Lucas, Lucas, Lucas....

...you fucked up.

$125,000 a week won't hide the fact you swapped Anfield for West Ham. If/when they're relegated, you're going to look a right tit.

1-1 Australia V Ghana

Well what a great night it was, not necessarily the score although 1-1 with the team we had was more than credible.

On a cold and windy London night an excitable crowd of over 14,000 turned up to watch the big game. The passionate/dancing/singing Ghanaians Vs the brightly clad and shouting Aussies.

The clash was not the most exciting battle you will ever see. The Socceroos contained Ghana's star players with aplomb.

Here is a few reviews of some standout players (remember you can stand out and be BAD)

Patrick 'Cool as a Cucumber' Kisnorbo played a staring role with only a freak mistake blighting his cool and calm performance.

Replacing Craig Moore in defence at half time was 'Keen as Mustard' Michael Thwaite, his eagerness while for some is contagious for me was to much. Sliding everywhere and dashing into challenges. A good effort by him but when you are used to the ladies favourite Lucas Neill gluing together the back line you always expect more.

Brett 'the Holster' Holman came on late and didn't manage to pull his pistol out and shoot fast, hard and accurate. No goals, one duffed shot.

Luke 'the cutter' Wilkshire has clearly been practising passing but seems to have forgotten the skill which comes most naturally to him, slicing through the air at opposition players legs, hips, torsos and on really good days heads. Good game form him although I still don't get it. Surely we have better midfielders to pull on the Green and Gold of The Socceroos.

Our Italian Dynamos put in another performance that can further stake their claims of being Australians finest midfielders, while being solid I want them to shine.

The Socceroos seem to be capable of holding their own now against all manner of opposition even with a glut of injuries. We are surely becoming a force to be feared.

The atmosphere at the game was exhilarating especially form the Ghanaians. Their singing and dancing warmed my heart on such a cold night.

Thank you Ghana for a great game. You might want to check your Goal Keeper though, what was the deal with him going up for crosses catching the ball and getting injured? While he could pull of three or four absolute screamers of saves and get up fine............

It was a night that the Queen herself may have attended had it not been for that more pressing of issues: 007 although was the new James Bond there.................

The night before

Only one more sleep till kick off for the biggest post world cup match of 2006 to be held at Loftus Road, just spitting distance from every Aussies favorite place to celebrate anything even slightly Australian (this can be as simple as going for a beer) the Shepherds Bush Walkabout. Can the Socceroos defeat the current darlings of the African continent only time will tell.

In latest team news a few changes to the powerful Socceroos lineup. Lucas Neill (hamstring injury), Tim Cahill (knee) and Josip Skoko (hamstring) will all be missing from the clash on Tuesday this follows the earlier withdrawal of the pocket dynamo and almost leading scorer in the Scottish Premier league Scott McDonald.

So who to replace them with? Yep you guessed it Michael Beauchamp joins the squad. Along with Michael Thwaite, Ryan Griffith and Norway-based midfielder Kasey Wehrman who comes back into the national team fold after an absence of five years.

The future of the Socceroos will also be training with the squad Aaron Downes (Chesterfield), Trent McClenahan (Hereford United), Nick Ward (QPR), teenage attacker James Troisi (Newcastle United) and Neil Kilkenny (Birmingham City), who the Maestro Guus cleverly stole from England by playing him for 5 minutes in a pre World Cup fixture will all train with the squad. O yes the legacy of the mighty Guus will live on for many years to come.

The pre game atmosphere in London has been that of quiet waiting.
Will we perform?
Does Graeme Arnold really know what he is doing?
Which Michael Beauchamp will turn up this time? The champ or the chump?
Will the Walkabout live up to it's reputation?
Does anyone know who Shane Stefanutto or Brett Holman are?
Will Round Ball Footy the anthem for the Socceroos be playing one more time after another fine Socceroos showing?
We can only hope.

We here at RBF are happy to finally have something to rant about again.

Welcome back to the Socceroos, don't ever leave me again.

Get In!

Ghana Vs The Mighty Socceroos!

