Aussies accept ref's brave apology
Paul Kent
SHORTLY after blowing the final whistle yesterday, referee Essam
Abd El Fatah declared: "God was on my side."
The Egyptian referee was alluding not to Australia's
get-out-of-jail win, but of his own escape after admitting
that he had made a mistake when awarding Japanese superstar
Shunsuke Nakamura a goal in the 26th minute. Abd El Fatah
also apologised to Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer for the
blunder.
Schwarzer was shouldered off the ball and should have been awarded
a free kick, but instead Abd El Fatah gave Japan the goal, making
the mistake that could have cost Australia its future in the World
Cup.
The controversial goal looked like it was going to be the
difference until Australia's dramatic finish, saving Abd El Fatah a
public embarrassment and, perhaps worse, eternal condemnation in
Australia.
"About five minutes into the game, after they scored, I went over
to him and said, 'It's a clear foul'," Schwarzer said.
"And he said, 'Yes, I made a mistake'. I think it's very good of
him to do that.
"He has got a lot of courage to come out and say that.
"At the end of the game he said the same thing to Mark
Viduka.
"He said God was on his side because the result went the way it did
and it didn't affect his decision to give them a goal in the first
half."
Schwarzer was moving in to catch a cross floated in by Nakamura
when two Japanese players, Naohiro Takahara and Atsushi Yanagisawa,
charged across the line of the ball.
Making no contact with the ball, the pair crashed into Schwarzer
and knocked him over. The ball then bounced softly into the net,
giving Japan a 1-0 lead, which it held until the 83rd minute, when
Australia's dramatic comeback began.
While clearly upset, Schwarzer said there would have been little
benefit to charge at the referee with a complaint, although he
said: "I felt like running after him and kicking him.
"But I'm not going to run after him and abuse him. All it brings is
a yellow card.
"The reaction was that it was a foul, so I don't have to say
anything else."
Abd El Fatah has a troubled history with Australia, enough for the
Socceroos to approach the game with a wary eye on his
performance.
At the Athens Olympics two years ago the referee hit the
Australians with four yellow cards in a 1-0 loss to Argentina,
costing Craig Moore and Tim Cahill appearances in the Olyroos' next
game.
The referee was equally as brutal yesterday, booking Vince Grella
and John Aloisi, as well as Moore and Cahill.
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