuming there'll be an uproar along the "penalty/not a penalty" grounds, I wish Italy could have put this one away non-controversially. It was still an exciting watch and in the end the Azzurri made it through, so I'm not complaining. Viva Italia.
Indeed; I was really looking forward to Extra Time, but then this had to happen. I'm not sure how much of a dive it was, but I hope that in the future they implement the two referees on field rule.
The PK was a terrible call - one of the worst of the cup. You don't hand the game over on a silver platter with no time left when Grosso takes a dive. Give Italy the (deserved) free kick outside the box and play it out. Fans want to see the world's best battle it out, not have the referee decide the game.
Amen! I'm an Aussie that watched my team do so well for the first time in 32 years. To have been beaten fair and square by a great team like Italy in this stage of the competition would have had Aussies the world over holding our heads high with pride. But to lose like this? It's a very bitter pill to swallow...
Great players never miss. Bravo Totti Australia played very well, but never do this kind of fault, in a WC game, few second before the end, playing 11 vs 10, against Italy. It's not mature. Australia is a "new" nation at this stage of competition they just lack some experience. In few years they will much harder to play.
You don't hand the game over on a silver platter with no time left when Grosso takes a dive.
I totally agree. Since it was a doubtful decision, I wouldn't have awarded the PK with 5 secs remaining in the game.
Give Italy the (deserved) free kick outside the box and play it out.
If it's foul, it's inside the box, therefore it's a PK. The debate here is wether it was a foul or not.
I've seen worse calls in my life, honestly.
The official raised his hand on the first tackle outside the box and allowed the play to go on and wait and see if Grosso still had the advantage. After the initial tackle, the ball was cleanly picked and Grosso took a swan dive. Should've been a free kick outside the box, where the initial foul took place.
I've seen worse calls also, just not at the end of extra time in the final 16 to gift a match.
Too much controversy for me take Italy seriously in this win.
They better prove themselves next match.
The same situation in Switzerland - Ukraine and the referee did not call anything.
The referees are getting worse or FIFA is putting so much pressure on them that they are nervous also.
Every yellow card upsets the player and the team more, instead to calm down the spirits.
But, we don't award a penalty in the first five or the last five minutes. It has to be very, very obvious to do it.
Slowly, but surely we ruin the game.
For me, this game is already ruined. I came into the tournament with World Cup Fever, now I cannot even watch 5 minutes of this garbage. The players are not sportsmanslike, games are (pre)determined by referees, there are few exciting matches, and there seems to be a disturbing tendency to favour the football nations. I am so utterly disillusioned by this sport right now - I am going back to ice hockey, a sport of tough players and fair play, where the best team ALWAYS wins.
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