Round Ball Footy is excited to announce that they will be at the clash versus Ghana on 14 November 2006

The battle of the teams that were knocked out in the second round of the world cup promises to be an epic encounter.

The Socceroos have announced an exciting looking squad of:John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain), Mark Bresciano (Palermo, Italy), Tim Cahill (Everton, England), Scott Chipperfield (Basel, Switzerland), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England), Vince Grella (Parma, Italy), Brett Holman (NEC Nijmegen, Netherlands), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leicester City, England), Scott McDonald (Motherwell, Scotland), Craig Moore (Newcastle United, England), Lucas Neill (Blackburn Rovers, England), Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor, Turkey), Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England), Josip Skoko (Wigan, England), Shane Stefanutto (SK Lillestrom, Norway), Mile Sterjovski (Basel, Switzerland), Luke Wilkshire (Twente, Netherlands)

No B-Chump I hear you say? And where is Archie? Nowhere to be seen that's where. A fully fledged all conquering squad of the finest European stars Australia has to offer is ready to take on the best of Africa.

Have we found a new weapon in Shane Stefanutto I don't know. Never heard of him. Heres a photo so we know who to look out for.

Mega Fauna-less 'Roos down Bahrain

Comfortable win sets RBF-ers bitching across the country.

Ok, everyone likes goals. And we don't score so many. I can see this is a problem.

But I'm getting a bit sick of hearing about "disappointing this, disappointing that".

2-0 to us. How would you like to be a Pom - they haven't scored in 2 games, and get absolutely embarrassed by those dirty Croatians? Would you prefer that?

Chill the fuck out and wait and see what happens when the big Asian Cup matches roll in. Then you can start your bitch mouths flapping.

I don't want to hear it...

no more...

end of story...

Well...

Except to say this:

3-4-1-2. Anyone?

And (just to extend this rant a little longer), let's face it, there is no such thing as "full-strength squad" when you've got an injured Mega Fauna watching from the sidelines. Good to see the Dodo get a run though. How bout giving him a start now Arnie?

Also, props to the guy who re-monikered that defender who is supposedly the future of Australian football: Bitchamp - love it!

PS Is there a country call Byran? If so, I think we beat them last night too (must have been an Olyroo rematch after the first 90 minutes, or something).

Goodbye Poppa, Workhorse, Spider and Heartbeat ... hello B-Chump.

After 88 minutes of frustration, RBF favourite Tony Popovic looked to have landed a dream retiree goal to give the Socceroos a deserved win against an uninspired Paraguay.

...Until a ridiculous injury-time blunder by "A-leaguer come good", Mickey Beauchamp, gifted a result back to the South Americans.

So, the four veterans didn't quite get the send-off they would've liked. But it seemed a fitting farewell, in that nothing has ever come easy to these 'Roos and it gives them a parting taste of all the heartbreak they have become accustomed to throughout their careers.

On the bright side, it was only a friendly, and if it teaches poor B-Chump not to act like a twit in his own penalty box in the Asian Cup, it will be a valuable lesson indeed.

So, bring on Bahrain next week ... but first bring back that young gun, Travis the Dodo. I likes the look of him (good nickname too).

Where is Round Ball Footy?

A lot of people have been asking what has happened to Round Ball Footy......

Well folks let me tell you Round Ball Footy is as good and strong as it has ever been, It is the fire in all our bellies, the love of the game, the passion it evokes, the joy and the sorrow it must be Round Ball Footy!

A couple of months have passed now since the debacle of the World Cup: Won by those cheating cheating swine. The pain lingers, but the hope for new era is strong. In less then 4 years we will still know we were robbed and The Azzuri will still know they are cheats. And we will be able to exact revenge.

We here at RBF have taken it upon ourselves to find out what happened. Off to europe I went to get the answer of the big question: Do they know they cheated?

In France I met a man. Couldn't speak a word of English but still had the nerve to say hahahaha. The Azzuri - 1, Socceroos - 0, low low blow, but I guess you come to expect that from the Itallians!

Well it took a long time and a few countries but it seems they know that Grosso is a cheat, and a dirty one at that.

