"THE REFEREE MIGHT HAS WELL HAVE BEEN WEARING A YELLOW SHIRT UNDER HIS OWN", SAID GHANA COACH RATOMIR DUJKOVIC AFTER HIS SIDE LOST TO BRAZIL IN THE QUARTER-FINALS, REUTERS REPORTED. THE SECOND ROUND'S OTHER OVERWHELMING UNDERDOGS AUSTRALIA WERE FEELING EQUALLY AGGRIEVED. MIDFIELDER, TIM CAHILL SAID: "WE PLAYED WELL AND WENT OUT TO GET A GOAL - BUT THEN THIS GUY FALLS OVER IN THE BOX AND HE GETS A PENALTY. "I'M FURIOUS. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. EVERYBODY SAYS 'WELL DONE, AUSTRALIA'S PLAYED WELL, PAT ON THE BACK, YOU'VE PROVED EVERYONE WRONG' BUT WE HAVEN'T. WE SHOULD STILL BE IN THIS WORLD CUP." TOTTI'S CRUEL SPOT-KICK THAT KNOCKED THE SOCCEROOS OUT WAS THE LAST KICK OF THE GAME. LUCAS NEILL'S TACKLE ON FABIO GROSSO WAS THE LAST TACKLE. SLIDING IN ON THE ITALIAN NEILL ACTUALLY MADE NO CONTACT WITH GROSSO, WHO THEN TUMBLED OVER THE BLACKBURN DEFENDERS PROSTRATE BODY. IT'S DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT NEILL COULD HAVE DONE TO AVOID IT. THERE WAS NO TRIP, NO DRAG BACK, NO HANDBALL, HE WAS ON THE DECK AND GROSSO ELECTED TO FALL OVER HIM RATHER THAN TRY TO GO AROUND HIM. BUT SPANISH REFEREE LUIS MEDINA CANTALEJO BLEW FOR THE SPOT-KICK. WOULD HE HAVE DONE SO IF IT HAD BEEN AN AUSTRALIAN FALLING OVER AN ITALIAN IN THE LAST MINUTE? EQUALLY DEBATABLE WAS BRAZIL'S SECOND GOAL ON TUESDAY AGAINST GHANA. ADRIANO WAS OFFSIDE WHEN HE RECEIVED CAFU'S CROSS, WHICH HE THEN BUNDLED IN WITH HIS KNEE. BRAZIL WERE CLEAR 3-0 WINNERS BUT THE SECOND GOAL WAS DECISIVE. IT WAS THE STRIKE THAT EFFECTIVELY KILLED OFF THE GHANIANS WHO WENT IN AT HALF-TIME WITH A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB.
