Was it a Penalty?

You tell me.

ANDREW MEDICHINI/AP

Seconds left. Was it a penalty?

Two things about it, from my vantage point right above the play, in the corner halfway up the stadium: First, Neill's challenge was pretty clumsy, throwing himself splay-legged at Grosso as he moved deep into the box after turning Bresciano in the corner, who fell down on the play. Grosso legitimately went down, falling over Neill. But was it a penalty? Referee Medina Cantalejo of Spain, who sent off Materazzi for a marginal foul earlier, pointed with no hesitation to the spot.

Second thing: A murmur went round the seating area when they posted three minutes of stoppage time -- I was sure it would be two, off my watch. And the critical play happened with 20 seconds left in that three minutes. Standing there watching it, an unbelievable sequence capped by Totti, out of form Totti, converting the penalty.

Say one thing. The refereeing at this tournament, from Merk to Poll to Ivanov last night and now this, is right now the headline story.

Comments

[Rick]

I remember Euro 2000, but does everyone else? Probably not. Let me remind everyone. Italy up on France, 1-0 in the final. FOUR MINUTES of extra time when it was obvious one, maybe two at the most would have sufficed. France scores in the 93rd minute, then wins in extra time. What about Brazil vs. Japan in this World Cup? Ronaldo scores in extra time of the first half when there was no extra time necessary. I find it funny that when Italy catches such a "break," conspiracy theories abound.

[Jason Roberts]

There is no question that it was a penalty. I am not a fan of Italy, and actually was cheering for the Aussies. After watching the replay a few times, the attacker was clearly obstructed and the defender impeded him by raising his arm while being jumped over. Watch it again. No question about it being a penalty regardless of the timing.

[rjbenzie]

No worries ! Italy will not win the World Cup on this performance! And Australia is now on the football map:)

[spud]

it seemed odd that the referee would be involved in such a game-clinching decision given the scandal that the Italians face back home within Serie A. Perhaps the ref is on the payroll?

[Carlo]

I would like to remember to all complainers that Australia was playing in 11 versus 10 for more than half game and they could not score,
also they do not mention the fact that Materazzi was given a red card when should have been a yellow card.

[Johnny Coretore]

How can one say that it wasn't a penalty? The Italian defender received a RED CARD when it was at most, a yellow card type of foul. He would have scored if he wasn't impeded by first his legs and then his arm. Give me a break! The better team went through, especially after playing pretty evenly with them after over 40 minutes a man down. I feel terribly for Aussie fans as their team gave them a strong fight and it's a horrible way to lose a game but for people to say that it wasn't a penalty is just wrong and they know nothing about soccer.

[Peter]

Stop all this, the call that was made was unavoidable. I think Grosso played it up a little, but Neill's challenge was inexcusable. It was clumsy, and frankly, he never came close to the ball, and the attacker went down. The ref was right there and had he not made that call there would have been a threefold uproar of what there already is. Australia did not get screwed, and Italy did not get a gift. The 'roos were unlucky, simple as that, and that is just a simple part of the World Cup; single-game eliminations always lead to second guessing of crucial calls.
I'm right there with everyone else, at first I thought it was an outrageous call (I hate the Azzuri as much as anyone else) but upon viewing the replay it was clear that a penalty needed to be called. All Neill needed to do was stand in his way and deny a lane to the goal, but he went to ground, which is always a gamble in the penalty area. Simple as that, when you roll the dice you can't always come out on top, and Totti struck a beautiful penalty, to his credit.

[Eugene]

I am an Italian and I am sure you will all think this is biased, but I am going to say it anyway.

I find it funny that all these complaints about the Azzurri bein given a gift.

One person complains that there was too much extra time, one complains that it's not a penantly, all the aussie did was get in his way and did not foul him. Another suggests that the ref was "on the payroll" (I guess that was expected based on what is happening back in Italy).

1. As someone already mentioned. Anyone remember Euro 2000. France was given 4 extra minutes. enough said!

2. If a player sticks out his leg and causes the attacking player to fall in the box. Could you not argue that he merly put his leg in he way and the attacking player tripped over the leg. That argument could be used in every situation where a player was taken down and it doesn't fly. He stopped hi sprogress twice illegaly. The most convincing arguement was the one about obstruction and an obstruction foul calls for an indirect free kick. Unfortunatly, he did more than just obstruct the italian. he blocked his path with his elbows after hwe fell.

3. the ref. If the ref was in the italian's poket, why would he give a red card to the Italian player. Everyone agrees that that was way to harsh. That changes the complection of the game and althogh the Aussies did have possesion after that, then couldn't get any real scoring chances.