Three proud Italians drunk at Oktoberfest finally admited that Grosso did dive.

It has taken three months and a whole different continent but now we can rest a little bit easier.Safe in the knowledge that at least three Itallians know they didn't deserve to beat us.

I wonder if there is anymore out there?

Rant over.

VIVA THE REVOLUTION!

Our magic Socceroo squad, World Cup Germany 2006

For posterity, RBF is listing the 23-man Socceroos squad for the World Cup 2006.

Here are Australia’s champions who enchanted a nation and kept them up really really late in the dead of winter.

We’ve also deigned to give them each a score out of 10, to give a little indication of the glory each one has achieved. Round Ball Footy fans are welcome to let us know if we’ve got it right or wrong – post your comments here.

The Round Ball Footy Socceroos 2006

Mark Schwarzer 9/10
There's only 1 Schwarzenator. Unfortunately, he used up all his miracle saves in the Dutch friendly and couldn’t pull another one out against that Totti bastard.

Lucas Neill 11/10
Deserved the Young Player of the Tournament award (Podolski? What did he ever do, apart from look like Casper the Friendly Ghost?) But Lucas, why did you fall over?

Craig Moore 10/10
Clever enough to pinch that spot kick off the V-Bomber before he realised what was going on.

Tim Cahill 11/10
On track for the Golden Shoe before we were unjustly booted out. Has anyone figured out why Hero Timmy wasn’t awarded his third against the Cro’s?

Jason Culina 8/10
Member of the Secret Midfield Trio with Chippers and Sterjo. He loves the Guus maybe more than anyone.

Tony Popovic 7/10
It’s a little-known fact that if he hadn’t pulled a hammy just before halftime against Brazil, we would have gone on to win the game.

Brett Emerton 9/10
We suspect he was getting frisky with some young girls in the referees’ staff room; how else to explain all the yellow cards he got?

Josip Skoko 10/10
Poor Skokes: Maestro Guus was obviously ready to unleash him in a quarter final slaughter against the Ukraine. We had him pencilled in for a mighty double.

Mark Viduka 9/10
V-Bomber was the worst hit by reffing atrocities. ‘No goals’, you say? Every bloody time he looked at the ball he had a foul called on him.

Harry Kewell 10/10
It was worth it just for that second equaliser to put us into the final 16.

Stan Lazaridis 11/10
Workhorse, veteran, spiritual leader. His contribution to the team spirit was so profound, it has been left unsaid by every single player.

Ante Covic 7/10
Failed to talk Spider out of contesting the #1 spot; didn’t cheer up the Schwarz when he got dropped.

Vince Grella 10/10
The Jaffle is the most ocker Socceroo going, even after having played in Italy for years.

Scott Chipperfield 9/10
Chippers was, quite simply, the most outstanding bus-driving midfielder of the tournament.

John Aloisi 10/10
One of our 4 goal-scorers, Johnny Weezy was a ducking-and-weaving machine whenever he was on the pitch.

Michael Beauchamp 10/10
Didn’t do, or say, anything. Very well disciplined.

Archie Thompson 10/10
No game time, but he did do an Angus Young impersonation with a corner post after our result against Croatia.

Zeljko Kalac 10/10
Made arguably the biggest impression of all. No one will forget you, Spider.

Joshua Kennedy 12/10
The original and best Mega Fauna. Joshie is the reason that Germany 06 will be remembered as Year of the Mega Fauna!

Luke Wilkshire 9/10
No one really knew how he managed to get a start, but the Cutter actually played well against Italy.

Mile Sterjovski 9/10
Chippers’ best mate, Milly was another ‘Roo who played out of skin. Equal with The Cutter Wilky for overachiever of the tournament.

Mark Milligan 10/10
As with Boochy, kept his nose clean and the bench warm.

Marco Bresciano 8/10
Just needed one magic strike to gain immortality. Unfortunately those bloody Germans never showed him how to hit the secret sweet-spot on those new super FIFA balls.

Guus Hiddink 11/10
Maestro Guus: what more needs to be said? 8 seconds away from taking us into the semi and beyond. Come back soon!!

