Referee should have given Japan penalty, says FIFA

BERLIN, June 14: Japan should have been awarded a penalty in the second half of Monday's 3-1 World Cup loss to Australia, a top FIFA official said today.

Asked why there had been no penalties in the tournament's first 14 matches, FIFA communications director Markus Siegler told a news conference that the Japan-Australia match was the only one in which a penalty should have been given.

''I think there were no situations for penalties. We saw one, but it was a clear mistake of the referee. I would not be credible if I didn't say a mistake was made there,'' he said.

Siegler was referring to a second-half incident where Australia's substitute Tim Cahill clipped the legs of Japan midfielder Yuichi Komano as he headed for goal.

The score was 1-1 at the time of the incident.

Cahill, who had already received a yellow card for clattering into Komano, put Australia ahead with a powerful shot off the inside of the post minutes later.

Australia's players said on Monday that match referee Essam Abd El Fatah of Egypt had told the team he made a mistake earlier in the match by allowing Japan's only goal to stand.

Australia keeper Mark Schwarzer was knocked off balance by Japan's Atsushi Yanagisawa on that occasion, allowing Shunsuke Nakamura's cross to sail over his head into the goal.

REUTERS

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