AUS 1 GHA 1

AUS 1 GHA 1

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=249722/match=300061469/index.html

Coming up with a witty headline proves difficult under the circumstances.

Compare the pair:

AUS v GER

Schwarzer

Wilkshire Neill Moore Chipperfield

Emerton Valeri Grella

Garcia Cahill Culina

AUS v GHA

Schwarzer

Wilkshire Neill Moore Carney

Culina Valeri

Emerton Holman Bresciano

Kewell

Some optimism as Pim had appeared to have heeded the call for reason after the tactical debacle of Durban. Australai started well, with assured touches with the ball and solid pressing without. Reward came with Holman's opportunism after Bresciano's delivery over the wall from 22m.

After the goal though came a wave of nausea over the team. Better first touche could be seen on The Revenge of the Nerds as turnover after turnover gave the inititative in the middle third to Ghana. A failure by Emerton and Wilkshire to prevent Ayew cutting in from the right led to a cut back and the defining moment of the game as the shot struck Kewell on the line. These decisions are, even for football, greyer than grey. Every angle proved difficult to assess, as Kewell's eyes shut on impact. After the indignation and anger died down, an angle from behind and left of the goal showed an almost imperceptible shift of the body in a momentary calculation of shot path. As per the FIFA edict, Rosetti had no choice but to issue a red card and award a penalty; the 2 must go together. But consistency, even through the partisan vignette, was not observed as Lee Addy's agricultural invasion of Bresciano from behind attracted only a yellow.

Australia to this point had been slicker and more assured than the stuttering version of Durban. After the resultant penalty, Ghana used their advantage to great effect, with 2 good chances before the break.

After the interval, Australia slowly built up some momentum while still allowing Ghana some chances as they opened up at the back. As Graham Arbold shifted magnetic pieces on a whiteboard it was difficult to tell if the pieces were players' names or the new range of Lego. Bresciano's snubbing of Arnold as he came off provided a hint as to his standing within the international football community...ie none. As Messers Muscat and Basheer claimed knowingly that 'Pim would be delighted', Ghana created more chances. When our clear chance came through Emerton's super pass to Wilkshire, the latter lost composure and at 75" I had that sickening feeling. Again.

At the end, we could be somewhat proud of the effort under the citcumstances, although I felt a little squirmy at the gushing praise and adulation for a performance that was seen as one for the 'true believers' (thanks PJK). While Australia took the game where they could, it was hardly a case where 'it was hard to tell who had the man sent off' (Zelic).

The underlying reason for the position we were in stems back to squad selection, to tactics used in the first game, to the overall structure Australia had to adhere to. While the player I criticised the most(Craig Moore) showed great resilience with Lucas Neill, one could only imagine a defence with a faster Michael Beauchamp or a Sasha Ogdanovski (not even selected in the squad).

While the chance of progression is still a mathematical one, a term that stinks of death, we should play the last game with a sense of freedom. Moore and Kewell can not be considered, and perhaps we can go into the last game trying players like Rukyvytsia, like Beauchamp with the plan of taking the MO of the first 25 minutes in Rustenberg to Nelspruit.

In the studio wrap up, I wished the vuvuzelas could transcend time zones, as poor Charlie Dempsey has to endure the drivel of Kalac, Zelic and Zdrillic. Kalac, dressed in black suit and white tie, looked like a gumbah rejected from Godfather3 (thanks JK), Zelic looked like the sour lovechild of Seth Green and Alex Dimitriades, and Zdrillic imitating Michael Schumacher with a comic twist.

Lest my non sharing of the nationalistic gushing from Foster and the 3 stooges be perceived as cultural cringe, I ask only that the FFA employ someone with vision, experience and perspective when they appoint the next coach. The performance was a marked improvement, but was it any better than the best of Kaiserslautern.

As Dempsey wrapped up, he plugged Spider's testimonial, with the list of players present including Craig Moore.

Enough said.

In the other games of the night:

NED 1 JAP 0

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=249722/match=300111117/index.html

DEN 2 CAM 1

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=249722/match=300061475/index.html

GP