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Zico takes swipe at FIFA

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16 June 2006 | 07:06 - KYODO

Japan coach Zico has reacted with dismay after a top FIFA official said Japan should have been awarded a penalty in the second half of their 3-1 defeat to Australia in their opening World Cup match in Kaiserslautern.

 

FIFA communications director Markus Siegler said the Group F clash was the only match in which a penalty should have been given.

"FIFA said there was a problem with the referee and singled out the Japan game as the only game where a penalty should have been awarded and Japan lost (because of it)," Zico said.

"This is a FIFA problem. They have picked out our game but why are they saying this now when nothing can be changed? If we had been given that penalty it could have changed the face of the game."

Siegler was referring to Japan's claims for a penalty that were waved away by Egyptian referee Essam Abd El Fatah after Australia substitute Tim Cahill brought down Yuichi Komano in the box with the score tied at 1-1.

Cahill then went on to put Australia 2-1 up before John Aloisi completed victory for the Socceroos in injury time.

Shunsuke Nakamura had given Japan the lead in the first half with a controversial opener that was allowed to stand even though Australia keeper Mark Schwarzer appeared to have been impeded by Atsushi Yanagisawa.

Schwarzer told reporters after the match that the referee had admitted he had made a mistake with that goal and said God was on his side because the result went Australia's way when he knew he had made a big mistake.

Zico said: "There were reports that the ref told the Australian keeper that he had made a mistake with that goal but the referee should never be allowed to get away with that. Something needs to be done."

Japan's defeat means they must take at least four points from their final two group-stage matches against Croatia and world champions Brazil to stand a realistic chance of advancing to the round of 16.

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