I agree the ref ruined the game, but not giving the PK. It was by sending off the Italian when it wan't justified.

I haven't even brought up 2002, when the Itlians were clearly robbed by the refs against South Korea.

The Aussies had most of the second half to up a man and couldn't generate anything. People complain about the Italian game, but clrearly you have never played or do not understand the tactics. What did you expect them to do when a man down. If they were even, then the Italians would have taken the game to the aussies.

Forza Italia, bring on the Ukrain.

[Tiger]

Forget about the ref's call....final score 1-0 Italy. It's gonna be a great party downtown on Friday....much better than if the Aussies won.

[Fav]

This was a 50-50 call. If the ref didn't make the call, the response would be Italy was robbed. The fact is the Aussies spent 40 minutes with an extra man and created only two chances. The Italians created just as many and one resulted in penalty shot. The Aussies did themselves proud but their inability to create scoring chances with the extra man is why they lost this game.

[amee]

Yes, I think it was a penalty. I was not cheering for any one. Neil delibertely threw himself into Grosso. It WAS a penalty.

[sine]

I'm sorry but this is a shame. The whole world...let me say this again THE WHOLE WORLD saw this as a robbery and you still talk about how defender threw himself to the ground and raised his elbow and how the attacker was clearly obstructed ...common...it's his job to obstruct him and as long as defender is not initiating the contact, IT'S NOT A FOUL. It looked like the referee wanted to even the score for Materazzi's red card which shouldn't have happened in the first place. All I'm saying is that Grosso went over Neill with the intention of drawing the penalty and referee was more than willing to offer them the free pass to the next round.

[Derek]

Here's what I saw.....
A questionable call that went the way of the Italians after one of their players made the most of an opportunity to embelish a clumsy (Tired?) challenge in the penalty box.

Her's what's new......
Nothing!!

Here's what I will remember.....
Yes there was was some complaining to the ref by one or two of the Aussies, but in general they accepted their fate in a very sportsmanlike fashion (Especially Lucas Nei). There was no 'Eleven man assault' on the ref with the touching, pushing and screaming profanity that usually goes on.
Had the roles been reversed I wonder if I would be able to say the same???

Sportsmanship is what is slowly being erroded from the game and it is that which always sets it apart from other sports as being the 'Beautiful' game.

Well done you Aussies. You should be proud

[Don]

I can understand the disappointment of an underdog winning a big match; but, lets be fair to both sides. The rule applies whether the act occurs in first minutes of a game or the last. I don't understand why players put themselves in difficult situations so close to the final whistle. The penalty was fairly awarded if though it may seem that Grosso used his experience and decided not to proceed with the attack on goal because he was in a obvious foul position. Neil's body was obstructing Gosso's attempt to take the ball to goal. Grosso was had a wide open side and might of scored. Neil knew this and made a desperate attempt to block Grosso's path.

[Eugene]

"common...it's his job to obstruct him and as long as defender is not initiating the contact, IT'S NOT A FOUL."

Are you serious? it's his job to obstruct him? You obviously have not played the game. It's the job of the defender not to allow him to pass or not to allow him to pass with possesion of the ball, but obstruction (blocking a players advancement when the ball is passed you) IS A FOUL. This isn't hockey where you are aloowed to body check. It isn't basketball where if you get there first and the attacking player runs into you it's a charge. If you block a players advancement, either by sticking your leg, elbow, or entire body infront of the playe; That is a foul.

and even if your defenition was correct. The Aussie player did initiate the contact. First with his sprawling body and second with his elbow.

So either way, you are incorrect.

[MG]

WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN MATERAZZI
RECEIVING A RED CARD?
WHY SHOULD WE ACCEPT THAT KNOWING THAT
IT IS UNFAIR AND TOO HARSH A SENTENCE?
WHY THEN SHOULD WE ACCEPT NEILL'S
INTENTIONAL FALL?

INJUSTICE COMES IN EVERY COLOUR.

VIVA ITALIA!!!

[Viet Nguyen]

Great game by Australia. With a little extra finishing skill they would have pulled the upset and should be proud of their performance. They had to win a playoff just to get to the World Cup and weren't even supposed to progress from their Group.

Everyone thinks they know the rules, but they obviously don't. A direct kick is given for any one of 10 fouls, including tripping. Tripping may be done "carelessly" or "recklessly" and the decision is in the discretion of the referee. All of these arguments about Grosso falling over Neil and obstruction are therefore irrelevant. Neil tripped him, and even the "attempt to trip" is a foul that's punishable by a direct free kick, which when it occurs in the box is a penalty kick.

http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regulation/0,1584,3,00.html

Was it the worst foul I've ever seen? Definitely not. Could Grosso have avoided the trip? Certainly. None of that matters.