Merci Zizou

Grosso you better watch out he's coming for you next!

Here is a sweet game were you can headbut all the dirty Italians you want.

Enjoy! I certainly did!

Super Tim, Super Tim, Super Timmy Cahill

How many dudes you know roll like this?

How many dudes you know flow like this?

Not many, if any!

Not many, if any

How many dudes you know got the skills to go and rock a show like this?

Uh-uh, uh-uh, I don't know anybody...

Thanks for the memories Timmy.

A gift from above

Oh how it hurts. Italy world champions. I cannot think of anything worse. At least we can take small solace in this gift from the Round Ball Footy gods. They feel sorry for the way they have treated our mighty Socceroos and are begging us to forgive them, so they give us......
Small consolation for the bull shit way we were kicked out of the cup, but at least it might take your mind off Italy winning the damn thing for a moment or two.

Why? Round Ball Footy Gods, Why?

Yes it's true, it's not a nightmare only contained in your head, don't bother pinching yourself so you can wake up from this horrible nightmare and it will all be fine because it won't!

Italy are World Champions, and now it is time to try and accept this absolute travesty. Oh and who would step up to take the decisive penalty? Yes folks Round Ball Footy's biggest cheater Grosso .

Why do you scorn us Round Ball Footy gods? We have done nothing but praise your greatness and yet you keep letting dirty stinking Grosso take to the field and help his cheating nation lift the World Cup. Why? Why? Why?

Please make it go away........ Please I beg of you.

Tonight is the night

As the Spice Girls so famously sang "Tonight is the night, when two become one". Well for a few more hours there are two teams left but tonight truly is the night when two become one.

One team will be left standing and crowned World Champions.

Tonight pits the dirty Azzuri of Italy Vs the Stinky Les Blues of France in a no holds bared winner takes all contest, with the ultimate prize at the end of the game.....

Round Ball Footy Champions of the World!

Oh what could of been

Germany Third

Germany have managed to take a small consolation from the World Cup they have so proudly hosted by finishing in third.

While the game will probably not be remembered for much more than 24 hours, it did have a few special moments, but alas it didn't bring back those special feelings.

German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, made his first appearance at the World Cup after being relegated to the bench for the serious part of the tournament, yes that part human part cyborg wall from 4 years ago finally got a game in this super battle for national pride. So that was nice.

Bastian Schweinsteiger scored with two piledrivers to set up victory for the Germans. Add an own goal by Portugal and a cheeky goal by Portugal (at the right end this time) and you finish with a final score of 3-1 congratulations Germany, at least your fans finally had something to be happy about.

Just a quick reminder, the final is on tonight, just in case you forgot.

Lucas Neill & Posh Spice?

Posh Spice is a slapper
She likes to cop a feel
and when she's shagging Beckham
She thinks of LUCAS NEILL!

Yes even Posh Spice loves Lucas Neill, it is a craze that is sweeping the globe.

Sorry I digress, not a bad little chant though, I am sure you will admit, 22 more to go Round Ball Footy fans, one for each squad member. Go and get creative and put them in the comment section in this post.

Anyway 4 teams left, tonight the mighty battle for third and fourth should be a cracker! Portugal Vs the host nation Germany. Who will win? Does it really matter? Probably not, but at least it is one more chance to watch a cracking game of Round Ball Footy before what promises to be a less than inspiring final.

Dearest Round Ball Footy World Cup,

O, Round Ball Footy World Cup, where did it all go wrong? We were so good together.



Sure, we didn't always get along: there were times when we just couldn't figure out why you wanted to hurt us the way you did. And those awful men you hung around with really had it in for us.

Other times, it seemed just like a fairytale: you were coy at first, teasing us with rejection, until we finally scored ... once, twice, three glorious times!

Those were wonderful moments we had together – such giddy highs.

Now it seems that you've drawn apart, let us down, and now we're going our own separate ways.

O, Round Ball Footy World Cup, we can't help but feel that:

'You've lost that loving feeling; oh, that loving feeling; you've lost that loving feeling; now we're gone, gone, gone ... and we can't go on...

