Zico disgust at 'penalty' blunder
From staff writers
June 16, 2006
JAPAN coach Zico has taken a swipe at FIFA after a top official said his side should have been awarded a second-half, World Cup penalty against Australia.
And the Brazilian is also annoyed with reports that the Egypt referee, Essam Abd El Fatah, apologised to Socceroos keeper Mark Schwarzer for awarding Japan's goal in the Group F opener. FIFA communications director Markus Siegler said the game was the only one so far in which a penalty should have been given.
He was referring to Japan's claims for a penalty, waved away by the referee, after Australia hero, substitute Tim Cahill brought down Yuichi Komano in the box with the score 1-1.
"FIFA said there was a problem with the referee and singled out the Japan game as the only game where a penalty should have been awarded and Japan lost (because of it)," said Zico overnight.
"This is a FIFA problem. They have picked out our game but why are they saying this now when nothing can be changed? If we had been given that penalty it could have changed the face of the game."
Cahill went on to put Australia 2-1 up before John Aloisi completed victory in injury-time.
Shunsuke Nakamura had given Japan a first-half lead with a controversial opener that was allowed to stand, even though Schwarzer appeared to have been impeded by Atsushi Yanagisawa.
Schwarzer said after the match that the referee admitted he had made a mistake with that goal, and said God was on his side because the result went Australia's way when he knew he had made a big mistake.
Zico said: "There were reports that the ref told the Australian keeper that he had made a mistake with that goal but the referee should never be allowed to get away with that. Something needs to be done."
Japan's defeat means it must take at least four points from their final two group matches, with Croatia and world champion Brazil, to stand a realistic chance of advancing to the round of 16.