[Lina]

This was a 50-50 call. All I have to say is the Italian's won..... Everyone always criticises Italy for the way they play, just get over it. The Aussie’s played a good game I will give them that but Italy played better defensively and they had way more changes on goal even though they were a man short... So everyone stop bashing the Italian's they have work there hardest to get to the quarter finals....... FORZA AZZURRI.....

[maria]

The comments posted by petrache lupu regarding TSN's post-game discussion and its commentators fettering their discussion so as to apease the italian-canadian community in Toronto are highly offensive and racist. They should not have been posted. Regardless of which team you support, comments such as those posted by this individual are not helpful nor are theyh constructive criticism of the game or its officials. TSN's commentators do not require the support of the italian-canadian citizens of Toronto to maintain their jobs or status as broadcasters or soccer experts- they were simply discussing, from their experience and expertise, the awarding of the penalty shot. As a further comment, soccer scandals have also occurred in Brazil's domestic league and throughout Argentina. Play fair and be civil!

[canada soccer fan]

Obviously many Aussie supporters forget that a football match lasts more than 90 minutes. This means that you have to play well in extra time. The grave error of the Aussies, given their own knowledge of their technical and strategic inferiority to a team like Italy is that they were counting on penalty shots to potentially win a game. Australia played with an extra man for the entire second half of the match, but was unable to strike let alone score. Nice try but no cigar - lots of improvements yet to be made in Australian football. Good luck in South Africa!

[JL]

How on earth could this be a foul? A Brazilian player was yellow-carded (unfairly, I would say) when he got into the same situation in the Ghana game. The difference was that the Ghanaian goalkeeper did more to impede his progress than Neill did on Grosso; he actually rolled over into the Brazilian, which Neill didn't do. So the penalty call was horrible. But then, the refereeing has been horribly inconsistent throughout the World Cup. Australia should have had two penalties against Croatia - one for the handball on a free kick, and one when an attacker was dragged down bodily. Even Italy had an "offside" goal called back against the U. S. that sure didn't look offside on the replay.

Australia was robbed, and the Italian fans were cheated out of knowing whether their team would have won fair and square. They very well might have - they have often pulled one out in this situation - but we won't know.

Incidentally, I don't think Grosso was guilty of a dive. But there have been plenty of incidents where an attacking player has been impeded by defenders that were not called penalties. I bet Pierluigi Collina would have got the call right -- and he's Italian!

[LN]

Italy deliverance.....I beg to differ!! I acknowledge that Italy has underperformed at the world cup this year. They never seem to do anything the easy way (even in 1982 they barely squeaked by the first round yet they ended with a tournament victory). I also acknowledge that Italy may have received a "questionable" penalty kick in the dying seconds of the game against Australia. However, why does the "soccer world" seem to dwell on "questionable" calls when they are in favour of Italy? The Italian squad seems to be the Rodney Dangerfield of international soccer since it never seems to get any respect. Is it their "unpalatable" style of play or is there some other reason? If it’s their style of play, then I note that England has not exactly dominated their games against "lesser" opponents. Even the ever popular Brazilian squad has not exactly had total control in all their games (although not reflected in the final score against Ghana, the Africans certainly had their chances to score goals and if it were not their poor finishing touches, Brazil could have been defeated). The bottom line is that in a tournament like the world cup, bad calls from the referee are a fact of life. Hs the soccer world forgotten that the Italians themselves have also received their fair share of "questionable" calls against them in past world cups?

[foxrun]

Tournaments are made to promote the game. This tournament is unashamedly self promotional and as a result it fills your time with sporting drama. I have been watching for years and honestly am bored, next.

[Showstopper]

This is what I cannot understand for the life of me. People seem to love to vilify Italian football. Believe me growing up as a supporter there have been many times where I have been just shaking my head, knowing that their poential is so much greater than what is displayed. That being said, after looking at repeated replays of the incident it is clear that it is a penalty shot. I dare say if the call went against Italy we would not be having this conversation. Either way, if their play does not pick up they will be going home -- Simple as that

[Dave]

Italy should never have had the red card called against Materazzi, but it happened. However from this point and for the next 40 minutes Austrailia could not score, rather Italy even had better chances. A play like the one on Grosso is going to be called everytime, he had a great chance to score almost within the 6 and he was offset by the defender. A deserved win from a 10 man squad.