Umpiring comes under fire after Korea is denied win against Aussies

Monchengladbach, Sep 16 (UNI) The hockey World Cup came alive on the penultimate day not because of on the field action but poor umpiring that saw South Korea being robbed of a win against Australia because of the sub-standard supervision.

No official was willing to officially stick out his neck and admit but they dropped enough hints that umpiring in the Korea-Australia match left much to be desired.

''If German umpire Christian Blasch had been looking carefully at the penalty corners taken by Australia, especially at the ones that they scored their first two goals off, Korea would have entered their first World Cup final here,'' said an official.

''Both the Aussie penalty corners were stopped inside the circle and should have been disallowed. That means Korea would have held off Australia and cruised towards their first World Cup final'', he said.

''One understands an umpire making a mistake during the run of play as sometimes the play can be very fast for even the human eye to detect an error or an infringement. But this was a penalty corner and the umpire can easily pick up a wrongly taken penalty corner,'' he added.

Tournament Director Ken Read said that even if there was a complaint it wouldn't be taken as ''There is no regulation to protest against an umpiring decision.'' The International Hockey Federation previously had the provision but in 2003 there was an amendment to that rule. He also said that the Koreans have expressed their 'concerns' in relation to two decisions against them.

Read said that he would recommend after careful thought that video umpires should be extended to that situation and that there should be a re-positioning of the second umpire and that he be brought to the head of the striking circle so that mistakes are lessened.

''I do believe we have the best panel for the umpires job.

Umpiring is a very hard job, '' he added.

Even the Koreans would find it very hard to walk away from a semi-final that they now feel should have gone their way. Players, coaches and fans sitting in line of the penalty corners had already started voicing their concern over the umpiring in the semi-final against Australia.

A former Aussie captain watching the World Cup semi-final said, ''Australia is terribly lucky to get into the final.'' Two other coaches said, ''This is terrible. What was the umpire (Blasch) doing?'' South Korea had taken the lead in the 31st minute. After the break, Australia equalised in the 38th minute when Bevan George deflected in the penalty corner shot.

Korean coach Cho Sung Jun also asserted that the penalty corner was stopped inside the circle.

Korea again took the lead in the 41st minute and then Australia equalised in the 51st minute off yet another penalty corner which Travis Brooks deflected in and this penalty corner was also stopped inside the striking circle. Australia then struck in the 60th and 70th minutes to record a 4-2 win and enter their second consecutive World Cup final.

The Koreans were distraught after the semi-final. They, by nature, never protested decisions by the umpire. A couple of them had raised their hands during the penalty corner but didn't carry the protest too far. What is interesting is that any other team apart from the Koreans probably would have surrounded the umpire and asked for the third umpire to be brought in.

The Koreans' sense of fair-play has probably robbed them of a richly deserved place in the final.

UNI HSB AY BS1651