...Whoa-whoa-woah.'

How could you have left us for those slutty Italians and sleazy French?

Les Bleus Vs The Azzurri

Yes its true, everyone's worst nightmare has come true. We are going to have to put up with either the French or Italians telling us that they are world champions, for four years! Surely we could have a replay of just the second round starting with that match against those filthy dirty.....

So folks here we are Italy Vs France and as the Highlander so famously said "there can only be one". Wouldn't it be great to see these two old foes take to the field wielding swords and trying to chop each others heads off, couldn't fake that could you Grosso? What am I saying? If you can get that damn penalty against Australia you can do anything!

Unless these two teams take to the field with razor sharp swords and the desire for blood, I am predicting this game to be a dour affair. I am predicting 3-all, Dour?....... dour? I hear you say "6 goals - surely it can't be boring". Well yes folks 6 penalties: 3 to Grosso and 3 to Henry that diving Frenchman. Followed by even more penalties in the Penalty Shootout.

Final winner? Well the last team to have someone with their head left attached to their body of course.

There can be only one.......

Noooooooooooooooooo!

Yes it's true. The Azzuri,the team no one wanted to make the final has qualified.

I cannot fucking believe it! I wish it wasn't true.

And that bloody Grosso has done it again! Yes, the same Grosso who so famously dived across Aussie Superhero Lucas Neill to win his dirty team a penalty in the only way they know how, by cheating. That dirty cheat Grosso scored the decisive goal in the 118th minute, the ball was passed out to him and in his attempt to fling himself across the box to win another bodgy penalty, he accidently got his foot to the ball and it was in. Goodbye Germany.

Oh yeah another goal was scored but who cares. Final score: 2-o to Italy.

I can't believe I actually am going to have to sit through another bloody Italy game........

Deutschland Uber Alles

Go you good things in the Casper the Friendly Ghost outfits. (Just don't trip over your jerseys!)

Look at all of your well-wishers and supporters. You couldn't possible let them down, could you?







Now go smash that dirty, dirty cheating Italy.

Just in case you forgot...

Now that we've all calmed down, we can look back objectively upon the debacle of a penalty that Italy were awarded against the gallant Socceroos.

I think Timmy's summed it up nicely.


'Anyone who watched the game can blatantly see that we were robbed'
–Timmy ‘Hero Who Speaks the Truth’ Cahill


Well said.

Dirty Italy at it again

Once again, the Azzurri (‘dirty blues’) have managed to influence a game by bending the rules – let’s face it: cheating. Having already committed the heinous crime of shamelessly diving against our ‘Fair-Go’ Socceroos, the Italian media are now in on the shenanigans.

Star German midfielder, Torsten Frings, has been cruelly punished by FIFA after Sky Italia dobbed him in. Torsty was all set to play in tomorrow’s semi against the dirty Italians, until Sky Italia found footage of a nice left hook by Frings against an aggro Argentinian and handed it into Sepp’s boys.


The sign reads: ‘We’ve cheated before, and we’re only getting better at it.'

That’s why Round Ball Footy declares Sky Italia and the Italy team joint winners of the RBF Dirtiest Team-Effort Award.

(Following Josip Simunic’s previous award of Round Ball Footy Dirtiest Solo-Effort Award. Don’t worry, you can keep that trophy, Josie.)

Congratulations, you dirty bastards, you’ve managed to overshadow the match-fixing scandal that half the Italian World Cup team is involved in … by sinking even lower.


Italy, once again, you are a disgrace. Good luck to those Germans in the Casper the Friendly Ghosts outfits (they of the over-sized team jerseys).

Podolski: German striker or friendly ghost?

Friday

It's amazing how one one absolutely terrible decision can change a Friday night for a whole nation.

Instead of being able to stroll down the pub and cheer on Australia against Ukraine we now have to do the exact opposite, and actually barrack for the Ukraine.

The only consolation is they do wear yellow, and if you squint your eyes or have had a couple to many, you may just be able to imagine that's Viduka scoring that goal tonight, and celebrating with Luke "the cutter" Wilkshire and teammates taking Australia to its rightful place, the Semi-finals of Germany 2006.


