Michael Ballack had a pretty incredible international week. The Mannschaft had two matches against Liechtenstein and Wales, respectively. The Germans won both matches convincingly, 4-0 and 2-0. There was more to the week for the Captain than the victories.
Ballack scored two dream goals. This 30 yard laser against Wales.
And this cracking 18-yard volley against Liechtenstein.
To top it all off though, he and his teammate Lukas Podolski had an on-field row resulting in the Polish-German slapping Ballack. Podolski has subsequently realized he was an "idiot" and donated five thousand Euros to the German FA's Fair Play campaign.
As all of you undoubtedly remember, back in February Australian keeper Danny Vukovic was banned for 15 months for giving a referee an unwanted high five. The ban was quickly reduced to nine months with a further six months on probation. Unfortunately, the ban was still too long for Vukovic, Australia's starting U-23 keeper, to participate in the Beijing Olympics. Amazingly, common sense has prevailed. Apparently, the Australian FA allows an infinite number of appeals, somewhat like the US legal system, and a further appeal to an independent committee reduced Vukovic's ban further. Of course, they did not specify the length of the ban now, but I would guess that it ends August 7, 2008. Oddly, the change in bannination does not affect his A-League status further, as Vukovic is still not allowed to play in the domestic competition until October.
It's obvious that someone or group has stepped in and said Vukovic must be available for the Olympics. If I had a guess, I would say that such negotiations have been going on for most of the two months since the ban was announced. Anyway, for those that don't remember, or are new to the site, here is the video of the vicious attack.
Quick refresh if you don't: Vukovic is an Australian goalie playing in his homeland, and he got himself sent off for slapping a referee after a particularly egregious penalty decision. The Aussie Football Federation [FFA] decided that he was a menace to society, and promptly banned him for 15 months.
Well, his appeal was heard yesterday, and the FFA is determined to come out of this looking like a collective of stiff, reactionary assholes.
After a seven-hour deliberation, during which they probably threw darts at a dartboard for six and spent the other hour working on PR strategies, they reduced his probation from six months to three, but they're still firm on his nine-month ban and they're set on him missing the Olympics.
What a bunch of pricks.
Vukovic was almost a certainty to get a lot of playing time for the Socceroos between the posts, and this was pretty much his last chance to see time representing his country in that competition. You see, the Olympics rules state that any country participating can only use three players over the age of 23, and Vukovic is 22 at the moment, making his chances of future Olympics rather slim.
That's not really a nice way to treat a player who started 14 games of the qualifying campaign, but still, as I mentioned before, the FFA is a collective of stiff, reactionary assholes.
Check the video again, and recap the basic story: he's out of football for almost a year because he slapped a referee's arm.
Now I'm not entirely clear on how Australia governs itself -- I do know it's the land of lazy swine and the distant progeny of British criminals -- but this story is absolutely hilarious.
Central Coast goalkeeper Danny Vukovic got his slap on this past Sunday, slapping a referee's hand, and has since been disciplined.
According to the Reuters report, via ESPN Soccernet, the ruling isn't as bad as it sounds, but Mr. Vukovic had better keep his hands well away from the faces of anyone other than himself. Quote the Football Federation of Australia [FFA] in a stern statement:
"The suspension was reduced to nine months with the remaining six months to be served under probation, meaning Vukovic will be eligible to resume playing in the A-League in November.
If Vukovic re-offends in the 12 month period after 24 November 2008, he will be required to serve the remaining six months of his 15 month suspension (in addition to any new sanction)."
The ban currently only extends to games in the Aussie A-League where Vukovic peddles his trade, but they're considering extending it to all games in all competitions, which would of course rule him out for the 2008 Olympic Squad that's traveling to Beijing.
That's where I have a problem. Who do the FFA think they are? Eric Cantona was suspended for only 10 months after his karate kick on a fan in 1996, while it's looking unlikely that Matthew Taylor will receive a massive ban despite the shocking challenge on Edu.
Meanwhile, a gentle slap on a referee, and they're thinking of not only shunning him from the league for a massive nine months, but not let him represent his country?
Whatever they're doing down at the FFA, they're mad. Punishments like this send the wrong message, making Vukovic look like the victim and not the one who caused all this mess in the first place. Meanwhile, it deprives the country and his club, Central Coast, of his services. Does that make the game better? Does everyone feel safer now?
Maybe the FFA will rescind when they realize that Mark Schwarzer's certainly no spring chicken. [boom! Another Middlesbrough reference!]
So here's the video. You tell me if this is worth 15 months.
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