Stuttgart, Germany – English referee Graham Poll gave a Croatia player an extra chance Thursday, showing him three yellow cards before finally sending him off after blowing the final whistle of a 2-2 draw against Australia.
Poll gave Croatia’s Josip Simunic his first yellow in the 62nd minute in an ill-tempered match. In the 90th minute, with two other players having been sent off, Poll gave Simunic another yellow card for a foul, but did not show him a red card and send him off as he should have. Poll did not appear to be aware he already had booked Simunic. Between the 80th and 90th minutes, Poll sent off Croatia’s Dario Simic and Australia’s Brett Emerton. Three minutes later, Poll blew the final whistle – the draw putting Australia through and eliminating Croatia. Simunic spoke to Poll, who looked angry, pushed him away with one hand and showed the defender a yellow card for the third time and then the red card.
Referees are permitted to give players a red card after the final whistle if they commit a sending-off offense.
Brazil won’t get to keep trophy
Brazil won’t get to keep the World Cup trophy if it wins its sixth title at Germany 2006.
FIFA communications director Markus Siegler would not entertain speculation Brazil, or any other team, would get to keep one of the most globally recognized prizes in sports. Brazil kept the original Jules Rimet Trophy in 1970 after becoming the first three-time winner of the World Cup. The Brazilians have won it twice since, and so have Argentina and Germany, leading to the perennial question about FIFA handing over the existing cup for the team that wins it three times. Siegler responded with a flat “no” to the question, not entering into any further debate.
He spent more time explaining that FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s decision to give British students 350 free tickets for a World Cup quarterfinal was strictly a one-time deal. British Prime Minister Tony Blair got involved after hearing how the students paid for tickets and went to Germany on organized tours, only to discover that there were no tickets.
If England reaches the quarterfinals – it plays Ecuador in the second round Sunday – the students will get tickets to the July 1 match at Gelsenkirchen. If England does not advance, the tickets will be valid for the June 30 quarterfinal at Berlin.