O yes it would be wonderful if it were true, but alas, it's not.

At least we can take pleasure at hurling abuse at the Italians, as they are hopefully crushed by the World Cup debutants.

Come on Ukraine do it for the teams that wear yellow (except Brazil they need no help), and spank those Italians senseless, do whatever is necessary, just please beat them!

Tonight I have an empty space in my heart, as I think about what should of been........

‘Roos of the future

The Socceroos have had an awesome impact during their 15 days at the Round Ball Footy World Cup in Germany 06. There’s been so much to reflect upon (and get very worked up about), but so much to look forward to.


See you, Boss. We love you. Don't forget about us over there in Russia.

Unfortunately, we all knew that our Maestro Guus would be leaving us, and now we’ve got to find ourselves a new Maestro to lead us through the Asian Cup, into the Beijing Olympics and on to ROUND BALL FOOTY GLORY IN 2010!!

RBF takes a moment to mull over some of the changes that will occur.

A new Maestro?

The big-money question. Who will it be?

It's hard to say, there'll be a lot of high-power discussions and wheeling-and-dealing in the FFA boardrooms. But Round ball Footy is sure of one thing:



Oh dear God, no!!!

We'll just leave you with that shocking thought ... just don't let it happen, Round Ball Footy fans!!




The retirees...

It’s the end of an era for many Socceroos, some of our golden oldies will be:


Tony Poppa, Workhorse Stan (pictured) and Capt’n Craig – they will lead an exodus into the A-League and international retirement.
Boxhead: soon-to-be A-League workhorse


(We don’t know where the Fumble-Spider will end up.)

It looks like Weezy and the mighty Shwarzenegger will continue on as regular starters till they drop dead – along with our ‘youngsters’: Boy-Wonder Lucas, Hero Timmy, Jason Culina, the Jaffle, Bresha, and the Mega Fauna himself, Joshua Kennedy.

(V-Bomber may try and have a few more kickabouts in the Green & Gold, but if he doesn’t score in his next 2 games, he’ll be outta there too.)



Onya boys!

I’m definitely aiming at still being around. My goal is to be there with Australia in 2010
-Mark Schwarzer

Referees for Aussie games

These are the four so called "refs" of the Aussie games. We faced a total penalty count of 98 against and only 59 for.

Essam Abd El Fatah (Egypt). Despite his refereeing we won this game, he is still crap and should go home. Fouls: Australia 22 - Japan 11.

Markus Merk (Germany) Fouls: Australia 25 - Brazil 9.

Dude just PISS OFF!

Graham Poll (England). What a disaster this fella turned out to be, have you got any idea about what you are doing My Poll. Fouls: Australia 25 - Croatia 22, remember this match featured Round Ball Footy's first inductee into the Hall of Dirtiness Josip Simunic so we all know that's just Bull Shit. Get out of the World Cup. See ya!

Luis Mendaja Cantalejo what a crap referee! Thanks for kicking us out of the World Cup Mr Cantalejo, Fouls: Australia 26 - Italy 17, Including that RIDICULOUS PENALTY!

You're a wanker!
Yes, I am still very bitter about this Mr Cantalejo.

The show must go on

Well the dust has settled, the tears seem to have stopped for now at least (just don't mention that moment) and I guess with great reluctance, it is time to accept that there is still a World Cup to be won.

Only 8 teams are left and here is the draw.

Hopefully Italy will get spanked by the radiation fuelled and Shevchenko lead Ukraine in the quarter finals.

At least the Ukraine wear yellow and lets face it Round Ball Footy fans, yellow is the new black.

Who else to support? Now that's a tough one. Any ideas Round Ball Footy fans?

That game against Italy.......... and that

BLOODY PENALTY!!!!!!

Oh no. I shouldn't of thought about that again, quick pass me a tissue...........

Ned Zelic

Not sure if everyone thinks he's a tool, but here is a site made by some like minded people. Ned Zelic "Fansite".

Be Proud Australia

Today will go down as the day Australia got knocked out of the World Cup.

Round Ball Footy fans we must be proud of the effort that the Socceroos made. Love the Green and Gold, wear your Socceroos scarf everyday for the rest of winter, and most of all love your Round Ball Footy! Over the past weeks we have lived, breathed and died by the Round Ball.

Aussie fans all over the world can be proud of the achievements of the Socceroos.

It has begun Round Ball Footy fans
VIVA THE REVOLUTION!

Please don't forget about our mighty Socceroos, they will be back and need you more than ever!

Just because we are knocked out doesn't mean we have to stop singing! So go on download the song have a beer and a sing!

Italy are a disgrace

We all know the story:

Australia is dominating a tiring, 10-man squad as extra time approaches. Italy, knowing that they can't last another 30 mins and that the Socceroos will run over the top of them, resort to their only real 'talent': diving.

(We all know that the main function of Serie A is diving practice for Italians and match-fixing shenanigans behind the scenes.)

Grosso beats a couple of players on the left flank, reaches the penalty area, and hurls himself over the fallen Lucas Neill.

The Dive

He's milked the penalty, and not even the Shwarzenator can pull off the miracle save to restore justice to this horrible, farcical ref decision.

With disbelief, it seems that our World Cup has ended the way it began: with no luck from those bastard refs.

It shouldn't have ended this way.

With no other teams impressing for 2nd-team supporting rights, it looks like we'll be left to ponder who we hate more right now: Italy (for being filthy divers and crap match-fixers) or Spain (for sending us that stinky, Grosso-loving ref).

Italy, you are a disgrace. Catch some radiation when you're diving all over the Ukraine.

That Hurt

OUCH!!!!! Hey Ref that hurts.

Almost as much as this......

You bastard

Rorted

Bullshit, ref.

That's all for now. Too upset...

The new biggest RBF game ever!!

After having endured a succession of 3 'biggest Round Ball Footy games ever', Australia is gearing up for the next in the series: the new biggest Round Ball Footy game ever!!

So many questions remain unanswered—but not for long!!



Will the Geezer play?

Of course he will, dragging himself off the bench to limp around the attacking third for the last 20 minutes (of regulation time).



Who will replace Emmo?

The first Guus tactic will be to try to fool FIFA into believing that ‘The Cutter’ Wilkshire was responsible for Emmo’s 3 cards, meaning that Brett will be able to take the field after all.

Plan B, obvious enough, is to start with Bresha—so thankfully Chippers won’t be ruining any more set-pieces for us.

How much will we win by?

It’s hard to say, but looking objectively at the two teams, it seems that the game can realistically only go one of two ways:

• we win by plenty OR
• we crush their fragile pale-blue hearts in the penalty shoot-out: 3–nil (after only 6 attempts) is enough for us.

Just over 12 hours to go till we all find out!!

Poor Emerton, poor Kalac

One got screwed by the ref...



...the other just screwed up.

We won’t be seeing either of them tomorrow night.

Looking ahead...

The Round Ball Footy Datamatronic has been working overtime to chart Australia’s progress through the final rounds of the World Cup. In an international, world, global exclusive we can reveal the make-up of the final for Germany 06.

And it’s looking like the Socceroos will be lining up against Brazil in the Round Ball Footy World Cup final. What a game this’ll be!!

That’s right—a much-anticipated rematch of the age-old Group F rivals will take centre stage this year in Germany.

After hard-fought tussles with Argentina and the Portugal, respectively, the big-hearted ‘Roos will have the chance to exact sweet sweet revenge on the Samba Boys.

Turns out that 19 June was just a dress rehearsal for the biggest Round Ball Footy game in the world: the Cup final. Who will emerge victorious??

Round Ball Footy doesn’t want to give the game away. But with the benefit of having hacked into the FIFA communications department intranet, we have a strong feeling that the Socceroos will put the disappointment of the Markus Merk–led defeat behind them ... to trounce the Selecao in an ugly battle.

Having learnt their lessons from the group stage, the ‘Roos will put on a cultured display of diving and simulation the likes of which has never before been witnessed—leading Australia to a 2–0 victory over the naive Brazilians!!

Ha!!! (that was the last laugh). Ha ha!!!!

Last 16 and beyond

What a wonderful day. The final group games have been played and there is only 16 teams left to fight it out for World Cup glory.

No it's not a dream, Australia only needs to win 4 more games to lift up the most prized trophy in world sport. The first of these games is against Italy.

A team whose reputation is that of potential world champion. Round Ball Footy feels their bark is bigger than their bite. Give us a unbiased ref , a even playing surface and of course a round ball and there is no reason to think that Australia cannot defeat The Azzuri.


With defeat of Italy behind us the Socceroos would face the winner of the game between Ukraine and Switzerland in the Quarters. It is not unbelievable to dream of the Socceroos playing in a Semi Final on 4 July in Dortmund.

and then who knows...........

Was that really real?

Yes, Round Ball Footy fans, there is a Santa Claus (and fortunately he’s not on the FIFA payroll).

Stop pinching yourselves, it’s true:

WE ARE INTO THE SECOND ROUND!!!

Some words that have been used to describe the Aussie win over Croatia:


· Courageous
· Amazing
· Wonderful
· Euphoric
· Lion-hearted
· Momentous
· Justice
· Johnny (not really an adjective, but people sure were saying it a lot)

(As RBF scored it, we won 4–1. The 2 that stood; Timmy’s 92-minute goal; and if the two blatant penalties were awarded: Lucas nails one, V-Bomber sprays his wide. That Kalac thing never happened, forget about it. 4–1.)

The sweetest dawn.
When the sun rose over
a new era in Round Ball Footy.

S'cuse me, there's something in my eye...
I'm off to the pub!!

Newsflash: ref has shocker in Aus vs another team!!

Once again, Australian Round Ball Footy fans were treated to a succession of bewildering ‘judgement’ calls by the ref, this time it was pommy bastard Graham Poll.

Among the lengthy list of dubious decisions made in the Croatia game, we offer you some highlights:

· Inaugural winner of Round Ball Footy’s Dirtiest Player Ever award, Josip Simunic, tries to kick Hero Timmy in the face, inside the penalty box, pommy bastard awards dirty Simunic a free kick.

· Simunic (dirty, as mentioned above) crash-tackles the V-Bomber, again inside the penalty box. Spot kick? What are you, a European club?—it seems that Dukes is lucky not to get a red for diving.

· Some fucker takes a piggy-back on the V-Bomber, Dukes fouled for ‘backing into the man’.

· Simunic pulls Mega Fauna to the ground (pictured), proceeds to chop down ‘Arry. Even Graham ‘Pass it under the table’ Poll sees that one: second yellow for Dirty Simunic.

· 1+1=2; 2 yellows=1 red; red card=send-off. ‘Not on my watch’, says Poll (apparently he was refereeing this game—I’m not sure this display qualifies as refereeing): Simunic continues on.

· In the dying stages, as a Bresciano cross comes in, Mega Fauna is completely taken out again, leaving Timmy to run into an open net. Cahill recovers his lead in the race for the Golden Boot. ‘Nah! That’s time!’, announces Poll, producing a third yellow for Simunic (dirty), but forgetting to actually blow time-off to end the game.

Thank Christ we got through!!

NB. The above list is merely a modest selection of ref blunders going against the Socceroos—in addition to the other baffling fouls against Australia in the first 2 games (as mentioned in Round Ball Footy’s earlier whinge).

In the words of Craig Foster, ‘the ref had a shocker!!’ They all have, Fozzie, they all have.

Simunic: dirtiest player ever?

Now, the Round Ball Footy blog doesn’t pretend to be full of professional Round Ball Footy analysts or statisticians or historians.

But, we do know that it’s a rare occasion when a ‘player’ (so-called) manages to receive 3 yellow cards and 2 red cards in the one game.


Simunic: he just oozes dirtiness!

Crap hair too.

That’s exactly why we given full votes to Josip Simunic as dirtiest player ever.

Booo!!!! And get the fuck off the pitch, finally!!!!!